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THE

TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION;

CONTAINING

THE UNIVERSAL THEOLOGY

NEW CHURCH,

FORETOLD BY THE LORD IN DANIEL VII. 13, 14; AND IN REVELATION
XXI. 1, 2.

BY EMANUEL SWEDENBOKG, •
SERVANT OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

21 item Sftransltttion
FROM THE ORIGINAL LATIN EDITION, PRINTED AT AMSTERDAM, IN THE TEAR 1771.

A NEW EDITION, WITH AN INDEX.

NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED BY THE GENERAL CONVENTION OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH
IN THE UNITKD STATES,
AT THE OFFICE OF ITS BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS,
346 BROADWAY.
JOHN L. JEWETT, AGENT.
1859.

DANIEL VII. 13, 14.
I was seeing in the visions of the night ; and behold, with the clouds of
the heavens, as it were, the Son of Man was coming. And unto Him
was given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom ; and all people, nations
and tongues shall worship Him.. His dominion is the dominion of an age
which will not pass away, and his kingdom one which will not perish.

REVELATION XXI. 1, 2, 5, 9, 10.
/ John saw a new heaven and a new earth. And I saw the holy city,
New Jerusalem, descending from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband. And an angel spoke with me, saying, Come, 1
will show thee the Bride, the Lamb's Wife. And he carried me away
in spirit upon a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city,
the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
He who sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new
And He said to me, Write, because these words are true and faithful

ADVERTISEMENT.

The public is now presented with a New Translation of the work of
Emanuel Swedenborg originally entitled " Vera Religio Christiana,
continens Universam Theologjam Nova; Ecclesi.je, a Domino apud
Danielem, cap. vii. 13, 14, et in Apocalypsi xxi. 1, 2, predicts :"
The True Christian Religion, containing the Universal Theology of
the New Church, foretold by the Lord in Daniel vii. 13, 14, and in
Revelation xxi. 1, 2. This is the last work that was published by the
Author : and it comprises, as the title indicates, a general summary of the
doctrines of the New Church, reduced to a regular system of theology.
It was originally written in Latin, and published at Amsterdam in 1771,
ie year before the Author's death. It was first translated into English
oy the Rev. John Clowes, and published in England in the year 1781.
After several editions of this version had been printed in England, and
one in America, it was revised by the Rev. Samuel Noble and others,
and republished in London in the year 1819. Some time since, a de
sign was formed of stereotyping it in Boston, and it was then thought
proper that it should be again revised ; but after further consideration,
it was deemed advisable that it should undergo a new translation ; and,
accordingly, the whole work has been translated anew.
The Translator has endeavored to express the meaning of the origi
nal Latin, as literally and accurately as possible, in plain English ; but
he has not, in all instances, done it to his own satisfaction. The style
of the original is, in general, remarkably simple and perspicuous ; yet
there are some sentences, and some particular phrases, which seem ob
scure and difficult ; and, although the Translator has endeavored to ren
der them faithfully, he is not sure that he has always either apprehended
or expressed the true meaning. He hopes, however, that the present
translation will be found not only more literal and accurate than the
former, but also more simple in its phraseology, and consequently more
intelligible to common readers.
One remarkable characteristic of the style of our Author, is the fre
quent use of adjectives as substantives ; as, for example, Divinum,

iv , Advertisement.
1 the Divine ;' Humanum, ' the Human ;' bonum, ' the good ;' verum,
' the true ;' malum, ' the evil ;' falsum, ' the false ;' spirituale, ' the spirit
ual ;' naturale, ' the natural,' ,&c. In the present translation, the word
' nature' or ' principle' is sometimes added to ' the Divine' and ' the
Human,' but not generally. Jucundum, which properly means ' pleas
ant, agreeable, delightful,' &c, is commonly rendered ' delight,' but
sometimes ' delightful.' Proprium, which properly signifies ' what is
proper, peculiar or appropriated to any one,' is retained and used as a
noun, for want of a more proper word. The Latin verbs esse and ex-
istere are also retained, in several instances ; particularly in the second
part of the first chapter, where they seemed to denote abstract ideas,
which could not be conveniently expressed by other words. Esse
properly means ' to be,' but it is used to denote ' being itself, in the
abstract,' or ' the inmost essence of things ;' and existere properly means
' to exist,' but it is used to denote ' being as it is manifested,' or ' the
sensible existence of things.' The phrase liberum arbitrium, which was
formerly translated ' free will,' is now rendered ' free agency.' The
passages quoted from the Sacred Scripture are generally translated very
literally, and they sometimes vary considerably from the corresponding
passages in the common version of the Bible.
T. G. W
Cambridge, December 1, 1832.

GENERAL INDEX

OF THE

CONTENTS

THE FAITH OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH, IN ITS UNI
VERSAL AND PARTICULAR FORM. «. 1 to 3.

CHAPTER I.
CONCERNING GOD THE CREATOR.

Concerning the Unity of God. n. 5.
I. That the whole Sacred Scripture, and thence all the Doctrines of the CI urches
in the Christian world, teach that there is a God, and that He is One. n. 6 to 7.
II. That there is a universal Influx from God into the souls of men, that there is a
God, and that He is One. n. 8.
III. Thence it is, that, in all the world, there is not a nation possessed of Religion
and sound Reason, which does not acknowledge a God, and that God is One. n. 9.
IV. That, as to what that One God is, nations' and people have differed, and still
differ, from several causes n. 11.
V. That human Reason from many things in the world, may perceive and conclude,
if it will, that there is a God, and that He is One. n. 12.
VI. That, unless God was One, the universe could not have been created and
preserved, n. 13.
VII. That the man who does not acknowledge a God, is excommunicated from the
Church, and condemned, n. 14..
VIII. That with men who do not acknowledge One God, but more than one, nothing
of the Church coheres, n. 15.
Concerning the Divine Esse, which is Jehovah, n. 18.
I. That the One God is called Jehovah from JEsse,thus from this, because He alone
is and will be, and because He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the
End, the Alpha and the Omega, n. 19.
II. That the One God is Substance itself and Form itself, and that Angels and
Men are Substances and Forms from Him ; and that, as far as they are' in Him, and
He in them, so far they are Images and Likenesses of Him. n. 20.
III. That the Divine Esse is Esse in itself, and at the same time Existere in
itself, n. 21,22.
IV. That the Divine Esse and Existere in itself, cannot produce another Divine,
which may be Esse and Existere in itself; consequently, that another God of the
same essence is not possible, n. 23.

vi General Index of the Contents.
V. That a Plurality of Gods in ancient times, and also in modern, existed from
no other source than from not understanding the Divine Esse. n. 24
Concerning the fnfinity of God, or his Immensity and Eternity, n. 27
I. That God, since He is and exists in Himself, and all things m the universe are
and exist from Him, is Infinite, n. 28.
II. That God, since He was before the world, thus before Times and Spaces arose,
is Infinite, n. 29.
III. That God, since the world was made, is in Space without Space, and in Time
without Time. n. 30.
IV. That the Infinity of God, in relation to Spaces, is called Immensity, and in rela
tion to Times, is called Eternity ; and that, although there are these relations, still there
is nothing of Space in his Immensity, and nothing of Time in his Eternity, n. 31.
V. That enlightened Reason, from very many things in the world, may see the
Infinity of God. n. 32.
VI. That every created thing is finite, and that the Infinite is in finite things, as
in its Receptacles, and in men as in its Images, n. 33
Concerning the Essence of God, whicn is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom.
I. That God is Love itself and Wisdom itself, and that these two make his Es
sence, n. 37.
II. That God is Good itself and Truth itself, because Good is of Love, and Truth is
of Wisdom, n. 38.
III. That God, because He is Love itself and Wisdom itself, is Life itself in
tself. n. 39, 40.
IV. That Love and Wisdom in God make one. n. 41, 42.
V. That the Essence of Love is, to love others out of itself, to desire to be one with
them, and to make them happy from itself, n. 43, 44, 45.
VI. That these Properties of the Divine Love were the Cause of the Creation of
the universe, and that they are the Cause of its Preservation, n. 46, 47.
Concerning the Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence of God. n. 49.
I. That Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence are of the Divine Wisdom
from the Divine Love. n. 50, 51.
II. That the Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence of God cannot be
known, unless it be known what Order is, and unless these things be known ; that
God is Order, and that, at the creation, He introduced Order into the universe, and
also into each and every part of it. n. 52 to 55.
III. That the Omnipotence of God in the universe, and also in each and every part
of it, proceeds and operates according to the laws of his Order, n. 56, 57, 58."
IV. That God is Omniscient, that is, perceives, sees and knows each and every
thing, even to the most minute, that is done according to Order, and thence also
whatever is done contrary to Order, n. 59 to 62.
V. That God is Omnipresent from the firsts to the lasts of his Order. «. 63, 64.
VI. That Man was created a Form of Divine Order, n. 65, 66, 67.
VII. That Man is so far in Power against the Evil and False, from the Divine Om
nipotence, and that he is so far in Wisdom, concerning the Good and True, from the
Divine Omniscience, and that he is so far in God, from the Divine Omnipresence, as
he lives according to Divine Order, n. 68, 69, 70.
Concerning the Creation of the Universe.
That no one can procure to himself a just idea concerning the Creation of the
universe, unless some universal knowledges, being premised, put the understanding
into a state of perception, of which n. 75.
The Creation ofthe universe described by five Relations, n. 76, 77, 78, 79, 80.

General Index of the Contents. vii

CHAPTER II.
CONCERNING THE LORD THE REDEEMER.
1. That Jehovah God descended and assumed the Human, that He might redeem
and save Men. n. 82, 83, 84.
II. That Jehovah God descended as Divine Truth, which is the Word, and yet
that He did not separate the Divine Good. n. 85 to 88.
III. That God assumed the Human according to his own Divine Order, n. 89,
90, 91.
IV. That the Human, by which God sent Himself into the world, is the Son of
God. n, 92, 93, 94.
V. That the Lord, by acts of Redemption, made Himself Righteousness, n. 95, 96.
VI. That the Lord, by the same acts, united Himself to the Father, and the Father
united Himself to Him. n. 97 to 100.
VII. That thus God became Man, and Man God, in one Person, n. 101, 102, 103.
VIII. That the progression to union was the state of his Exinanition, and that
the union itself is the state of his Glorification, n. 104, 105, 106.
IX. That hereafter no one among Christians comes into Heaven, unless he believes
in the Lord God the Savior, n. 107, 108.
X. Corollary. Concerning the state of the Church before the coming of the
Lord, and concerning its state after it. n. 109.
Concerning Redemption, n. 114.
I. That Redemption itself was a Subjugation of the Hells, an Establishment of
Order in the Heavens, and thereby a Preparation for a new Spiritual Church, n. 115.
II. That, without that Redemption, no Man could have been saved, nor could the
Angels have subsisted in a state of integrity, n. 118, 119, 120.
III. That the Lord thus redeemed not only Men, but also Angels, n. 121, ]22.
IV. That Redemption was a work purely divine, n. 123.
V. That this Redemption itself could not have been effected, except by God In
carnate, n. 124, 125.
VI. That the Passion of the Cross was the last Temptation that the Lord, as the
greatest Prophet, sustained, and that it was the means of the Glorification of his Hu
man, and not Redemption, n. 126 to 131.
VII. That the Passion of the Cross is believed to have been Redemption itself, is
a fundamental Error of the Church ; and that this Error, together with the Error con
cerning Three Divine Persons from eternity, has perverted the whole Christian
Church, so that not any thing spiritual is left remaining in it. n. 132, 133.

CHAPTER III.
CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND CONCERNING THE DIVINE
OPERATION, n. 138.
1. That the Holy Spirit is the Divine Truth, and also the Divine Virtue and Opera
tion proceeding from the One God, in whom there is a Divine Trinity ; thus from
the liord God the Savior, n. 139, 140, 141.
II. That the Divine Virtue and Operation, which are meant by the Holy Spirit, are
in general Reformation and Regeneration ; and according to these, Renovation, Vivi-
fication, Sanctification and Justification ; and according to these, Purification from
evils and Remission of sins, and at length Salvation, n. 141 to 145.
III. That that Divine Virtue and Operation, which is meant by the sending of the

viii General Index of the Contents.
Holy Spirit, with the Clergy in particular, is Illustration and Instruction, n. 146,
147,148. IV. That the Lord operates those Virtues in those who believe in Him. n. Hi),
150,151. V. That the Lord operates of Himself from the Father, and not conversely, n. 15d,
154,155. . nccn„
VI. That the Spirit of man is his Mind and whatsoever proceeds from it. n. 15b, 157.
Corollary. That it is nowhere said in the Old Testament, that the Prophets spoke
from the Holy Spirit, but from Jehovah God ; but otherwise in the New. n. 158.
Concerning the Divine Trinity, n. 163.
I. That there is a Divine Trinity, which is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
n. 164, 165.
II. That these Three, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are three Essentials of one
God, which make one, like the Soul, Body and Operation with Man. n. 166 to 169.
III. That before the world was created, there was not this Trinity ; but that after
the world was created, when God became incarnate, it was provided and made ; and
then in the Lord God the Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ, n. 170, 171.
IV. That a Trinity of Divine Persons from eternity, thus before the world was
created, is, in the ideas of thought, a Trinity of Gods, and that this cannot be abolished
by the oral confession of one God. n. 172, 173.
V. That a Trinity of Persons was unknown in the Apostolic Church, but that it
was first broached by the Nicene Council, and thence introduced into the Roman
Catholic Church, and from this into the Churches separated from it. n. 174 to 176.
VI. That from the Nicene and Athanasian Trinity together, there arose a Faith in
three Gods, which had perverted the whole Christian Church, n. 177, 178.
VII. That thence there is that Abomination of Desolation and Affliction such as
shall not be, which the Lord had foretold in Daniel and the Evangelists, and in the
Revelation, n. 179, 180, 181.
VIII. And also this, that unless a New Heaven and a New Church be established
by the Lord, no Flesh could be saved, n. 182.
IX. That from a Trinity of Persons, each of whom singly is God, according to the
Athanasian Creed, have sprung many absurd and heterogeneous ideas concerning
God, which are fantasies and abortions, n. 183, 184.

CHAPTER IV.
CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE, OR WORD OF THE LORD.
I. That the Sacred Scripture, or the Word, is Divine Truth itself, n. 189 to 192.
II. That in the Word there is a Spiritual Sense, hitherto unknown, n. 193.
11.) What the Spiritual Sense is. n. 194.
(2.) That from the Lord proceed the Celestial Divine, the Spiritual Divine, and the
Natural Divine, n. 195.
(3.) That a Spiritual Sense is in all and every part ofthe Word, shown n. 196.
197, 198.
(4.) That the Lord, when He was in the world, spoke by Correspondences, thus
spiritually, when naturally, n. 199.
(5.) That it is from the Spiritual Sense, tlwi the Word is divinely inspired, and
holy in every expression, n. 200.
(6.) That the Spiritual Sense has been hitherto unknown, but with the Ancients
known ; and concerning Correspondences among them. n. 201 to 207.
(7.) That the Spiritual Sense ofthe Word is hereafter given to none but those who
are in genuine Truths from the Lord. n. 208.
(8.) Wonderful things concerning the Word from its Spiritual Sense, n. 209.

General Index of the Contents. :<
III. That the Sense ofthe Letter of the Word is the Basis, Continent and Firma
ment of its Spiritual and Celestial Sense, n. 210 to 213.
IV. That Divine Truth, in the Sense of the Letter of the Word, is in its Fulness,
in its Holiness, and in its Power, n. 214, 2J5, 216.
(1.) That the Truths ofthe Sense ofthe Letter ofthe Word are meant h the preilovi
Stones, of which the foundations ofthe New Jerusalem cons . ed, of which
in the Revelation ; and this from Correspondence, n. 217.
(2.) That the Goods and Truths ofthe Sense ofthe Letter of the Word correspond
to the Urim and Thummim in Aaron's Ephod. n. 218.
(3.) That Truths and Goods in ultimates, such as are in the Sense ofthe Letter of
the Word, are signified by the precious Stones in the Garden of Eden, in
which the King of Tyre is said to have been, in Ezekiel. n. 219.
(4.) That the same were represented by the Curtains, Veils and Pillars of the Tab
ernacle, n. 220.
(5.) And likewise by the Externals ofthe Temple at Jerusalem, n. 221.
(6.) That the Word in its Glory was represented in the Lord, when transfu. med.
n. 222.
(7.) That the Power qf the Word in ultimates was represented by the Nazarites.
n. 223.
(8.) Concerning the ineffable Power ofthe Word. n. 224.
V. That the Doctrine of the Church is to be drawn from the Sense of the Letter
of the Word, and confirmed by it. n. 225, 229, 230.
(1.) That the Word without Doctrine is not understood, n. 226, 227, 228.
(2.) That the genuine Truth, which will be of Doctrine, in the Sense of the Letter of
the Word, appears to no others than those who are in Illustration from the
Lord. n. 231, 232, 233.
VI. That by the Sense of the Letter of the Word there is Conjunction with the
Lord and consociation with the angels, n. 234 to 239.
VII. That the Word is in all the Heavens, and that angelic Wisdom is thence.
n. 240, 241, 242.
VIII. That the Church is from the Word, and that it is such with man, as his
Understanding ofthe Word is. n. 243 to 247.
IX. That the Marriage ofthe Lord and the Church, and thence the Marriage ofthe
Good and the True, is in every part of the Word. n. 248 to 253.
X. That Heresies may be taken from the Sense of the Letter of the Word, but that
it is hurtful to confirm them. n. 254 to 260.
(1.) That many things in the Word are Appearances of Truth, in which genuine
Truths are concealed, n. 257.
(2.) That by confirming the Appearances of truth Fallacies exist, n. 258.
(3.) That the Sense of the Letter ofthe Word is a Guard for the genuine Truths
which are concealed within, n. 260.
( 4.) That the Sense of the Letter of the Word was represented by Cherubs, and signi
fied by them in the Word. n. 260.
XI. That the Lord in the world fulfilled all things of the Word, and thereby be
came the Word also in ultimates. n. 261, 262, 263.
XII. That before this Word, which is at this day in the world, there was a Word
which is lost. n. 264, 265, 266.
XIII. That by means ofthe Word those also have light who are out ofthe Church,
and have not the Word. n. 267 to 272.
XIV. That unless there were a Word, no one would know God, Heaven and Hell,
the Life after death, and still less the Lord. n. 273 to 276.
B

General Index of the Contents.

CHAPTER V.
', HE CATECHISM OR DECALOGUE EXPLAINED AS TO ITS EXTERNAL
AND INTERNAL SENSE, n. 282.
1. That the Decalogue was Holiness itself, in the Israelitish Church ; there con
cerning the Holiness of the Ark, in which was the Law. n. 283 to 286.
II. That the Decalogue, in the Sense of the Letter, contains general Precepts of
faith and life ; hut, in the Spiritual and Celestial Senses, all Precepts universally.
n. 287 to 290.
III. The First Commandment : Thou shalt have no other God before my face.
n. 291 to 296.
IV. The Second Commandment : Thou shalt not, take the Name of Jehovah thy
God in vain, for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain.
n. 297 to 300.
V. The Third Commandment : Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy ;
six days thou shalt labor and do all thy work, but the Seventh Day is the Sabbath to
Jehovah thy God. n. 301 to 304.
VI. The Fourth Commandment : Honor thy Father and thy Mother, that thy
days may be long, and that it may be well with thee upon the earth, n. 305 to 308.
VII. The Fifth Commandment : Thou shalt not kill. n. 309 to 312.
VIII. The Sixth Commandment : Thou shalt not commit adultery, n. 313 to 316.
IX. The Seventh Commandment : Thou shalt not steal, n. 317 to 320.
X. The Eighth Commandment : Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
:ieighbor. n. 321 to 324.
XL The Ninth and Tenth Commandments : Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's
!House : Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's Wife, nor his Man-Servant, nor his Maid-
Servant, nor his Ox, nor his Ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's, n. 325 to 328.
XII. That the Ten Precepts of the Decalogue contain all things which are of Love
to God, and all things which are of Love towards the Neighbor, n. 329 to 331.

CHAPTER VI.
CONCERNING FAITH.
Preface. That Faith is first in time, but that Charity is first in end. n. 336.
I. That saving Faith is in the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ, n. 337 to 339.
Since it is in a visible God, in whom is the invisible, n. 339.
II. That Faith in the sum is, that he who lives well and believes aright, is saved by
the Lord. n. 340 to 342.
That the first thing of Faith in Him is an Acknowledgment, that He is the Son of
God. n. 342.
III. That man receives Faith by going to the Lord, learning Truths from the Word,
aud living according to them. n. 343 to 348.
Concerning the Esse of Faith ; concerning the Essence of Faith ; concerning the State.
if Faith ; concerning the Form of Faith, n. 344 and the following.
Concerning merely Natural Faith, that it is Persuasion counterfeiting Faith, n. 345
to 348.
IV. That an Abundance of Truths, cohering as in a bundle, exalts and perfects
faith, n. 349 to 354.
(1.) That the Truths of Faith are multiplicable to infinity, n. 350.
(2.) That there is a Disposition ofthe Truths of Faith into series, thus as it were
into little bundles, n. 351.
(3.) That Faith is perfected according to the abundance and coherence of Truths.
n. 352 to 353.
{4.) That the Truths of Faith, however numerous they are, and diverse they appear
make one from the Lord. n. 353.

General Index of the Contents. xi
(5.) That the Lord is the Word, is the God of Heaven and Earth, the God of all
Flesh, the God ofthe Vineyard or Church, the God of Faith, the Light itself,
the Truth and eternal Life, shown- from the Word. n. 354.
V. That Faith without Charity is not Faith, and that Charity without Faith is not
Charity, and that neither lives but from the Lord. n. 355 to 361.
(1.) That man can procure Faith for himself, n. 356.
(2.) That man can procure Charity for himself, n. 357.
(3.) That man can also procure for himself the Life of Faith and Charity, n. 358.
(4.) That, nevertheless nothing of Faith, nothing of Charity, and nothing of the
Life of each, is from mem, but from the Lord alone, n. 359.
(5.) The Distinction between Natural Faith and Spiritual Faith, and that the latter
is inwardly in the former from the Lord. n. 360, 361.
VI. That the Lord, Charity and Faith make one, like Life, Will and Understanding
in man; and that, if they are divided, each perishes like a Pearl reduced to
Powder, n. 362 to 367.
(1.) That the Lord, with all his Divine Love, with all his Divine Wisdom, thus with
all his Divine Life,flows in with every man. n. 364.
(2.) Consequently, that the Lord, with all the Essence of Faith and Charity, flotcs
in with every man. n. 365.
(3.) That the things which flow in from the Lord are received by man, according to
his State and Form. n. 366.
(4.) But that the man who divides the Lord, Charity and Faith, is not a Form
receiving, but a Form destroying them. n. 367.
VII. That the Lord is Charity and Faith in Man, and that Man is Charity and
Faith in the Lord. n. 368 to 372.
(1.) That Conjunction with God is that by which Man has Salvation and eternal
Life. n. 369.
(2.) That Conjunction with God the Father is not possible, but with the Lord, and
through Him with God the Father, n. 370.
(3.) That Conjunction with the Lord is reciprocal, which is, that Man is in the
Lord and the Lord in Man. n. 371.
(4.) That this reciprocal Conjunction ofthe Lord and Man is effected by means of
Charity and Faith, n. 372.
VIII. That Charity and Faith are together in Good Works, n. 373 to 377.
(1.) That Charity is to will well, and that Good Works are to do well from willing
well. n. 374.
(2.) That Charity and Faith are only mental and perishable things, unless, when
it can be done, they are determined to Acts, and coexist in them. n. 375, 376.
(3.) That Charity alone does not produce Good Works, still less Faith alone; but
that Charity and Faith together produce them. n. 377.
IX. That there is True Faith, Spurious Faith, and Hypocritical Faith, n. 37C to 38i ,
(1.) That the Christian Church, in its infancy, began to be infested and torn to
pieces by Schisms and Heresies, of which n. 378.
(2.) That there is only one True Faith, and that it is in the Lord God the Savior
Jesus Christ ; and that it is with those who believe Him to be the Son of
God, the God of Heaven and Earth, and one with the Father, n. 379.
(3.) That Spurious Faith is every Faith which recedes from the True, which is the
only one ; and that it is with those who climb up some other way, and re
gard the Lord not as God, but only as a man. n. 380.
(4.) That Hypocritical Faith is no Faith, n. 381.
K. That there is no Faith with the Evil. n. 382 to 384.
ll.) That the Evil have no Faith, because Evil is of Hell, and Faith is of Heaven.
n. 383.
'2 * That all those in Christendom have no Faith, who reprobate the Lord and the.
T*ord, although they live morally, and speak, teach and write -ntionally, <",-p?i
concerning Faith, n. 384.

xii General Index of the Contents.

CHAPTER VII.
CONCERNING CHARITY OR LOVE TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOR ; AND
CONCERNING GOOD WORKS.
I. That there are three universal Loves— the Love of Heaven, the Love of th«
World, and the Love of Self. n. 394, 395, 396.
(1.) Concerning the Will and the Understanding, n. 397.
(2.) Concerning Good and Truth, n. 398.
(3.) Concerning Love in general, n. 399.
(4.) Concerning the Love of Self and the Love ofthe World in particular, n. 400.
(5.) Concerning the External and the Internal Man. n. 401.
(6.) Concerning the merely Natural and Sensual Man. n. 402.
II. That those three Loves, when they are rightly subordinated, perfect Man ; but
when they are not rightly subordinated, they pervert and invert him. n. 403, 404, 405.
III. That every individual Man is the Neighbor that is to be loved, but according
to the quality of his good. n. 406 to 411.
IV. That Man collectively, which is a smaller and larger Society, and that Man in
what is composed of them, which is one's Country, is the Neighbor that is to be loved.
n. All to 414.
V. That the Church is the Neighbor that is to be loved in a higher degree, and
the Kingdom ofthe Lord in the highest, n. 415, 416.
VI. That to love the Neighbor, viewed in itself, is not to love the Person, but the
Good which is in the Person, n. 417 to 419.
VII. That Charity and Good Works are two distinct things, like willing well and
doing well. n. 420, 421.
VIII. That Charity itself is to act justly and faithfully, in the Office, Business and
Work in which any one is, and with whomsoever he has any Intercourse, n. 422,
423, 424.
IX. That the Beneficed Acts of Charity are, to give to the Poor and to help the
Needy, hut with Prudence, n. 425 to 428.
X. That there are Debts » f Charity, some domestic and some private, n. 429 to 432.
XI. That the Recreations of Charity are Dinners, Suppers and social Parties.
n. 433, 434.
XII. That the first thing- of Charity is to put away Evils, and that the second is,
to do Goods, which are of use to the neighbor, n. 435 to 438.
XIII. That man, in the exercises of Charity, does not place Merit in works, when
he believes that all Good is from the Lord. n. 439 to 442.
XIV. That Moral Life, when it is at the same time Spiritual, is Charity, n. 443 to
445. XV. That the Friendship of love contracted with a man, whatever his quality is, as
to the spirit, after death is hurtful, n. 446 to 449.
XVI. That there is Spurious Charity, Hypocritical Charity, and Dead Charity, n.
450 to 453.
XVII. That the Friendship of love among the Evil is intestine Hatred towards each
other, n. 454, 455.
XVIII. Concerning the Conjunction of Love to God and Love towards the
Neighbor, n. 456 to 458.

CHAPTER VIII.
CONCERNING FREE AGENCY.
f. The Precepts and Dogmas of the present Church concerning Free Agency
a. 463 to 465.
II. That in the Garden of Eden there were placed two Trees, one of life, and thd

General Index of the Contents. x;:i
ot.,.r of the knowledge of good and evil, signifies that Free Agency in spiritual
things was given to Man. n. 466 to 469.
III. That Man is not Life, but a Receptacle of Life from God. n. 470 to 474.
IV. That Man, while he lives in the world, is held in the middle between Heaven
and Hell, and there in a spiritual equilibrium, which is Free Agency, n. 475 to 478.
V. That, from the Permission of evil, in which the internal man of every one is, it
is very manifest that Man has Free Agency in spiritual things, n. 478 to 482.
VI. That, without Free Agency in spiritual things, the Word would not be of any
use ; consequently, the Church would not be any thing, n. 483 to 485.
VII. That, without Free Agency in spiritual things, there would not be any thing of
Man, by which he might reciprocally conjoin himself to God ; and thence there would
be no Imputation, but mere Predestination, which is detestable, n. 485.
Detestable things concerning Predestination are divulged, n. 486 to 488.
VIII. That, without Free Agency in spiritual things, God would be the cause of evil,
and thus there would be no Imputation of Charity and Faith, n. 489 to 492.
IX. That every thing spiritual of the Church, which enters in Freedom, and which
is received in a state of Freedom, remains ; but not the reverse, n. 493 to 496.
X. That the Will and Understanding of Man are in this Free Agency ; but that the
doing of evil in both worlds, the spiritual and the natural, is restrained by laws ; since
otherwise Society in both would perish, n. 497 to 499.
XI. That if Man had not Free Agency in spiritual things, all in the whole world
might be brought, in one day, to believe in the Lord ; but that the cause why this
cannot be done, is, because that which is not received in a state of Free Agency does
not remain, n. 500 to 502.
That Miracles are not done at this day, because they take away Free Agency in spirit
ual things, and force, n. 501.

CHAPTER IX.
CONCERNING REPENTANCE.
I. That Repentance is the first thing ofthe Church with Man. n. 510, 511.
II. That Contrition, of which it is said at this day, that it precedes Faith, and is
followed by the Consolation of the Gospel, is not Repentance, n. 512 to 515.
III. That the oral Confession alone, that one is a Sinner, is not Repentance. «.
516 to 519.
IV. That man is born to evils of every kind, and that, unless he remove them in
part by Repentance, he remains in them ; and he that remains in them cannot be saved.
n. 520 to 524.
What the Fulfilment ofthe Law is. n. 523, 524.
V. That the Knowledge of Sin, and the Discovery of some one in one's self, be
gins Repentance, n. 525 to 527.
VI. That actual Repentance is to explore one's self, to know and acknowledge his
sins, to make Supplication to the Lord, and to begin a new Life. n. 528 to 531.
VII. That true Repentance is not only to explore the Acts of one's Life, but also
the Intentions of his Will. n. 532 to 534.
VIII. That those also perform Repentance, who do not explore themselves, but still
desist from Evils, because they are Sins ; and that this Repentance is performed by
those who do the Works of Charity from Religion, n. 535 to 537.
IX. That Confession ought to be made before the Lord God the Savior, and then
Supplication for Help and Power to resist Evils, n. 538 to 560.
X. That actual Repentance is easy with those who have performed it several times,
but very difficult for those who have not performed it. n. 561 to 563.
XI That he who has never performed Repentance, nor looked into and examined
himself, at length does not know what damnable Evil is, and what saving Good is
n. 564 to 566.

xiv General Index of the Contents.
CHAPTER X.
CONCERNING REFORMATION AND REGENERATION
T. That Man, unless he be regenerated, and as it were created anew, cannot enteT
into the Kingdom of God. n. 572 to 575.
II. That the New Generation or Creation is effected by the Lord alone, by Charity
and Faith, as the two means, with the Cooperation of Man. n. 576 to 578.
III. That all, because all have been redeemed, may be regenerated, every one ac
cording to his state, n. 579 to 582.
IV. That Regeneration is effected, comparatively, as man is conceived, carried in
the womb, born and educated, n. 583 to 586.
V. That the First Act of the New Generation is called Reformation, which is of
the Understanding ; and that the Second Act is Regeneration, which is of the Will,
and thence ofthe Understanding, n. 587 to 590.
VI. That the Internal Man is first to be reformed, and by it the External, n. 591
to 595.
VII. That while this is done, a Combat arises between the internal and the external
man, and then the one that conquers rules over the other, n. 596 to 600.
VIII. That the Regenerate Man has a new Will and a new Understanding, n.
601 to 606.
IX. That the Regenerate Man is in communion with the Angels of Heaven, and
the Unregenerate Man in communion with the Spirits of Hell. n. 607 to 610.
X. That, as far as Man is regenerated, so far Sins are removed, and that that re
moval is the Remission of Sins. n. 611 to 614.
XI. That Regeneration cannot be effected without Free Agency in spiritual things.
n. 615 to 617.
XII. That Regeneration cannot be effected without Truths by which Faith is
formed, and with which Charity conjoins itself, n. 618 to 620.
Some things concerning the Male and Female Sex in the Vegetable Kingdom, n. 58: .

CHAPTER XI.
CONCERNING IMPUTATION.
I. That the Faith ofthe present Church, which alone is said to justify, and Imputa
tion, make one. n. 626, 627.
II. That the Imputation, which is of the Faith at this day, is twofold, one of the Merit
of Christ, and the other of Salvation thence, n. 628 to 631.
III. That the Faith imputative of the Merit and Righteousness of Christ the Re
deemer, first arose from the Decrees of the Nicene Synod, concerning three Divine
Persons from eternity; which Faith, from that time to the present, has been received
by the whole Christian world, n. 632 to 635.
IV. That the Faith imputative ofthe Merit of Christ was not known in the Apostolic
Church, which preceded, and is nowhere meant in the Word. n. 636 to 639.
V. That an Imputation of the Merit and Righteousness of Christ is impossible,.
n. 640 to 642.
VI. That there is an Imputation, but of Good and Evil. n. 643 to 646.
VII. That the Faith and Imputation of the New Church cannot possibly be to
gether with the Faith and Imputation of the former Church, and that, if they were
together, there would be such a collision and conflict, that all of the Church with
man would perish, n. 647 to 649.
VIII. That the Lord imputes to every man Good, and that Hell imputes to every
man Evil. n. 650 to 653.
IX. That Faith, with whatsoever it conjoins itself, makes a Sentence : if true Faith

General Index qf the Contents. xv
conjoins itself with Good, a Sentence is made for eternal Life ; but if Faith conjoins
itself with Evil, a Sentence is made for eternal Death, n. 654 to 657.
X. That Thought is imputed to no one, but Will. n. 658 to 660.

CHAPTER XII.
CONCERNING BAPTISM.
I. That without Knowledge concerning the Spiritual Sense of the Word, no one
can know what the two Sacraments, Baptism and the Holy Supper, involve and effect
n. 667 to 669.
II. That by the Washing, which is called Baptism, is meant Spiritual Washing,
which is Purification from evils, and thus Regeneration, n. 670 to 673.
III. That Baptism was instituted in the place of Circumcision, because by the Cir
cumcision ofthe Foreskin was represented the Circumcision of the Heart, in ordei
that an Internal Church might succeed the External, which, in each and every thing,
figured the Internal Church, n. 674 to 676.
IV. That the First Use of Baptism is Introduction into the Christian Church, and then.
at the same time, Insertion among Christians in the spiritual world, n. 677 to 680.
V. That the Second Use of Baptism is that the person may know and acknowledge
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Savior, and follow Him. n. 681 to 683.
VI. That the Third Use of Baptism, which is the final one, is, that man may b(
regenerated, n. 684 to 687.
VII. That, by the Baptism of John, a Way was prepared, that Jehovah God might
be able to descend into the world and perform Redemption, n. 688.

CHAPTER XIII.
CONCERNING THE HOLY SUPPER.
I. That without Information concerning the Correspondences of natural things with
spiritual, no one can know the Uses ofthe Holy Supper, n. 698 to 701.
II. That, from Correspondences being known, it is known what is meant by the
Flesh and Blood of the Lord, and that the like is meant by Bread and Wine ; namely,
that by the Flesh of the Lord, and by Bread, is meant the Divine Good of his Love,
and also all the Good of Charity ; and that by the Blood of the Lord and by Wine, is
meant the Divine Truth of his Wisdom, and also all the Truth of Faith ; and by Eat
ing, Appropriation, n. 702 to 710.
Shown from the Word what is meant by Flesh, n. 704, 705.
What by Blood, n. 706.
What by Bread, n. 707.
What by Wine. n. 708.
III. That, from these things being understood, it may be comprehended, that tne
Holy Supper contains, universally and particularly, all things of the Church, and all
things of Heaven, n. 711 to 715.
IV. That in the Holy Supper there is the whole of the Lord, and the whole of his
Redemption, n. 716 to 718.
V. That the Lord is present, and opens Heaven to those who come worthily to the
Holy Supper ; and that He is present also with those who come unworthily, but that
He does not open Heaven to them. Consequently, that as Baptism is an Introduction
into the Church, so the Holy Supper is an Introduction into Heaven, n. 719 to 721
VI. That those come to the Holy Supper worthily, who are in Faith in the Lore
and in Charity towards the Neighbor, thus who are regenerated, n. 722 to 724.

xvi Geneiai inacx oj trie vouienu.
VII. That those who come to the Holy Supper worthily are in the Lord, and the
Lord in them ; consequently, that by the Holy Supper there is made a Conjunction
with the Lord. n. 725 to 727.
VIII. That the Holy Supper is, to those who come worthily, a Sign and Seal that
they are the Sons of God. n. 728 to 730.

CHAPTER XIV.
CONCERNING THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE; CONCERNING
THE COMING OF THE LORD; AND CONCERNING
THE NEW CHURCH.
1. Tha* the Consummation of the Age is the Last Time or End of the Church
n. 753 to 756.
II. That at this day is the Last Time of the Church, which was foretold and de
scribed by the Lord in the Evangelists, and in the Revelation, n. 757 to 759.
III. That this Last Time of the Christian Church is the Night itself, in which for
mer Churches have come to an end. n. 760 to 763.
IV. That after this Night follows the Morning ; and that the Coming of the Lord
is that. n. 764 to 767.
V. That the Coining of the Lord is not his coming to destroy the visible Heaven
and the habitable Earth, and to create a new Heaven and a new Earth, as many hith
erto, from not understanding the Spiritual Sense of the Word, have supposed, n.
766 to 771.
VI. That this Coming of the Lord, which is the Second, takes place in order that
the Evil may be separated from the Good, and that those may be saved who have be
lieved and do believe in Him, and that by these a New Angelic Heaven and a New
Ciiurch on earth may be formed ; and that, without it, no flesh could be saved, Matt
rav. 22. n. 772 to 775.
VII. That this Second Coming of the Lord is not in Person, but that it is in the
Word, which is from Him, and thus Himself, n. 776 to 778.
VIII. That this Second Coming is made through a Man, before whom He has
manifested Himself, and whom He has filled with his Spirit, to teach the Doctrines of
the New Church by means of the Word from Him. n. 779, 780.
IX. That this is meant by the New Heaven and the New Jerusalem, in the Rev
elation, xxi. n. 781 to 785.
• X. That this Church is the Crown of all the Churches which have been hitherto in
the world, n. 786 to 791.

SUPPLEMENT.
1. Concerning the Spiritual World, what it is. n. 792 to 795.
2. Concerning Luther in the spiritual world, n. 796.
3. Concerning Melanchthon in the spiritual world, n. 797.
4. Concerning Calvin in the spiritual world, n. 798, 799.
5. Concerning the Dutch in the spiritual world, n. 800 to 805.
6. Concerning the English in the spiritual world, n. 806 to 812.
7. Concerning the Germans in the spiritual world, n. 813 to 816.
8. Concerning the Papists in the spiritual world, n. 817 to 821.
9. Concerning the Popish Saints in the spiritual world, n. 822 to 827.
10. Concerning the Mahometans in the spiritual world, n. 828 to 834.
11. Concerning the Africans in the spiritual world, and also something concern
ing the Gentiles, n. 835 to 840.
12. Concerning the Jews m the spiritual world, n. 841 to 845.

THE TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION,

CONTAINING

STfie aanttjcrssal £f)colo3»

NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH.

THE FAITH OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH.
1. The Faith, in a universal and a particular form, is prefixed, that it
may be as a face before the work which follows ; and as a gate, through which
entrance is made into a temple; and a summary, in which the particulars
which follow are in their own measure contained. It is said, the Faith of
the New Heaven and the New Church, because the heaven where angels are,
and the church in which men are, make one, as the internal and the ex
ternal with man. Thence it is, that, as to the interiors of his mind, the
man of the church, who is in the good of love from the truths of faith,
and in the truths of faith from the good of love, is an angel of heaven ; where
fore, after death, he also comes into heaven, and there enjoys felicity ac
cording to the state of their conjunction. It should be known, that this
faith is in the New Heaven, which the Lord is at this day establishing, its face
gate and summary.
2. The Faith or the New Heaven and the New Church, in the
universal Form, is this : That the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah,
came into the world, that he might subjugate the hells and glorify his Human ;
and that, without this, no mortal could have been saved; and that those
are saved who believe in Him.
It is said, in the universal form, because this is the universal of faith; and
a universal of faith is that which will be in the whole and every part. It is
a universal of faith, that God is one in essence and in person, in whom is a
divine Trinity, and that the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ is He. It is
a universal of faith, that no mortal could have been saved, unless the Lord
had come into the world. It is a universal of faith, that He came into the
world that He might remove hell from man, and that He did remove it, by
means of combats against it and victories over it; thus He subjugated it and
reduced it to order and under obedience to Himself. It is a universal of
faith, that He came into the world, that He might glorify his Human, which He
I

2 The Faith of the New Heaven and the New Church.
nssumed in the world, that is, might unite it with the Divine, from which ii
proceeded ; tfius He holds hell in order and under obedience to Himself for
ever. Since this could not have been done but by means of temptations ad
mitted into his Human, even to the last of them, and the last of them was the
passion of the crossj therefore He underwent that.' These are the universale
of faith concerning the Lord.
The universal of faith, on the part of man, is, That he should believe in die
Lord ; for by believing in Him, conjunction with Him is effected, by which is
salvation. To believe in Him, is to have confidence that He saves : and be
cause no one can have this confidence, except those who, Jive well, therefore
this also is meant by believing in Him. This the Lord alsoSays in John : Thi*
is the will of the Father, that every one, who believeth in the Son, may have-
eternal life, vi. 40 ; and in another place, He who believeth in the Son,
hath eternal life ; but he who believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but
the anger of God abideth on him, iii. 36.
3. The Faith or the New Heaven and the New Church, in the
particular Form, is this : That Jehovah God is Love itself and Wisdom
itself, or that he is Good itself and Truth itself : and that He, as to Divine
Truth, which is the Word, and which was God with God, descended and
assumed the Human, to the end that He might reduce to order all things
which were in heaven, and all tilings which were in hell, and all things which
were in the church ; since, at that time, the power of hell prevailed over the
power of heaven, and, upon earth, the power of evil over the power of good,
and thence a total damnation stood before the door and threatened. This
impending damnation Jehovah God removed by means of his Human, which
was Divine Truth, and thus He redeemed , angels and men; and afterwards
He united, in his Human, Divine Truth with Divine Good, or Divine Wisdom
with Divine Love, and thus, together with and in his glorified Human, re
turned into his Divine, in which He was from eternity. These things are
meant by this passage in John, The Word ivas with God, and the Word
was God : and the Word became flesh, i. 1 , 14 ; and in the same, 1
¦proceeded from the Father, and came into the world: again I leave the
world, and go to the Father, xvi. 28: and also by this, We lenow that
the Son of God hath come, and given us understanding, that we might
know the True ; and we are in the True, in his Son Jesus Christ : This is
the true God and eternal Life, 1 John v. 20, 21. From these it is
manifest that, without the coming of the Lord into the world, no one
could have been saved. It is similar at this day : wherefore, unless the
Lord should again come into the world, in Divine Truth, no one can be
saved. The particulars ofthe faith, on the part of man, are, l.That God is One, in
whom is a Divine Trinity, and that He is the Lord God the Savior Jesus
Christ; 2. That saving faith is to believe in Him; 3. That evils should
not be done, because they are of the devil and from the devil ; 4. That
goods should be done, because they are of God and from God; 5. And that
these should be done by man as from himself; but that it should be believed,
that they are from the Lord, with him and through him. The two first
are of faith, the two next are of charity, and the fifth is of the conjunction
of charity and faith, thus of the Lord and man.

Concerning the Unity of God.

CHAPTER I.

CONCERNING GOD THE CREATOR.

4. The Christian Church, since the
time of the Lord, had passed through
the several stages from infancy to ex
treme old age. Its infancy was in the
time when the apostles lived, and
preached, throughout the world, repent
ance and faith in the Lord God the
Savior. That they preached these two
things, is evident from these words in
the Acts of the Apostles : Paul pro
claimed, both to the Jews and to the
Greeks, repentance towards God, and
faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, xx.
21, It is memorable, that the Lord,
some months ago, called together his
twelve disciples, now angels, and sent
them forth into all the spiritual world,
with the command that they should
there preach the gospel anew, since
the church which was instituted by the
Lord through them, has at this day
come to such a state of consummation,
that scarcely any relics of it remain ;
and that this has come to pass, because
they divided the Divine Trinity into
throe persons, each one of whom is
God and Lord ; and that thence a sort
of phrensy has issued forth into the
whole of theology, and thus into the
church, which, from the name of the
Lord, is called Christian. It is said
a phrensy, because the minds of
men have been driven by it into
such a delirium, that they do not
know whether God be one, or whether
there be three; there is one in
the speech of their lips, but three

in the thought of their mind, v, hero-
fore there is a disagreement between
their mind and lips, or between their
thought and speech ; from which dis
agreement results the idea that there
is no God. The naturalism which
reigns at this day is from no other
source. Consider, if you please, while
the lips speak of one, and the mind
thinks of three, whether one does not,
inwardly, in the midst ofthe way, by
turns expel the other ; thence it is that
man scarcely thinks otherwise con
cerning God, if he thinks at all, than
from the mere word God, without any
sense of its meaning which implies a
knowledge of Him. Since the idea
concerning God, with every notion
of it, is thus torn to pieces, I propose
to treat, in their order, of God the Cre
ator, ofthe Lord the Redeemer, and
of the Holy Spirit the Operator, and
lastly of the Divine Trinity ; to the end
that what is torn to pieces may again
be made whole, which is effected while
the reason of man is convinced, from
the Word and the light thence proceed
ing, that there is a Divine Trinity, and
that it is in the Lord God the Savior
Jesus Christ, like the soul, body and
proceeding operation in man ; and thus
that this article in the Athanasian Creed
is true; — That in Christ, God and
Man, or the Divine and the Human, are
not two, but in one person ; and that, as
the rational soul and flesh is one man
so God and Man is one Christ

CONCERNING THE UNITY OF GOD.

5. Since the acknowledgment of
God from a knowledge of him, is the
very essence and soul of all things
in universal theology, it is necessary

that an exordium should be made con
cerning the Unity of God, which will
be demonstrated in order by these ar
ticles : I. That the whole Sacred Scrip-

1

Concerning God the Creator.

ture, and thence the doctrines of churches
in the Christian world, teach that
God is one. II. That there is a uni
versal influx into the souls of men, that
there is a God, and that He is one.
III. Thence it is that, in all the world,
there is no nation, possessed of religion
and sound reason, which does not ac
knowledge that there is a God, and that
He is one. IV. That as to what the one
God is, nations and people have differ
ed, and still differ, from several causes.
V. That human reason, from many
things in the world, may, if it will,
perceive or conclude, that there is a
God, and that he is one. VI. That un
less God were one, the universe could
not have been created and preserved.
VII. That the man who does not ac
knowledge a God, is excommunicated
from the church and condemned. VIII.
That with the man who does not ac
knowledge one God, but several, nothing
ofthe church coheres. But these arti
cles shall be explained one by one.
6. I. That the whole Sacred
Scripture, and thence all tile
Doctrines op the Churches in the
Christian world, teach that there
is a God, and that He is one.
That the whole Sacred Scripture
teaches that there is a God, is because,
in its inmost, it is no other than God,
that is, the Divine which proceeds from
God ; for it was dictated by God, and
nothing else can proceed from God,
than that which is Himself, and is called
Divine ; this the Sacred Scripture is
in its inmost. But in its derivatives,
which are below and from the inmost,
the Sacred Scripture is accommodated
to the perception of angels and men ;
in these it is also Divine, but in anoth
er form, in which it is called the Ce
lestial Divine, the Spiritual Divine and
the Natural Divine, which are no oth
er than coverings of God ; since God
himself, such as He is in the inmost
ofthe Word, cannot be seen by any
creature. For he said to Moses, when
he prayed that he might see the glory
of Jehovah, that no one can see God
and, live. It is similar with the in
most ofthe Word, where God is in his
esse [to be] and in his essence. But

still the Divine, which is the inmost,
and is covered with such things as are
accommodated to the perceptions of
angels and men, shines forth, like light
through crystalline forms, but various
ly, according to the state of mind which
man has formed for himself, from God
or from himself. To every one who
has formed the state of his mind from
God, the Sacred Scripture is like a
mirror, in which he sees God ; but
each one in his own way. The truths
which he learns from the word, and
imbues by a life according to them,
compose that mirror. From these
things, in the first place, it is evident,
that the Sacred Scripture is the fulness
of God. That it not only teaches that
there is a God, but also that God is
one, is evident from the truths, which,
as was said, compose that mirror, in
that they cohere in one series, and
make man incapable of thinking of
God but as one. Thence it is, that
every one, whose reason is imbued with
any sanctity from the Word, knows as
of himself, that God is one, and per
ceives that it is like madness to say
that there are more. The angels can-
'not open their lips to pronounce the
word Gods, for the celestial aura, in
which they live, opposes it. That God
is one, the Sacred Scripture teaches
not only thus universally, as was said,
but also in many particular passages,
as in the following: Hear, O Israel;
Jehovah our God is one Jehovah, Deut.
vi. 4 ; and in like manner, Mark xii. 29.
Surely in thee is God, and there is no
other God beside, Isai. xiv. 14. Am
not I Jehovah 1 and there is no other
God beside Me, xiv. 21. I am Jeho
vah thy God, and thou shalt acknowl
edge no God beside Me, Hosea xiii. 4.
Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel,
I am the First and the Last, and be
side Me there is no God, Isai. xliv. 6.
In that day, Jehovah shall be King
over all the earth ; in that day, Jeho
vah shall be one, and his name one,
Zech. xiv. 9.
7. It is known, that the doctrines of
the churches in the Christian world
teach, that God is one; they teach this
because all their doctrines are derived

Concerning the Unity of God.

5

from the Word, and they cohere so far
as one God is acknowledged not only
with the lips, but also in the heart.
Those who confess one God only with
the lips, and in heart three, as is the
case with very many at this day in
Christendom, have no other apprehen
sion of God, than of something uttered
by the lips ; and every thing relating
to theology is, to them, no other than
as it were an idol of gold enclosed in a
shrine, the key of which is in posses
sion of the priests only ; and when they
read the Word, they do not perceive
any light in it or from it, not even that
God is one. The Word, with such per
sons, is as if it were stained with blots ;
and, as to the unity of God, entirely
covered. These are they who are de
scribed by the Lord in Matthew :
Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not
understand ; and seeing ye shall see, and
shall not perceive : they have shut up
their eyes, lest they should see with their
eyes, and hear with their ears, and un
derstand with their heart, and turn
themselves about, and I should heal
them, xiii. 14, 15. All such per
sons are like those who shun the light,
and enter chambers where there are
no windows, and feel about the walls,
and search for food and for money,
and at length acquire a vision like
that of owls, and see in darkness.
They are like a woman, having several
husbands, who is not a wife, but a las
civious harlot ; and like a virgin, who
accepts rings from several suitors, and af
ter the nuptials, bestows her favors upon
one, and also upon the others.
8. II. That there is a universal
Influx into the Souls of Men, that
there is a God, and that He is one.
That there is an influx from God into
man, is evident from the confession of
all, that all good which in itself is good,
and is in man, and is done by him, is
from God ; in like manner all of charity
and all of faith ; for it is read, A man
cannot take any thing, unless it be given
him from heaven, John iii. 27 ; and
Jesus said, Without Me ye cannot do
any thing, xv. 5 ; that is, not any thing
which is of charity and of faith. That
this influx is into the souls of men,

is because the soul is the inmost and
highest part of man, and the influx
from God enters into that, and thence
descends into those things which arc
beneath, and vivifies them according
to reception. The truths which will
be of faith, indeed, flow in by hearing,
and so are implanted in the mind, thus
below the soul. But man, by these
truths, is only disposed for receiving
the influx from God through the soul ;
and as the disposition is, such is the
reception, and such the transforma
tion of natural faith into spiritual
faith. That there is an influx from
God into the souls of men, that God is
one, is because all the Divine, taken uni
versally as well as particularly, is God ;
and because all the Divine coheres,
as one, it cannot but inspire into man
the idea of one God ; and this idea is
corroborated daily, as man is elevated
by God into the light of heaven ; for
the angels, in their light, cannot force
themselves to utter the word Gods;
wherefore, also, their speech, at the
close of every sentence, terminates as to
accent in unity, which is from no other
cause, than from the influx into their
souls, that God is one. The reason
that, although it flows into the souls of
all, that God is one, still many think
that his divinity is divided into several
of the same essence, is because, when
that influx descends, it falls into forms
not correspondent, and the form itself
varies it, as is the case in all the
subjects of the three kingdoms of na
ture. It is the same God that vivifies
every beast, that vivifies man ; but the
recipient form causes beast to be beast,
and man to be man. It is similar with man
while he induces on his mind the form of
a beast. There is a similar influx from
the sun into every plant, but it is va
ried according to the form of each ;
what flows into the vine is similar to
what flows into the thorn ; but if
the thorn is ingrafted into a vine, that
influx is inverted, and proceeds ac
cording to the form ofthe thorn. The
case is similar in the subjects of the
mineral kingdom ; the light flowing
into a lime-stone and into a diamond.
is the same, but it becomes bright in

Concerning God the Creator.

the latter, and dark in the former. As
to human minds, they are varied ac
cording to their forms, which inwardly
are spiritual according to faith in God,
and at the same time a life from God,
and those forms become bright and an
gelic by faith in one God ; but on the
contrary, they become dark and bestial
by faith in several Gods, which differs
but little from faith in no God.
9. III. Thence it is, that, in all
the World, there is no Nation,
possessed op Religion and sound
Reason, which does not acknowl
edge a God, and that God is one.
From the divine influx into the
souls of men, treated of just above,
it follows, that there is an internal dic
tate with every man, that there is a
God, and that He is one. That there
are still those who deny God, and who
acknowledge nature instead of God,
and who acknowledge several Gods,
and also who worship images as Gods,
is because they have filled up the inte
riors of their reason or understanding
with worldly and corporeal things,
and thereby have obliterated their prim
itive idea, or the idea of their infancy
concerning God, and at the same time,
they then rejected religion from the
breast to the back. That Christians
do, in a certain manner, acknowledge
one God, appears from the general
Confession of their faith, which is as
follows : The Catholic faith is this,
that we should worship one God in a
trinity, and the Trinity in unity ; there
are three Divine Persons, the Father,
the Son and the Holy Ghost, and yet
there are not three Gods, but there is
one God; and there is one person of
the Father, another of the Son, and
another of the Holy Ghost, and their
divinity is one, their glory equal, and
their majesty coeternal; thus the Fa
ther is God, the Son is God, and the
Holy Ghost is God : but although we
are compelled by Christian verity to
confess each person, one by one, to be
God and Lord, yet we are forbidden
by the Catholic religion to say there
are three Gods, and three I,ords. Such
is the Christian faith concerning the
unity of God ; but that the trin ity of God

and the unity of God, in that Confes
sion, are inconsistent with each other,
will be seen in the chapter on the Di
vine Trinity. The other nations in
the world, who are in possession of reli
gion and sound reason, agree in ac
knowledging that God is one ; all the
Mahometans in their several empires ;
the Africans in many kingdoms of their
continent ; and also the Asiatics in
many of theirs ; and moreover the Jews
at this day. The most ancient people
in the golden age, such as had any re
ligion, worshipped one God, whom they
called Jehovah; in like manner the
ancient people in the following age,
before monarchical governments were
formed, when worldly and at length
corporeal loves began to close up the
superior parts of their understanding,
which before were open, and then as
temples and sacred recesses for the
worship of one God. But the Lord God,
that he might open them, and so re
store the worship of one God, institu
ted a church among the posterity of
Jacob, and prefixed to all the precepts
of their religion this commandment,
Thou shalt have no other God before
my face, Exod. xx. 3. Jehovah, also,
the name which he assumed anew be
fore them, signifies the supreme and
only Being from whom every thing is,
that is and exists in the universe. The
ancient gentiles acknowledged Jove
as the supreme God, so called perhaps
from Jehovah ; and many others, who
composed his court, they also clothed
with divinity ; but the wise men in the
following age, as Plato and Aristotle,
confessed that these were not gods,
but so many properties, qualities and
attributes of one God, which were call
ed gods, because in each of them there
was divinity.
10. All sound reason, although not
imbued with religion, sees that every
thing which is divided, unless it de
pend upon one, would of itself fall to
pieces ; for instance, man, composed
of so many members, viscera and or
gans o** motion and sensation, unless,
h? _t»ended upon one soul ; and the
body itself, unless upon one heart.
In like manner, a kingdom, unless il

vvncermng the Unity of God.

depended upon one king ; a family, un
less upon one master ; and every office,
of which there are many kinds in eve
ry kingdom, unless upon one officer.
What would an army avail against the
enemy, without a leader, who has su
preme power, and officers subordinate
to him, each of whom has his proper
command over the soldiers. It would
be similar with the church, unless it
acknowledged one God, and also with
the angelic heaven, which is as a head
to the church upon earth, in both
which the Lord is the soul itself. Where
fore, heaven and the church are called
his body ; which, unless they acknowl
edged one God, would both of them be
like a lifeless corpse, which, being of no
use, would be cast away and buried.
11. IV. That as to what the
one God is, Nations and People
have differed, and still differ,
from several causes.
The first cause is, that the knowl
edge of God, and thence an acknowl
edgment of Him, are not attaina
ble without revelation ; and a knowl
edge ofthe Lord and thence an ac
knowledgment, that in Him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,
are not attainable except from the
Word, which is the crown of revela
tions ; for man, by the revelation which
is given, is able to approach God, and
to receive influx, and so from natural
to become spiritual. The first revela
tion pervaded all the world, and the
natural man had perverted it in many
ways ; whence arose the disputes, dis
sensions, heresies and schisms of reli
gions. The second cause is, that the
natural man cannot perceive and ap
ply, to himself the things of God, but
only the things of the world; where
fore it is among, the established doc
trines of , the church, that the natural
mail is contrary to the spiritual, and
that they fight against each other.
Thence . it is, that those who have
learnt from the Word, or other revela
tion, that there is a God, have differed,
and still differ, concerning his quality,
and also concerning his unity. Where
fore, those whose mental sight de
pended on the senses of the body, and

who still wished to see God, formed
for themselves artificial images, of gold,
silver, stone, and wood, that under these,
as objects of sight, they might worship
God ; and that others, who rejected
from their religious worship artificial
images, formed for themselves ideal
images of God in the sun and moon,
in the stars, and in various things up
on the earth. But those who suppos
ed themselves to be wise above the
common people, and who still remain
ed natural, from the immensity and
omnipresence of God in creating the
world, acknowledged nature as God,
some in its inmost, some in its out
most parts : and some, that they might
separate God from nature, conceived
an idea of something most universal,
which they called the Being [Ens] of
the universe ; and because they know
nothing more concerning God, this
Being becomes with them a being of
reason, which does not signify any
thing. Who cannot comprehend, that
knowledges concerning God are mir
rors of God, and that those who know
nothing concerning God, do not see
God in a mirror with its face turned
towards their eyes, but in a mirror
with its back towards them, which, be
ing covered with mercury, or some
dark, glutinous substance, does not re
flect, but suffocates the image ? The
faith of God enters into man through
a prior way, which is from the soul in
to the superior parts of the understand
ing ; but knowledges concerning God
enter through a posterior way, because
they are imbibed from the revealed
Word, by the understanding, through
the senses of the body, and there is a
meeting of the influxes in the under
standing, as a common centre ; and
there natural faith, which is only per
suasion, becomes spiritual, which is
real acknowledgment ; wherefore the
human understanding is as a refining
vessel, in which the change ;'s effected.
12. V. That human Reason, from
many Things in the World, may, if
it will, perceive, or conclude,
THAT THERE IS A GOD, AND THAT He
is One.
This truth may be confirmed by in-

Concerning God. the Creator.

numerable things in the visible world ;
for the universe is like a theatre, upon
which are continually exhibited testimo
nies, that there is a God, and that He is
one. But to illustrate this, I will adduce
this memorable relation from the spirit
ual world. Once, while I was convers
ing with the angels, there arrived some
novitiate spirits from the natural world,
to whom I wished a happy arrival, and
related many things, before unknown,
concerning the spiritual world ; and
after this relation, I inquired of them
what theory they brought with them
from the world, concerning God and
nature. They said this, that nature op
erates all things that take place in the
created universe ; and that God, after
creation, induced and impressed upon
nature that faculty and power ; and that
God only sustains and preserves them
lest they should perish ; wherefore all
things which exist, which are produ
ced and reproduced upon the earth,
are at this day ascribed to nature.
But I replied, that nature, of itself, does
not operate any thing, but God through
nature ; and because they asked for
proof, I said, those who beliene the
divine operation to be in every thing
of nature, can, from very many things
which they see in the world, confirm
themselves in favor of God, much
more than in favor of nature ; for
those who confirm themselves in favor
of the divine operation in every thing
of nature, attend to the wonderful
things which are conspicuous in
the productions of vegetables as
well as of animals. — In the Produc
tions of Vegetables. They observe
that, from a little seed sown in the
ground, there goes forth a root, and
by means of the root, a stem, and suc
cessively branches, buds, leaves, flow
ers, and fruits, even to new seeds, just
as if the seed knew the order of suc
cession, or the process by which it was
about to renew itself. What rational
man can suppose that the sun, which
is pure fire, knows this, or that it can
instruct its heat and light to effect
such things, or that it can intend uses.
The man whose rational faculty is ele
vated, while he sees and properly con

siders those things, cannot think oth-
erwise, than that they are from him wlic
has infinite wisdom, thus from God.
Those who acknowledge the divine op
eration in every thing of nature, also con
firm themselves in it when they see
those things; but, on the contrary,
those who do not acknowledge it, do
not see such things with the eyes of
their reason in their forehead, but in
the back of their head; who are
such as derive all the ideas of their
thought from the senses of the body,
and confirm their fallacies, saying, "Do
you not see the sun by its heat and
light operating all those things ; what
is that which you do not see ; is it any
thing?" — Those who confirm them
selves in favor ofthe Divine, attend to
the wonderful things which they see in
the Productions of Animals. In the
first place, it is remarkable in eggs,
that in them the chicken is concealed
in its seed with every thing requisite
for its formation, and also for its future
growth after its exclusion, even until it
becomes a bird of its own species.
Moreover, if we attend to winged crea
tures in general, such things are pre
sented to the mind, which thinks deep
ly, as excite astonishment ; as that in
the least as well as in the greatest of
them, in the invisible as well as in
the visible, that is, in little insects as
well as in birds, and great beasts, there
are the organs ofthe senses, which are
seeing, smelling, tasting, and feeling,
and also the organs of motion, which
are muscles, for they fly and walk ; as
also viscera adhering to the heart and
lungs, which are actuated by the brain.
They who ascribe all things to nature
see, indeed, such things, but they think
only that they exist, and say that na
ture produces them ; and they say this
because they have tuined away their
mind from thinking ofthe Divine : and
those who have turned themselves away
from the Divine, while they behold the
wonderful things in nature, cannot
think rationally concerning them, still
less spiritually ; but they think sensu
ally and materially ; and then, at length,
they think in nature from nature, and
not above it. They differ from beasts

Concerning the Unity of God.

0

cr.Iy 1:; being endued with rationality ;
that is, they could understand if they
would. Those who have averted them
selves from thinking of the Divine, and
thereby have become sensual corpoie-
al, do not consider that the sight of
the eye is so gross and material, that
it sees many little insects as one ob
scure object; and yet every one of them
is endued with organs of motion and
sensation, and consequently with fibres
and vessels, and also with a little heart,
pulmonary tubes, little viscera and
brains ; and that these are contextures
of the purest things in nature, and that
those contextures correspond to life in
its lowest degree, by which the mi
nutest of them are distinctly actuated.
Since the sight of the eye is so gross,
that many insects, with the innumera
ble parts of each, appear to it as a
small, obscure spot, and yet sensual
men think and conclude from that vis
ion, it appears how very gross their
mind is, and thence in what darkness
they are with respect to spiritual
things. Every man, if he will, may confirm
himself in favor of the Divine, from the
things visible in nature ; and also he
does confirm himself, who thinks con
cerning God, and his omnipotence in
creating the universe, and concerning
his omnipresence in preserving it :
whilst, for instance, he observes the
fowls of the air, and how each species
of them knows its proper food, and
where it is ; how it distinguishes those
of its own kind by their voice and
figure; how, among the birds, they
can distinguish which are their
friends, and which their enemies ;
how they unite in pairs, and celebrate
connubial rites ; how they artfully build
their nests where they lay their eggs,
and sit upon them during the proper
time of incubation, when they hatch
their young, which they love most ten
derly; how they cherish them under
their wings, procure food, and nourish
them, until they are able to provide
for themselves, and to do similar things.
Every man, who is disposed to think
of the Divine influx through the spirit
ual world into the natural, may see it
2

in those things ; and he may also say
in his heart, if he will, that such science
cannot be given to them from the sua
by its heat and light ; for the sun, from
which nature derives its origin and
essence, is pure fire ; and thence the
effluxes of its heat and light are alto
gether dead ; and thus they may con
clude that such things are from the
Divine influx through the spiritual
world into the ultimates of nature.
Every man may, from the things
visible in nature, confirm himself in"
favor of the Divine, while he sees
worms, how, from the delight of a
certain love, they seek and aspire af
ter a change of their earthly state into
one analogous to the heavenly state :
and how, for this purpose, they crawl
into suitable places, envelope them
selves with a covering, and thus put
themselves into the womb, that they
may be born again, and thus become
chrysalises, aureliae, nymphs, and at
length butterflies ; and when they have
undergone these changes of form, and,
according to their species, have been
clothed with beautiful wings, they fly
abroad into the open air, as into their
heaven, and there indulge in pleasant
sports, celebrate connubial rites, lay
eggs, and provide for themselves a pos
terity ; and then they nourish them
selves with sweet and pleasant food
extracted from flowers. Whoever con
firms himself in favor of the Divine,
from the things visible in nature, may
see in them, while worms, an image of
the earthly state of man, and when
butterflies, an image of his heavenly
state ; but those who confirm them
selves in favor of nature, see them in
deed, but, because they have rejected
the heavenly state of man from their
mind, they call them mere operations
of nature.
Every man may, from the things
visible in nature, confirm himself in
favor of the Divine, while he attends
to the things which are known con
cerning bees, that they know how to
gather wax, and suck honey out of
roses and flowers, and to build cells
like little houses, and arrange them
in the form of a city, with streets

10

Concerning God the Creator.

througli which they come in and go
out ; that at a distance they smell the
herbs and flowers from which they
gather wax for their houses and honey
for their food ; and that, thus loaded,
they fly back in the right direction to
tffeir hive, and thus provide for them
selves food for the approaching winter,
as if they foresaw it. They also ap
point over themselves a ruler like a
queen, from whom their posterity is
propagated ; they build for her, as it
were, a palace in an elevated situation,
and furnish it with proper guards.
When the time of procreation arrives,
she goes, accompanied by her satellites,
called drones, from cell to cell, and
lays her eggs, which her attendants
cover with a sort of ointment, that they
may not be injured by the air. Hence
arises a new race ; and afterwards,
when it has arrived at the proper age,
and is able to do similar things, it is
expelled from the hive ; the swarm
first collects itself into a band, that it
may not be divided and dispersed, and
afterwards flies abroad to seek for it
self a habitation. About the time of
autumn, those drones, because they
have brought in nothing of wax or
honey, are led forth and deprived of
their wings, that they may not return
and consume the food, which they took
no pains to provide. Many other things
might be added ; whence it is evident,
that, on account of the use which they
perform to the human race, they have,
from the Divine influx through the
spiritual world, a form of government
such as there is among men on earth,
yea, among the angels in the heavens.
What person of enlightened reason
does not see, that such things, with
them, are not from the natural world ?
What has the sun ofthe natural world
in common with a government similar
and analogous to the government of
heaven ? From these and similar things
observable in brute animals, the advo
cate and worshipper of nature con
firms himself in favor of nature ; whilst
the advocate and worshipper of God,
from the same things, confirms him-
elf in favor of God : for the spiritual
nan sees in them spiritual things, and

the natural man sees in them natural
things; thus each according to his
quality. As to myself, such things
have been to me evident indications
of the influx of the spiritual world intc
the natural from God. Consider alsc
whether you can think analytical!]
concerning any form of government
or concerning any civil law, or con
cerning any moral virtue, or concern
ing any spiritual truth, unless the Di
vine, from his wisdom, flow in througli
the spiritual world. As to myself, ]
never could, nor can I now ; for I have
perceptibly and sensibly observed that
influx now for twenty-six years, con
tinually ; wherefore I say this from ex
perience. Can nature regard use as an end
and dispose uses into their orders and
forms 1 Tnis can be done only by a
wise being ; and the universe could
be thus ordered and formed only b}
God, whose wisdom is infinite. Whc
else could foresee and provide for men
their food and clothing; their food
from the harvests of the field, the fruits
of the earth, and from animals,; and
their clothing from the same. It is
among those wonderful things, that
those vile worms, called silk worms,
should clothe with silk, and magnificent
ly adorn, both men and women, from
kings and queens, even tp,,,servants
and maids; and that those,,) vile in
sects, called bees, should furnish wax
for lights, by which temples and pala
ces are illuminated. These and ma
ny other things are standing proofs
that God, from Himself through the
spiritual world, operates all things
which are done in nature.
To these things it is proper to add,
that, in the spiritual world, have been
seen those, who, from the things visi
ble in the world, have confirmed them
selves in favor of nature to such a de
gree, that they became atheists ; and
that their understanding in spiritual
light appeared open below and closed
above, because, in: their thoughts, they
had looked downwards to the earth,
and not upwards to , heaven. Above
their sensual principle, which is the
lowest region of the understanding,

Concerning the Unity of God.

11

there appeared, as it were, a veil spark
ling with infernal fire : in some cases,
black as soot ; in others, livid like a
corpse. Let every one, therefore, be
ware of confirming himself in favor of
nature : but, since there is no want of
means, let him confirm himself in fa
vor of God.
13. VI. That unless God were
one, the Universe could not have
been created and preserved.
That the unity of God may be
inferred from the creation of the
uni'erse, is because the universe
is a work cohering as one from firsts
to lasts, depending upon one God, as
the body on the soul. The universe
is so created, that God may be every
where present, and hold all and every
part of it under his direction, and hold
it together as one, perpetually, which
is to preserve it. Hence also it is,
that Jehovah God says, That he is the
First and the Last, the Beginning and
the Ending, the Alpha and the Omega,
Isai. xliv. 6 ; Rev. i. 8, 17 ; and, in
another place, That he maketh all
things, spreadeth out the heavens, and
stretcheth out the earth by himself,
Isai. xliv. 24. This great system,
which is called the universe, is a work
cohering as one from firsts to lasts, be
cause God, in creating it, had one end
in view, which was an angelic heaven
from the human race ; and the means
to that end are all things of which the
earth is composed ; for he who wills
an end, also wills the means ; where
fore he who contemplates the world as
a work containing means to that end,,
may contemplate the created universe
as a work cohering as one, and may
see that the world is a complex of uses,
in successive order, for the human
race, from which is the angelic heaven.
The Divine Love can intend no other
end than the eternal blessedness of
men from its own Divine. Divine
Wisdom can produce nothing else than
uses which are means to that end.
By contemplating the world in this
universal idea, every wise man may
perceive that the Creator of the uni
verse is one, and that his essence is
Love and Wisdom : wherefore there is

not a single thing in the universe,
which does not contain a use, more
or less remote, for man.
Those who contemplate some things
in the world separately, and not all as
united in a series in which are ends,
mediate causes and effects,' and who
do not deduce creation from the Divine
Love through the Divine Wisdom,
cannot see that the universe is the
work of one God, and that he dwells
in every use, because he dwells in the
end ; for every one who is in the end,
is also in the means ; for the end is in
wardly in all the means, actuating and
directing them. Those who do not
contemplate the universe as the work
of God, and as the habitation of his love
and wisdom, but as the work of nature,
and the habitation of the heat and
light of the sun, close the superior
parts of their mind towards God, and
open the inferior parts of it for the
devil ; and thence they put off the na
ture of man, and put on the nature of
beasts, and not only think themselves
like beasts, but also become so ; for
they become foxes in cunning, wolves
in fierceness, leopards in treachery,
tigers in cruelty, and crocodiles, ser
pents, owls and bats, according to the
nature of those animals. Those who
are such also appear, in the spiritual
world, at a distance, like those wild
beasts ; their love of evil thus exhibits
itself. 14. VII. That the Man who
does not acknowledge a god, is
excommunicated from the Church,
and condemned.
That the man who does not acknowl
edge a God, is excommunicated from
the church, is because God is the all
ofthe church, and divine things, which
are called theological, constitute the
church ; wherefore a denial of God is
a denial of all things of the church ;
and this denial itself excommunicates
him ; thus the man himself, and not
God, is the author of his excommuni
cation. He is also condemned, be
cause whosoever is excommunicated
from the church, is also excommunicat
ed from heaven ; for the church upon
earth, and the angelic heaven, maki

Concerning God the Creator.

one, like the internal and external,
and like the spiritual and natural in
man For man was so created by
God, that, as to his internal, he may be
in the spiritual world, and as to his
external, in the natural world ; thus
he is created a native of both worlds,
in order that the spiritual, which
is of heaven, may be implanted in
the natural, which is of the earth,
as is the case with seed in the ground ;
and thus man may acquire a fixed and
everlasting existence. The man who,
by a denial of God, has excommunicat
ed himself from the church, and thus
from heaven, has closed up his inter-'
nal man as to the will, and thus as to
his genial love ; for the will of man is
the receptacle of his love, and be
comes its habitation. But he cannot
close up his internal man, as to the
understanding; for, if he could and
should do this, the man would be no
longer man. But the love of the will
infatuates the superior parts of the un
derstanding ; whence the understand
ing becomes, as it were, closed as to the
truths which are of faith, and as to the
goods which are of charity ; thus more
and more against God, and, at the
same time, against the spiritual things
of the church ; and thus he is exclud
ed from communion with the angels
of heaven ; and, when thus excluded,
he enters into communion with the
satans of hell, and thinks in unity
with them ; and as all satans deny a
God, and think foolishly concerning
God and the spiritual things of the
church, so also does the man who is
conjoined with them. When he is in
his spirit, as he is when left to himself
at home, he suffers his thoughts to be
led by the delights of the evil and the
false, which he has conceived and
brought forth in himself; and then he
thinks that there is no God, but that
what is called God is only a word re
sounding from pulpits, to bind the
common people to obedience to the
l.iws of justice, which are laws of soci
ety. He also thinks that the Word,
from which ministers proclaim a God,
is a collection of visionary stories, the
sanctity of which is derived from

authority ; and that the Decalogue,
or Catechism, is a little book, which,
after it has been handled by children,
may be thrown away ; for it teaches
that we should honor our parents, that
we should not do murder, nor commit
adultery, nor steal, nor bear false tes
timony ; and who ¦ does not know the
same things from the civil law 1 Con
cerning the church, he thinks it is a
congregation of weak, simple and cred
ulous people, who see what they do
not see. Respecting man, and him
self as a man, he thinks as he does of
a beast; concerning his life after
death, he thinks it will be like that of
a beast after death. Thus his inter
nal man thinks, however differently the
external man speaks ; for, as was said,
every man has an internal and an ex
ternal ; and his internal constitutes the
man, which is called the spirit, and
lives after death ; and the external, in
which, by a semblance of morality, he
plays the hypocrite, is bunea , ana
then, on account of his denial of God,
he is condemned. Every man, as to
his spirit, is consociated with his like
in the spiritual world, and is as one
with them ; and it has often been given
me to see the spirits of persons still
living, some in angelic societies, and
some in infernal societies ; and I have
also been permitted to converse with
them for several days ; and have won
dered that man himself, while he lives
in his body, should know nothing at
all of this. Thence it appeared, that
whoever denies a God, is already
among the condemned ; and, after
death, he is gathered to his compan
ions. 15. VIII. That with Men who
DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ONE GoD, BUT
SEVERAL, NOTHING OF THE CHURCH
COHERES. He who in faith acknowledges, and in
heart worships, one God, is in the com
munion of saints on earth, and in the
communion of angels in heaven ; they
are called communions, and they are
so because they are in one God, and
one God is in them. The same are also
in conjunction with the whole angelic
heaven, and 1 might venture to say

Concerning the Unity of God.

13

with all and every one there, for they
are all as the children and posterity of
:me father, whose minds, manners and
faces are similar, so that they mutually
recognise each other. The angelic
heaven is arranged into societies ac
cording to all the varieties of the love
of good ; , which varieties aim at one
most universal love, which is love to
God ; from this love are propagated all
those who in faith acknowledge, and
in heart worship, one God, the Creator
of the universe, and at the same time
the Redeemer and Regenerator. But
the case is altogether different with
those who do not approach and wor
ship one God, but several ; and also
with those who profess one with their
lips, and at the same time think of
three, as do those in the church at this
day, who distinguish God into three
persons, and declare that each person
by himself is God, and attribute to
each separate qualities or properties,
which do not belong to either of the
others. Hence it comes to pass, that
not only the unity of God is actually
divided, but also theology itself, and
likewise the human mind, in which it
should reside ; what thence can result
but perplexity and incoherency in the
things of the church? That such is
the state of the church at this day, will
be demonstrated in the Appendix to
this work. The truth is, that the di
vision of God, or ofthe Divine essence,
into three persons, each of which, by
himself, or singly, is God, leads to the
denial of God. It is as if any one
should enter a temple in order to wor
ship, and should see, in a picture upon
the altar, one God painted as the An
cient of days, another as the High
Priest, and a third as the flying .-Eolus,
with this inscription, "These three
are one God;" or as if he should there
see the Unity and Trinity painted as a
man with three heads upon one body,
or with three bodies under one head,
which is the form of a monster. If
any one should enter heaven with such
an idea, he would certainly be cast out
headlong, although he should say that
the head or heads signified essence, and
the body or bodies, distinct properties,

16. To the above I shall add one
Relation [Memorabilb]. I saw
some new comers from the nat
ural into the spiritual world, talking
together about three Divine Persons
from eternity ; they were dignitaries
of the church, and one of them a bish
op. They came up to me, and, after
some conversation concerning the
spiritual world, of which they before
had not known any thing, I said, "I
heard you talking about three Divine
Persons from eternity ; and I beseech
you to open to me this great mystery,
according to your ideas which you con
ceived in the natural world, whence
you have lately come." Then the
primate, looking at me, said, " I see that
you are a layman ; wherefore I will
open the ideas of my thought concern
ing this mystery, and teach you.
My ideas always have been, and still
are, that God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Ghost, sit in the
midst of heaven, upon magnificent and
lofty seats or thrones ; God the Father,
upon a throne of the finest gold, with a
sceptre in his hand ; God the Son, at
his right hand, upon a throne ofthe
purest silver, with a crown on his head ;
and God the Holy Ghost, near them,
upon a throne of shining crystal, hold
ing a dove in his hand ; and that
lamps, hanging round about them in
triple order, were glittering with pre
cious stones ; and that, at a distance
from this circus, were standing innu
merable angels, all worshipping, and
singing praises ; and, moreover, that
God the Father is continually convers
ing with his Son concerning those
who are to be justified ; and that they
together decree and determine who,
upon earth, were worthy to be received
among the angels, and crowned with
eternal life; and that God the Holy
Ghost, having heard their names, in
stantly, hastens to them over all parts
of the earth, carrying with him the
gifts of righteousness, as so many tokens
of salvation for those who are to be
justified ; and, as soon as he arrives, and
breathes upon them, he disperses theii
sins, as a ventilator disperses the
smoke out of a furnace, and makes i

14

Concerning God the Creator.

white ; and also he l,akes away from
their hearts the hardness of stone, puts
into them the softness of flesh; and,
at the same time, he renews their spir
its or minds, and regenerates them, and
induces upon them the countenances
of infants ; and, at last, marks their
foreheads with the sign of the cross,
and calls them the elect, and children
of God." The primate, having finished
this discourse, said to me, " Thus I un
ravelled this great mystery in the
world ; and, because most of our order
there applauded my sentiments on this
subject, I am persuaded that you al
so, who are a layman, will acquiesce
in them." After these things were said
by the primate, I looked at him, and,
at the same time, at the dignitaries
with him, and observed that they all
favored him with their full assent :
wherefore I began to reply, and said,
" I have well considered the exposition
of your faith, and have thence collect
ed, that you have conceived, and still
cherish, a merely natural and sensual,
yea, material idea concerning the tri
une God, whence inevitably flows the
idea of three Gods. Is it not to think
sensually of God the Father, that He
sits upon a throne with a sceptre in his
hand ? and ofthe Son, that He sits upon
his throne with a crown on his head?
and of the Holy Ghost, that He sits
upon his, with a dove in his hand, and
that, in obedience to the decrees of the
two former, He runs over all the world ?
And because such an idea thence re
sults, I cannot believe what you have
declared ; for, from my infancy, I have
not been able to admit into my mind
any other idea than that of one God ;
and since I have received, and still re
tain, this idea only, all that you have said
has no weight with me. And then I
saw that, by the throne upon which,
according to the Scripture, Jehovah is
said to sit, is meant the kingdom ; by
the sceptre and crown, government
and dominion ; by sitting on the right
hand, the omnipotence of God by
means of his Human; and by those
things which are related of the Holy
Spirit, the operations of the Divine
omnipresence. Assume, sir, if you

please, the idea of one God, and re-
volve it well in your rational mind
[ratiorinio], and you will at length
clearly perceive that it is so. Indeed,
you also say, that there is one God, and
this because you make the essence of
those three persons one and indivisi
ble; yet you do not allow any one to
say, that the one God is one person,
but that thpre are still three ; and this
you do, lest the idea of three Gods,
such as yours is, should be lost ; and
you also ascribe to each a character
separate from that of another : do you
not thus divide your Divine essence ?
Since it is so, how can you, at the same
time, think that God is one? I could
forgive you, if you should say, that the
Divine is one. When any one hears,
that the Father is God, the Son is God,
the Holy Ghost is God, and that each
Person singly is God, how can he con
ceive that God is one? Is it not a
contradiction which can never be be
lieved ? That they cannot be said to
be one God, but to be of a similar Di
vine, may be illustrated by these exam
ples : — It cannot be said of several men,
who compose one senate, synod, or
council, that they are one man ; but
while they are all and each of them of
one opinion, it may be said, that they
think one thing. Neither can it be said
of three diamonds of one substance,
that they are one diamond, but that
they are one as to substance, and also
each diamond differs from the others
in value, according to its own weight ;
but it would not be so, if they were
one, and not three. But I perceive that
the reason why you say, that the three
persons, each of whom, by himself, or
singly, is God, are one God, and why
you insist, that every one in the church
should thus speak, is, that sound and
enlightened reason, throughout the
whole world, acknowledges that God is
one ; and therefore you would be cov
ered with shame, if you should not also
speak in like manner. But even while
you utter with your lips one God. al
though you entertain the idea of three,
still that shame does not keep those
two forms of expression within your
lips, but you speak them out." After

Concerning the Unity of God.

15

,his conversation, the bishop retired
with his clerical attendants, and, in re
tiring, he turned about, and wished to
exclaim, " There is one God ;" but he
could not, because his thought drew
back his tongue ; and then, with open
mouth, he breathed out, " three Gods."
Those who were standing by, laughed
at the strange sight, and departed.
17. Afterwards, I inquired where I
might find, amongst the learned, those
who are of the most acute genius, and
who stand for a Divine Trinity, divided
into three persons : and there came
three, to whom I said, " How can you
divide the Divine Trinity into three
persons, and assert that each person, by
himself, or singly, is God and Lord?
Is not such a confession of the mouth,
that God is one, as distant from the
thought, as the south is from the
north 1" To which they replied, " It is
not, in the least, because the three per
sons have one essence, and the Divine
Essence is God. We were, in the
world, tutors of a Trinity of persons;
and the pupil under our care was our
faith, in which each divine person has
his office : God the Father, the office
of imputation and donation ; God the
Son, that of intercession and media
tion ; and God the Holy Ghost, that of
effecting the uses of imputation and
mediation." But I asked, " What do you
mean by the Divine Essence 1" They
said, " We mean omnipotence, omnis
cience, omnipresence, immensity, eter
nity, equality of majesty." To which I
said, " If that essence out of several Gods
makes One, you may add still more, as
lor example^ a fourth, who is mentioned
m Moses, Job, and Ezekiel, and is
called God Schaddai. In like manner
also did the ancients in Greece and
Italy, who ascribed equal attributes
and a similar essence to their gods,
as to Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto,
Apollo, Juno, Dianas Minerva, yea,
even to Mercury and Venus ; but still
they could not say that all those were
one God. And also you, who are
three, and, as I perceive, of similar
learning, and so of similar essence as
to that, still are not able to combine
yourselves into one learned man." But

at this they laughed, saying, " Yi.u are
jesting ; it is otherwise with the Divine
Essence ; this is one, and not tripartite,
and it is indivisible, and so not divided ;
it is not a subject of partition and di
vision." To this I rejoined, "Let us de
scend into this arena, and dispute ;"
and I asked, " What do you mean by
person, and what does that word sig
nify V And they said, " The name of a
person signifies not any part or quali
ty in another, but what subsists in
one's own self [proprie subsistit].
Thus all the principal doctors of the
church define person, and we agree
with them." And I said, " Is this the
definition ofperson ?" And they replied,
" It is." To which I answered, " Then
there is not any part of the Father in
the Son, nor any of either in the Ho
ly Ghost ; whence it follows, that each
has his peculiar choice, right and
power ; and so there is not any thing
which joins them together except the
will, which is proper to each, and thus
communicable at pleasure : are not the
thrtee persons thus three distinct Gods 1
Again, you have also defined person,
that it is what subsists in one's own
self: consequently it follows that there
are three substances into which
you divide the Divine Essence ; and
yet this, as you also say, is incapable
of division, because it is one and indi
visible; and, moreover, to each sub
stance, that is, to each person, you at
tribute properties which are not in
another, and which cannot be commu
nicated to another, such as imputation,
mediation and operation; and what
else thence results, than that the three
persons are three Gods1" At these
words they withdrew, saying," We will
canvass [yentilabimur] these things,
and, having canvassed, we will an
swer." There stood by a certain wise
man, who, hearing these things, said,
" I do not wish, by such subtle specula
tions [subfiles transennas], to look into
this high subject; but without those
subtilties, I see in clear light, that, in
the ideas of your thought, there are
three Gods ; but, because it would be
to your shame to publish them to all
the world (for if you should publish

Concerning God the Creator.

them, you would be called madmen
and idiots), therefore, to avoid that dis
grace, it is expedient for you to confess
with your lips one God." But the three
disputants, still tenacious of their own
opinion, paid no attention to these

words ; and, in going away, they mut
tered out some terms borrowed from the
science of metaphysics, whence I per
ceived, that that science was their tri
pod, from which they wished to givt
answers.

CONCERNING THE DIVINE ESSE, WHICH IS JEHOVAH.

18. We shall treat first of the Di
vine Esse, and afterwards ofthe Divine
Essence. It appears as if these two
were one and the same ; but still esse
is more universal than essence, for an
essence supposes an esse, and from esse
essence is derived. The Esse of God,
or the Divine Esse, cannot be describ
ed, because it is above every idea of hu
man thought, into which nothing else
fills, than what is created and finite, but
not what is uncreate and infinite, thus
not the Divine Esse. The Divine
Esse is Esse itself, from which all things
are, and which must be in all things,
that they may be. A further notion
of the Divine Esse may flow in from
the following articles : I. That the one
Gud is called Jehovah from Esse, thus
from this, because He alone is, was, and
will be, and because He is the First and
the Last, the Beginning and the End,
the Alpha and the Omega. II. That
the one God is Substance itself and
Formitsclf, and that angels and men
are substances and forms from Him,
and that as far as they are in Him and
He in them, so far they are images and
likenesses of Him. III. That the Di
vine Esse is Esse in itself, and at the
fame time Existere in itself. IV.
That the Divine Esse and Existere in
itself cannot produce another Divine,
that is Esse and Existere in itself;
consequently, that another God of the
same essence is not possible [dabilis].
V. That a plurality of gods amongst
the ancients, and also amongst the mod
erns, existed from no other cause, than
from not understanding the Divine
Esse. But these articles are to be
elucidated one by one.
19. I. That the one God is
called Jehovah from Esse, thus

from this, because He alone is and
will be ; and because He is thf.
First and the Last, the Beginning
and the End, the Alpha and the
Omega. That Jehovah signifies 1 am and
To be, is known ; and that God was
so called from the most ancient times,
is evident from the book of creation,
or Genesis, where, in the first chap
ter, He is called God, but in the
second and the following, Jehovah
God; and afterwards, when the de
scendants of Abraham by Jacob, dur
ing their sojourning in Egypt, forgot
the name of God, it was recalled to
their remembrance ; concerning which
it is thus written : Moses said unto God
Wliat is thy name? God said, I AM
THA T I AM. Tims shalt thou say
to the children of Israel, I AM hath
sent me unto you ; and thou shalt say,
Jehovah, the God of your fathers, hath
sent me to you ; this is my name forever,
and this my memorial from generation
to generation, Exod. iii. 14, 1 5. Since
God alone is the I AM, and the Esse,
or Jehovah, therefore there is not any
thing in the created universe, which
does not derive its esse from Him ;
but in what manner, will be seen be
low. The same is also meant by these
words : I am the First and the Last,
the Beginning and the End, the Alpha
and the Omega, Isaiah xliv. 6 ; and
Rev. i. 8, 11 ; xxii. 13; by which is
signified, Who is the Itself and the
Only from firsts to lasts, from which
are all things.
That God is called the Alpha and
the Omega, the Beginning and the
End, is because Alpha is the first, and
Omega is the last letter in the Greek
alphabet ; and thence they .signify all

Concerning the Divine Esse.

17

things in the complex : the reason is,
because every alphabetic letter, in the
spiritual world, signifies some thing ;
and a vowel, which serves for sound,
something of affection or love : from
this origin is spiritual or angelic
speech, and also writing, there. But
this is an arcanum hitherto unknown ;
for there is a universal language, m
which all angels and spirits are ; and
this has nothing in common with any
language of men in the world : every
man comes into this language after
death, for it is implanted in every man
from creation ; wherefore all can un
derstand each other throughout the
whole spiritual world. It has been
given me often to hear that language,
and I have compared it with languages
in the world, and have found that it
does not, even in the least degree, make
one with any natural language upon
earth : it differs from them in its first
principle, whicli is, that every letter of
every word signifies a thing. Thence,
now, it is, that God is called the Alpha
and the Omega, by which is signified,
that He is the Itself and the Only from
firsts to lasts, from which are all things.
But concerning this language, and the
writing of it, flowing from the spiritual
thought of angels, see in the work
concerning Conjugial Love, n. 326 to
329, and also in the following pages.
20. II. That the one God is
Substance itself and Form itself,
and that Angels and Men are Sub
stances and Forms from Him; and
AS FAR AS THEY ARE IN HlM AND He
in them, so far they are images
and Likenesses of Him.
Since God is Esse, He is also Sub
stance, for an esse, unless it be a sub
stance, is only an ideal entity [ens ra-
tionis~\ ; for substance, is a subsisting
entity ; and whoever is a substance is
also a form, for substance unless it be
a form, is an ideal entity ; wherefore
both can be predicated of God, but so
that He may be the only, the very,
and the first Substance and Form.
That this form is the very Human, that
is, that God is very Man, all things of
whom are infinite, is demonstrated in
the Angeiic Wisdom concerning
3

the Divine Love and the Divine
Wisdom, published at Amsterdam in
the year 1763 : in like manner, that
angels and men are substances and
forms, created and organized for re
ceiving the Divine, flowing into them
through heaven ; wherefore, in the
book of Creation, they are called im
ages and likenesses of God, i. 26, 27 ;
and in other places, His sons, and
born of Him ; but in the course of this
work, it will be fully demonstrated,
that, in proportion as man lives under
the Divine auspices, that is, suffers
himself to be led by God, so far he be
comes an image of Him, more and
more interiorly. Unless an idea be
formed of God, that he is the first sub
stance and form and of h:s form, that
it is the very human, the minds of men
would readily imbibe 'die fancies, like
spectres, concerning God himself, the
origin of man, and the creation of the
world : of God they would conceive no
other notion than as of the nature of
the universe in its firsts, thus of the ex
panse of the universe, or as of empti
ness or nothing ; of the origin of men,
as of the conflux of the elements into
such a form by chance; ofthe creation
of the world, that the origin of its sub
stances and forms is from points, then
from geometrical lines, whicli, because
they are of no predication, are there
fore in themselves not any thing. AVith
such persons, every thing ofthe church
is like the Styx, or the darkness of Tar
tarus. 21. III. That the Divine Esse
is Esse in itself, and, at the same
Time, Existere in itself.
That Jehovah God is Esse in itself,
is because He is the I AM, the It
self, the Only and the First, from
eternity to eternity, from which every
thing is which is, that it may be some
thing ; and thus, and not otherwise,
He is the Beginning and the End,
the First and the Last, and the Al
pha and the Omega. It cannot be said
that his Esse is from itself, because
this from itself supposes what is
prior, and thus time, which is not ap
plicable to Infinite, which is c'alled
from eternity; and also it supposes

18

Concerning God tlie Creator.

another God, who is God in himself,
thus a God from God, or that God
formed himself, and so could not be
uncreate or infinite, because thus He
made himself finite from himself or
from another. From this, that God is
Esse in itself, it follows, that He is
Love in itself, Wisdom in itself, and
Life in itself, and that He is the Itself,
from which are all things, and to
which all things refer themselves, that
they may be something. That God
is Life in itself, and thus God, is evi
dent from the words of the Lord in
John, v. 26 ; and in Isaiah, i" Jehovah
make all things, and spread out the
heavens alone, and stretch out the earth
by myself, xliv. 24 ; and that He
alone is God, and beside Him there is
no God, xiv. 14, 15, 20, 21 ; Hosea,
xiii. 4.
That God is not only Esse in it
self, but also Existere in itself, is be
cause an esse, unless it exist, is not
any thing ; and, in like manner, an
existere, unless it be from an esse ;
wherefore, one being given, the other
is given : in like manner, a substance
is not any thing, unless it be also a
form ; of a substance, unless it be a
form, nothing can be predicated ; and
this, because it has no quality, is in
itself nothing. The reason why Esse
and Existere are here used, and not Es
sence and Existence, is because a dis
tinction is to be made between Esse
and Essence, and thence between
Existere and Existence, as between
what is prior and what is posterior ;
and what is prior is more universal than
what is posterior. Infinity and eter
nity are applicable to the Divine Esse,
but to the Divine Essence and Exis
tence divine love and divine wisdom
are applicable, and, by means of
these two, omnipotence and omnipres
ence ; of which, therefore, we shall
treat in their order.
22. That God is the Itself, the On
ly, and the First, which is called Esse
and Existere in itself, from which
are all things that are and exist, the
natural man, by his own reason, can-
riot possibly discover ; for the natural
man, by his own reason, can appre

hend nothing else than what is of
nature ; for this squares with his
essence, because, from his infancy and
childhood, nothing else has entered in
to it. But since man is so created
that he may also be spiritual, because
he is about to live after death, and then
amongst the spiritual in their world,
therefore God has provided the Word,
in which He has not only revealed
himself, but also that there is a heaven
and a hell ; and that in one or the
other of these every man is about to
live to eternity, each according to his
life and his faith at the same time.
He has also revealed in the Word,
that He is the I AM, or the Esse, and
the Itself, and the Only, which is in
itself, and so the First or the Begin
ning, from which are all things. It is
by means of this revelation, that the
natural man can elevate himself above
nature, thus above himself, and see
such things as are of God ; but yet on
ly as at a distance, although God is
nigh to every man, for He is in him
with his essence, and, because it is so,
He is nigh to those who love Him ; and
those love Him who live according to
his commandments, and believe in Him
these, as it were, see Him ; for wha*
is faith, but a spiritual sight that
He is ? And what is a life according
to his commandments, but an actual
acknowledgment that from Him is
salvation and eternal life? But those
who have not spiritual faith, but
natural, which is only science, and
thence a similar life, see God, indeed,
but at a distance, and this only when
they are speaking of Him. The dif
ference between the former and the
latter, is like that between those who
stand in clear light, and see men, and
touch them, and those who stand in a
thick cloud, from which they cannot
distinguish men from trees or stones.
Or it is like the difference between
those who stand upon a high mountain,
where there is a city, and who go hith
er and thither and talk with their fel
low citizens, and those who look
down from that mountain and know
not whether the objects which they
see are men, or beasts, or statues. Nay

Concerning the Divine Esse.

19

it is like that between those who
stand upon some planetary orb, and
see their companions there ; and
those who are in another planetary
orb, with optical glasses in their hands,
and look thither, and say that they see
men there, when yet they only see,
in general, the earthy parts, as lunar
brightness, and the watery parts, as
dark spots. Such is the difference
between seeing God and the divine
things which proceed from Him, as
they are in the minds of those who
are in faith, and at the same time in
the life of charity, and of those who
are only in science concerning those
things ; consequently, such is the dif
ference between natural and spiritual
men. But those who deny the divine
sanctity of the Word, and still carry
the things, which are of religion, as it
were, in a sack upon their back, do
not see God, but only talk about Him,
in a manner but little different from
parrots.
23. IV. That the Divine Esse
and Existere in itself, cannot
produce another dlvine, that is
Esse and Existere in itself;
consequently", that another god
of the same essence is not pos
SIBLE. That the one God, who is the
Creator of the universe, is Esse and
Existere in itself, thus God in himself,
has already been shown : thence it
follows, that a God from God is not
possible, because the very essential
Divine, which is Esse and Existere it
self, is in him incommunicable. It is
the same, whether he be said to be
begotten by God, or to proceed from
Him ; in either case, he would be pro
duced by God, and this differs but lit
tle from being created. Wherefore,
to introduce into the church the faith
that there are three divine persons,
each of whom singly is God, and of
the same essence, and one born from
eternity, and a third proceeding from
eternity, is altogether to abolish the
idea of the unity of God, and with this
all notion of Divinity, and so to cause
all the Spiritual of reason to be ban
ished into exile ; thence man becomes
no longer man, but altogether nat

ural, and differs from a beast only in
possessing the power of speech ; and he
is opposed to all the spiritual things of
the church, for these the natural man
calls foolishness ; hence, and hence
alone, have originated such enormous
heresies concerning God. Where
fore a Divine Trinity, divided into
persons, has brought into the church
not only night, but also death. That
an identity of three Divine Essences
is an offence to reason, appeared evi
dent to me from the angels, who said,
that they could not even utter three
equal Divinities ; and if any one should
come to them, and wish to utter that
expression, he could not but turn away
himself; and after having given it ut
terance, he would become like the
trunk of a man, and would be cast out,
and afterwards would go away to those
in hell who do not acknowledge any
God. The truth is, that, to implant in
infants and children an idea of three
divine persons, to which inevitably ad
heres the idea of three Gods, is to
take away from them all spiritual milk,
and afterwards all spiritual meat, and
lastly all spiritual reason, and to in
duce upon those, who confirm them
selves in it, spiritual death. Those, who
in faith and in heart worship one God.
the Creator of the universe, and Him at
the same time the Redeemer and Re
generator, are as the city of Zion was
in the time of David, and as the city
of Jerusalem in the time of Solo
mon, after the temple was built ; but
the church which believes in three
persons, and in each as a distinct God,
is like the city of Zion and Jerusalem
destroyed by Vespasian, and the tem
ple there burnt. Moreover, the man
who worships one God, in whom is the
Divine Trinity, thus who is one Per
son, becomes more and more a living
and angelic man ; but he who confirms
himself in a plurality of Gods, from a
plurality of persons, becomes, by de
grees, like a statue made with movable
joints, in the midst of which Satan
stands, and speaks through its artificial
mouth.
24. V. That a Plurality of
Gods, in ancient and also in
modern Times, originated from no

20

Concerning God the Creator.

other Cause than from not under
standing the Divine Esse.
That the unity of God is most in
timately inscribed on the mind of
every man, since it is in the midst of
all things which flow into the soul of
man from God, has been shown above,
n. 8. ;, but that still, it has not descend
ed into the human understanding, is
because there was a want of the knowl
edges by means of which man ought
to ascend to meet God ; for every one
should prepare the way for God, that
is, should prepare himself for reception,
and this should be done by means of
knowledges. The knowledges which
have hitherto been wanting to enable
the human understanding to penetrate
where it might see that God is one, and
that only one Divine Esse is possible,
and that all things of nature are from
that Esse, are the following: 1. That
hitherto no one has known any thing
concerning the spiritual world, where
spirits and angels are, and into which
every man comes after death. 2. Al
so that in that world, there is a sun,
which is pure love from Jehovah God,
who is in the midst of it. 3. That from
that sun proceeds heat, which in its
essence is love, and light, which in its
essence is wisdom. 4. That thence all
things, which are in that world, are
spiritual, and affect the internal man,
and form his will and understanding.
5. That Jehovah God, out of his sun,
not only produced the spiritual world,
and all the spiritual things of it, which
are innumerable and substantial, but
tfiat he also produced the natural
world, and all the natural things
of it, which are also innumerable,
but material. 6. That hitherto no
one has known the distinction between
what is spiritual and what is natural,
nor even what the spiritual is, in its
essence. 7. Nor that there are three
degrees of love and wisdom, according
*o which the angelic heavens are arrang
ed. 8. And that the human mind is
distinguished into the same number of
degrees, to the end that it may be ele
vated after death into one ofthe heav
ens, which is effected according to
his life and faith conjointly. 9. And,
finally, that not a single particle of all

those things could have existed, but
from the Divine Esse, which is the It
self in itself, and so the First, and the
Beginning, from which are ail things.
These knowledges have hitherto beeu
wanting ; yet they are the means by
which man may ascend and know the
Divine Esse. It is said, that man as
cends ; but it is -meant that he is
elevated by God; for man has free
will, and the faculty of procuring for
himself knowledges, and as he pro
cures them for himself from the Word,
by means of the understanding, he
thus prepares a way by which God
may descend, and elevate him. The
knowledges by means of which the
human understanding ascends, being
upheld and led by God, may be com
pared to the steps of the ladder seen
by Jacob, which was set upon the
earth, whose head reached to heaven,
and by which the angels ascended,
and Jehovah stood above it, Genesis
xxviii. 12, 13. But it is quite otherwise
when those knowledges are wanting,
or when man despises them ; then the
elevation of the understanding may be
compared to a ladder, raised from the
ground to the windows of the first sto
ry of a magnificent palace, where men
have their habitations, and not to the
windows of the second story, where
spirits are, and still less to the windows
of the third story, where angels are.
Thence it is, that man abides in the
atmospheres and material things of
nature, in which he keeps his eyes,
ears and nostrils ; from which he de
rives no other ideas of heaven, and of
the Esse and Essence of God, than
such as are atmospherical and materi
al ; and whilst a man thinks from these)
he does not form any judgment con
cerning God, whether He exists or not,
or whether He is one ot more ; and
still less what He is as to his Esse and
as to his Essence. Thence arose a
plurality of gods in' ancient and also in
modern times.

25. To the above I shall add this
Relation [Memorabile'J. Some time
since, being awaked from sleep, I felj
into profound meditation concerning

Concerning the Divine Esse

21

God ; and when I looked up, I saw
above me, in heaven, a very bright light,
in an oval form ; and when I fixed my
eyes upon that light, the light receded to
the sides, and entered into the circum
ferences; and then, lo, heaven was
opened to me, and I saw magnificent
things, and angels standing in the form
of a circle on the southern side of the
opening, and they were talking togeth
er ; and because I had an ardent desire
to hear what they were talking about,
it was therefore given me first to hear
a sound, which was full of heavenly
love, and afterwards their speech , which
was full of wisdom from that love.
They were talking together about the
one God, and about conjunction
with him, and thence salvation.
They spoke ineffable things, most of
which cannot be expressed in the
words of any natural language ; but
because I had sometimes been in com
pany with angels in that heaven, and
then in a similar speech with them, be
cause in a similar state, I was therefore
able now to understand them, and to
select from their discourse some things
which may be rationally expressed in
the words of natural language. They
said that the Divine Esse is One, the
Same, the Itself, and Individual.
This they illustrated by spiritual ideas,
saying that the Divine Esse cannot be
communicated to several, eachofwhom
has the Divine Esse, and still that be
One, the Same, the Itself, and Indivis
ible ; for e'ach one would think from
his own Esse from himself, and singly
by himself; if then from others and
by others, unanimously, there would
be several unanimous Gods, and not
one God ; for unanimity, because it is
the agreement of several, and at the
same time of each one from himself,
and by himself, does not agree with
the unity of God, but with a plurality —
they did not say of Gods, because they
cnuid not; for the light of heaven,
from which was their thought, and the
aura in which their discourse was ut-
te-ed, opposed it. They said also,
that when they wished to pronounce
the word Gods, and each one as a per
son by himself, the effort of pronounc
ing was instantly directed to One, yea,

to the Only God. To this they added,
that the Divine Esse is a Divine Esse
in Itself, not from itself; because
from itself supposes an Esse in itself,
from another prior ; thus it supposes a
God from God, which is not possible.
What is from God is not called God,
but is called Divine ; for what is a God
from God ? thus, what is a God born of
God from eternity ? and what is a God
proceeding from God through a God
born from eternity, but words in which
there is nothing of light from heaven ?
They said, moreover, that the Divine
Esse, which in itself is God, is the
Same, not the same simple, but infin
ite ; that is, the Same from eternity to
eternity : it is the Same every where,
and the Same with every one, and in
every one ; but that all variableness
and changeableness is in the recipient ;
the state of the recipient causes this.
That the Divine Esse, which is God in
himself, is the Itself, they illustrated
thus : God is the Itself, because He is
Love itself and Wisdom itself, or be
cause He is Good itself and Truth it
self, and thence Life itself, which, un
less they were the Itself in God, thej
would not be any thing in heaven am
the world, because there would not be
any thing of them relative to the Itself.
Every quality has its quality from that
which is the Itself from which it is, and
to which it refers itself that it may be
such. This Itself, which is the Di
vine Esse, is not in place, but with
those, and in those, who are in place,
according to reception ; since of Love
and Wisdom, or of Good and Truth,
and thence of Life, which are the It
self in God, yea, God himself, place
cannot be predicated, nor progression
from place to place, whence is Omni
presence ; wherefore, the Lord says,
that He is in the midst of them ; also
that He is in them, and they in Him
But because He cannot be received by
any, as He is in Himself, He appears
as He is in his essence, as a sun above
the angelic heavens ; the proceeding
from which, as light, is Himself as to
wisdom, and the proceeding as heat.
is Himself as to love ; that sun is not
Himself, but the Divine Love and the
Divine Wisdom, emanating from Him

22

Concerning God the Creator.

proxiinafo'y round about Him, appear
to the angels as a sun. He within
the sun is Man ; He is our Lord
Jesus Christ, both as to the Di
vine FROM WHICH [ARE ALL THINGS],
and also as to the Divine Human ;
since the Itself, which is Love itself and
Wisdom itself, was a soul to Him from
the Father ; thus the divine life, which
is life in itself. It is otherwise in eve
ry man ; in him the soul is not life, but
a recipient of life. The Lord also
teaches this, saying, J am the way, the
truth, and the Life ; and in another
place, As the Father hath life in
himself, so also hath he given to the
Son to have life in himself, John
v. 26. Life in Himself is God. To
this they added, that those who are in
any spiritual light, may perceive from
these things, that the Divine Esse, be
cause it is One, the Same, the Itself,
and thence Indivisible, cannot be in
several ; and that, if it should be said
to be, manifest contradictions would
result. 26. AVhen I had heard these things,
the angels perceived in my thought the
common ideas ofthe Christian church,
concerning a trinity of persons in uni
ty, and their unity in the trinity relat
ing to God ; and also concerning the
birth of the Son of God from eternity ;
and then they said, " What are you
thinking? Do you not derive those
thoughts from natural light, with which
our spiritual light does not agree?
Wherefore, unless you remove them
from your mind, we shut heaven to you,
and depart." But then I said, " Enter,
I beseech you, more deeply into my
thought, and perhaps you will see an
agreement." They did so, and saw
that, by three persons, I understood
three proceeding divine attributes,
which are Creation, Redemption,

and Regeneration; and that those
are attributes of one God ; and that, by
the birth of the Son of God from eter
nity, I understood his birth foreseen
from eternity, and provided in time;
and that it is not above what is natu
ral and rational, but contrary to what
is natural arid rational, to conceive that
any Son was born of God from eterni
ty ; but not so, to conceive that the
Son, born of God by the Virgin Mary
in time, is the only, and the only be
gotten ; and that to believe otherwise
is an enormous error. And then I
told them that my natural thought
concerning the trinity of persons and
their unity, and concerning the birth
of a Son of God from eternity, was from
the doctrine of faith of the church,
which has its name from Athanasius.
Then the angels said, " Well." And
they requested me to say from their
mouth, that if any one does not ap
proach the very God of heaven and
earth, he cannot come into heaven, be
cause heaven is heaven from Him, the
only God, and that this God is Jesus
Christ, who is the Lord Jehovah, from
eternity Creator, in time Redeemer,
and to eternity Regenerator ; thus
who is the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit ; and that this is the gos
pel, which is to be preached. After
these things, the heavenly light, which
was before seen, returned over the
opening, and, by degrees, descended
thence, and filled the interiors of my
mind, and illustrated my ideas con
cerning the trinity and unity of God.
And then I saw the ideas, which I had
at first entertained concerning them,
and which were merely natural, sepa
rated, as chaff is separated from wheat
by winnowing, and carried away, as
by a wind, to the northern region of
heaven, and there dispersed.

CONCERNING THE INFINITY OF GOD, OR HIS IMMENSITY AND
ETERNITY.
27. There are two things peculiar and the other is Time ; and because
to the natural world, which cause all that world was created by God, and
things there to be finite : one is Space, spaces and times were created to'geth-

Concerning the Infinity of God.

23

er with that world, and make it finite,
therefore, it is proper to treat of their
two beginnings, which are Immensity
and Eternity; for the immensity of
God has relation to spaces, and his
eternity, to times ; and his Infinity
comprehends both immensity and eter
nity. But because infinity transcends
what is finite, and the knowledge of it
a finite mind, therefore, that it may in
some manner be perceived, it is expe
dient to treat of it in this series : I.
That God is infinite, since He is and
exists in Himself, and all things in the
universe are and exist from Him. II.
That God is infinite, since He was be
fore the world, thus before spaces and
times arose. Ill- That God, since the
world teas made, is in space without
space, and in time without time. IV.
That infinity, in relation to spaces, is
called immensity, and in relation to
times, is called eternity; and that,
although there are these relations, still
there is nothing of space in his im
mensity, and nothing of time in his
eternity. V. That enlightened rea
son, from very many things in the
world, may see the infinity of God the
Creator. VI. That every created
thing is finite, and that the infinite is
infinite things, as in its receptacles, and
in men as in its images. But these
things shall be explained one by one.
28. I. That God is infinite,
since He is and exists in Him
self, and all Things in the Uni
verse are and exist from Him.
It has already been shown, that God
is One, and that He is the It
self, and that He is the first Esse of
all things, and that all things which
are, exist, and subsist in the universe,
are from Him ; thence it follows, that
He is infinite. That human reason
may see this from very many things in
the created universe, will be demon
strated in the sequel. But, although
the human mind, from those things,
may acknowledge, that the first Being,
or the first Esse, is infinite, still it can
not know what that is, and, therefore,
it cannot define it otherwise, than that
it is the Infinite All, and that it sub
sists in itself, and thence that it is the

very and the only Substance, and, be.
cause nothing is predicable of a sub
stance, unless it be a form, that it ia
the very and the only Form. But still
what are these things? It does not
thus appear what the Infinite is; for
the human mind, however highly ana
lytical and elevated, is itself finite,
and what is finite in it cannot be re
moved ; wherefore, it is by no means
capable of seeing the infinity of God,
as it is in itself, thus God ; but it may
see Him in the shade behind, as it was
said to Moses, while he prayed to see
God, that he was put in the hole of
a rock, and saw his back parts, Exod.
xxxiii. 20 to 28. By the back parts of
God are meant the things visible in
the world, and, in particular, the things
perceptible in the Word. Hence it
appears, that it is vain to wish to know
what God is in his esse or in his sub
stance ; but that it is enough to ac
knowledge Him from finite, that is
created things, in which He is infinite
ly. Whosoever is anxious to know-
more, may be compared to a fish drawn
out into the air, or to a bird put into
the receiver of an air-pump, which, as
the air is pumped out, gasps for breath,
and at last expires. He may also be
compared to a ship, which, when it
is overcome by a tempest, and does not
obey the rudder, is carried upon the
rocks and quicksands. So it is with
those who wish to know the infinity of
God from within, not contented that
they may acknowledge it from without,
from manifest tokens. It is related of
a certain philosopher amongst the an
cients, that he cast himself into the sea,
because he could not see, in the light of
his mind, or comprehend, the eternity
of the world ; what would he have
done, if he had desired to comprehend
the infinity of God ?
29. II. That God is infinite,
since He was before the World,
thus bef.ore Spaces and Times
arose. In the natural world, there are
times and spaces, but in the spir
itual world, not so actually, but
still apparently. The reason why
times and spaces were introduced

24

Concerning God the Creator.

into the worlds, was, that one thing
might be distinguished from another,
great from small, many from few ; thus
quantity from quantity, and so qualify
from quality ; and that, by means of
them, the senses ofthe body might be
able to distinguish their objects, and
the senses of the mind theirs, and thus
might be affected, think and choose.
Times were introduced into the natu
ral world by the rotation of the earth
about its axis, and by the progression
of those rotations, from station to sta
tion, along the zodiac ; while these
changes appear to be made by the sun,
from which the whole terraqueous
globe derives its heat and light.
Thence are the times of the day, which
are morning, noon, evening and night;
and the times of the year, which are
spring, summer, autumn, and winter;
the times of days, according to light and
darkness, and the times of years, ac
cording to heat and cold. But spaces
were introduced into the natural world,
by the earth's being formed into a
globe, and filled with various kinds of
matter, the parts of which were distin
guished from each other, and at the
same time extended. But in the spir
itual world, there are not material
spaces, and times corresponding with
them; but still there are appearances
of them, which appearances are ac
cording to the differences ofthe states,
in which are the minds of spirits and
angels there; wherefore, times and
spaces there conform themselves to the
affections of their will, and thence to
the thoughts of their understanding;
but those appearances are real, be
cause constant, according to their
state. The common opinion concern
ing the state of souls after death, and
thence also of angels and spirits, is, that
they are not in any extense, and, con
sequently, not in space and time; ac
cording to which idea, it is said of
souls after death, that they are in an
undetermined somewhere, and that
spirits and angels are aerial beings
[pncumata], of which no other idea is
entertained, than as of ether, air, va
por, or wind ; when, nevertheless, they
are substantial men, and live together,

like men of the natural world, upon
spaces and in times, which, as was
said, are determined according to the
states of their minds. If it were not
so, that is, if there were no spaces and
times, that whole world, where souls
are gathered after death, and where
spirits and angels dwell, might be
drawn through the eye of a needle, or
concentrated upon the point of a sin
gle hair. This would be possible, if
there were no substantial extense
there ; but since this is there, there
fore angels dwell as separately and dis
tinctly from each other, yea, more dis
tinctly, than men who have a mate
rial extense. But times there are not
distinguished into days, weeks, months
and years, because the sun there does
not appear to rise and set, nor to re
volve, but it remains stationary in the
east, in the middle degree between the
zenith and the horizon. They also
have spaces, because all tilings in that
world are substantial, as in the natu
ral world they are material ; but con
cerning these things, more will be said
in the Lemma of this chapter concern
ing Creation. From what has been
said above, it may be comprehended,
that spaces and times make finite all
and every thing in both worlds, and
thence that men are finite, not only as
to their bodies, but also as to their
souls ; and in like manner angels and
spirits. From all these things it may
be concluded, that God is infinite, that
is, not finite ; because He, as the Cre
ator, Maker and Former of the uni
verse, made all things finite ; and He
made them finite by means of his sun,
in the midst of which He is, and which
consists of the divine essence, which
proceeds as a sphere from Him. There
and thence is the first of finiteness, and
its progression extends even to ulti
mates in the nature of the world. It
follows, that He in Himself is infinite,
because He is uncreated. But what
is infinite appears to man as not any
thing, because man is finite, and
thinks from what is finite ; wherefore,
if what is finite which adheres to his
thought, were taken away, it would
seem to him as if the residue were not

Concerning the Infinity of God.

25

any thing ; yet the truth is, that God
is infinitely all, and that man, respect
ively, is of himself not any thing.
30. III. That God, since the
World was made, is in Space
without Space, and in Time with
out Time.
That God, and the Divine which
proceeds immediately from him, is
not in space, although he is om
nipresent, and with every man in
the world, and with every angel
in heaven, and with every spirit
under heaven, cannot be compre
hended by a merely natural idea,
but it may, in some degree, by a spirit
ual idea. The reason why it cannot
be comprehended by a merely natural
idea, is because in that idea there is
space ; for it is formed from such
things as are in the world, in all and
in every one of which, that is visible
to the eye, there is space : every thing
great and small there is of space ; eve
ry thing long, broad and high there is
of space ; in a word, every measure,
figure, and form there is of space. But
still man may, in some degree, com
prehend this by natural thought, pro
vided he admit into it something of
spiritual light. But, in the first place,
something shall be said concerning an
idea of spiritual thought ; this derives
nothing from space, but it derives its
all from state. State is predicated of
love, of life, of wisdom, of affections,
of joys, in general of good and truth ;
a truly spiritual idea concerning those
things has nothing in common with
space ; it is above, and looks down upon
the ideas of space under it, as heaven
looks down upon the earth The rea
son why God is present hi space with
out space, and in time without time, is
because God is always the same from
eternity to eternity ; thus such before
the world was created as after it ; and
in God, and in the sight of God, there
were no spaces nor times before crea
tion, but after it ; wherefore, because
He is the same, He is in space with
out space, and in time without time:
thence it follows that nature is sepa
rate from Him, and yet He is omni
present in it; scarcely otherwise than as

life is in every substantial and material
part of man, although it does not min
gle itself with them ; comparatively as
light in the eye, sound in the ear, taste
in the tongue, or as ether in the land
and water, by means of which the terra
queous globe is held together, and made
to revolve, and so on ; and if these agents
should be taken away, the substantial
and material subjects would in a mo
ment fall to pieces or be destroyed ;
yea, the human mind, if God were not
every where and at all times present in
it, would be dissipated, like a bubble
in the air, and both spheres of the
brain, in which it acts from its princi
ples, would go off into froth, and thus
every thing human would become dust
of the earth, or an odor flying in the
atmosphere. Since God is in all time
without time, therefore, in his Word, He
speaks ofthe past, and of the future, in
the present, as in Isaiah ; A Child is born
to us ; a Son is given to us, whose name
is Hero, the Prince of Peace, ix. 6;
and in David; I will announce concern
ing the statute, Jehovah said to mr-,
Thou art my Son; to-day have I begot
ten Thee, Psalm ii. 7. These words are
concerning the Lord, who was about to
come : wherefore it is also said in the
same, A thousand years in thy sight
are as yesterday, Psalm xc. 4. That
God is every where present in the
whole world, and yet not any thing
proper to the world is in Him, that is,
not any thing which is of space and
time, may be clearly seen from very
many other passages in the Word, by
those who see and search, as from this
passage in Jeremiah : Am not la God
at hand, and not a God afar off?
Will a man be hidden in coverts, that 1
may not see him ? Do not I fill all
heaven and all the earth? xxiii.
23, 24.
31. IV. That the Infinity of
God in Relation to Spaces is call
ed Immensity, and in Relation to
Times it is called Eternity ; and
that, although there are these
Relations, still there is Nothing
of Space in His Immensity, and
Nothing of Time in His Eter
nity.

26

Concerning God the Creator.

That the infinity of God, in relation
to spaces, is called immensity, is because
immense is predicated of whatsoever is
great and large, and also of what is ex
tended, and in this of what is spacious.
But that the infinity of God, in relation
to times, is called eternity, is because
the phrase "to eternity" is predicat
ed of things progressive without end,
which are measured by times ; as for
example, the things which are of space
are predicated of the terraqueous globe
viewed in itself; and the things which
are of time are predicated of its rota
tion and progression ; the latter also
make times, and the former make
spaces ; and they are thus presented by
the senses in the perception of reflect
ing minds. But in God there is noth
ing of space and time, as was shown
above; and yet their beginnings are from
God ; thence it follows, that his infin
ity, in relation to spaces, is meant by
immensity ; and his infinity, in rela
tion to times, is meant by eternity.
But in heaven, the angels understand
by the immensity of God, his Divinity
as to Esse, and by eternity, his Divin
ity as to Existere ; and also by im
mensity, the Divinity as to love, and
by eternity, the Divinity as to wisdom.
The reason is, because the angels ab
stract spaces and times from the Di
vinity, and then those notions result.
But since man cannot think otherwise
than from ideas derived from such
things as are of space and time, he
cannot perceive any thing concerning
the immensity of God before spaces,
and of his eternity before times ; yea,
if he wishes to perceive them, it is as
if his mind were falling into a swoon ;
almost like one, who, having fallen into
the water, is in the state of drowning, or
like one, in an earthquake, on the eve
of being overwhelmed; yea, if he should
persist in penetrating into those things
he might easily fall into a delirium, and
from this be led to a denial of God. I
also was once in a similar state, while
thinking what God was from eternity,
what he did before the world was cre
ated ; whether he deliberated concern
ing creation, and contrived the plan of

it; whether deliberate thought weie
possible in a pure vacuum ; beside other
vain things. But lest, by such things,
I should become delirious, I was ele
vated by the Lord into the sphere and
light in which the interior angels are ;
and, after the idea of space and time,
in which my thought was before, was
there a little removed, it was given me
to comprehend, that the eternity of God
is not an eternity of time, and that
because time was not before the world,
it was utterly vain to think such things
concerning God ; and also because the
Divine from eternity, thus abstracted
from all time, does not involve days,
years and ages, but that all these are
to God an instant, I concluded, that the
world was created by God, not in time,
but that times were introduced by God
with creation. To these things I shall
add this memorable circumstance :
There appear, at one extremity of the
spiritual world, two statues, in a mon
strous human form, with their mouths
wide open, and their jaws dilated, by
which those seem to themselves to be
devoured, who think vain and foolish
things concerning God from eternity ;
but they are the fantasies, into which
those cast themselves, who think ab
surdly and improperly concerning God
before the world was created.
32. V. That enlightened Rea
son, from very many Things in the
World, may see the Infinity of
God. Some things shall be enumerated,
from which human reason may see the
infinity of God, which are, I. That in
the created universe there are not two
things which are the same : that such
identity does not exist in simultaneous
things, human learning, by means of
human reason, has seen and proved ;
and yet the substantial and material
things in the universe, considered indi
vidually, are infinite in number. And
that there is not an identity of two ef
fects in things which are successive in
the world, may be concluded from the
rotation of the earth, in that its eccen
tricity at the poles causes that not
any thing should ever return the same

Concerning the Infinity of God.

27

That it is so, is evident from hu
man faces, in that throughout the
whole world there is not any one
face altogether similar, or the same
with another, neither can there be to
eternity ; this infinite variety could not
by any means exist, but from the infin
ity of God the Creator. II. That the
mind of one is never exactly similar to
that of another; wherefore it is said, ma
ny men, many minds ; consequently the
will and the understanding of one is
never exactly similar and the same with
those of another ; hence, also, neither is
the speech of one, as to the sound and
as to the thought whence it proceeds,
nor his action, as to the gesture and
as to the affection, exactly similar to
that of another ; from which infinite
variety, also, the infinity of God the
Creator may be seen as in a mirror.
III. That there is a kind of immensity
and eternity innate in every seed, as
well of animals as of vegetables ; an
immensity, in that it may be multiplied
to infinity ; and an eternity, in that
such multiplication has continued hith
erto, without interruption, from the cre
ation of the world, and may continue
perpetually. From the animal king
dom take, for example, the fishes ofthe
sea, which, if they should multiply ac
cording to the abundance of their seed,
within 20 or 30 years would fill the
ocean so that it would consist of fish
only ; thence the water of it would over
flow and thus destroy all the earth ;
but, lest this should take place, it was
provided by God that one fish should
be food for another. It is similar with
the seeds of vegetables ; if as many of
them, as annually arise from one, should
be planted, within 20 or 30 years they
would cover the surface not only of
one earth, but also of several ; for there
are shrubs of which every single seed
produces a hundred and a thousand
others. Try it by calculation, multiply
ing the product of one, successively,
into 20 or 30, and you will see. From
both cases, of vegetables and animals,
the divine immensity and eternity, from
which a resemblance cannot but be
produced, may be seen as in a common

face. IV. The infinity of God may
appear to the eye of enlightened rea
son, from the infinity to which, every
science may grow, and thence the in
telligence and wisdom of every man ;
both of which may grow as a tree from
seeds, and as forests and gardens from
trees ; for there is no end of them ; the
memory of man is their ground, and
the understanding is where their ger
mination, and the will is where their
fructification, is effected; and these
two faculties, the understanding and
the will, are such that they may be
cultivated and perfected in the world
to the end of life, and afterwards to
eternity. V. The infinity of God the
Creator may also be seen from the in
finite number of stars, which are so
many suns ; and thence there are as
many worlds. That in the starry heav
en, also, there are earths, upon which
are men, beasts, birds and vegetables,
has been shown in a little work written
from things seen. VI. The infinity
of God appeared still more evident to
me, from the angelic heaven, and also
from hell, seeing that they are both of
them orderly divided and subdivided
into innumerable societies or congre
gations, according to all the varieties
of the love of good and evil, and that
every one obtains a place according to
his love ; for there all of the human
race, since the creation of the world,
are collected, and are to be col
lected, to ages of ages ; and that, al
though every one has his own place or
habitation, still all there are so joined
together, that the whole angelic heaven
represents one divine man, and all hell
one monstrous devil. From these two,
and from the infinite wonders in them,
the immensity, together with the omni
potence of God, is manifestly exhibited
to view. VII. Who also cannot per
ceive, if he elevates a little the rational
powers of his mind, that the life to
eternity, which every man has after
death, is not communicable but from
an eternal God. VIII. Besides those
things, there is a sort of infinity in
many things, which fall into natural
light and into spiritual light with man :

28

Concerning God. the Creator.

Into natural light — that there are vari
ous series in geometry which go on to
infinity ; that, between the three de
grees of altitude, there is a progress to
infinity, in that the first degree, which
is called natural, cannot be perfected
and elevated to the perfection of the
second degree, which is called spirit
ual, nor this to the perfection of the
third, which is called celestial. The
case is similar with respect to the end,
cause and effect ; as that the effect
cannot be perfected so that it may be
come as its cause, nor the cause, so
that it may become as its end. This
may be illustrated by" the atmospheres,
of which there are three degrees ; for
the highest is the aura; under this is the
ether ; and below this is the air ; and
no quality of the air can be elevated
to any quality of the ether, nor any of
this to any quality of the aura ; and
yet an elevation of perfections to infin
ity is possible in each. Into spiritual
light — that natural love, which is that
of a beast, cannot be elevated into
spiritual love, which, from creation,
\ as implanted in man: the case is
similar with the natural intelligence of
a beast, in relation to the spiritual intel
ligence of a man ; but these things,
because they are as yet unknown, will
be explained in another place. From
these things it is evident, that the uni
versal of the world are perpetual types
of the infinity of God the Creator ; but
in what manner particulars resemble
universals, and represent the infinity of
God, is an abyss ; and it is an ocean,
in which the human mind may, as it
were, sail ; but it must beware of the
tempest, arising from the natural man,
which may overwhelm the ship, with
the masts and sails, from the stern,
where the natural man stands confid
ing in himself.
33. VI. That every created
Thing is finite, and that the in
finite is in finite Things as in
Receptacles, and in Men as in its
Images. That every created thing is finite,
is because all things are from Jeho
vah God, by means of the sun of the
spiritual world, whicli proximately en

compasses Him ; and that sun is of
the substance which proceeded from
Him, the essence of which is love ; out
of that sun, by means of its heat and
light, the universe was created, from the
firsts to the lasts of it. But to explain
in order the progress of creation, does
not belong to this place : some scheme
of it will be given in the following
pages. It is important here only to
know, that one thing was formed from
another, and that thence were made
degrees, three in the spiritual world,
and three, corresponding to them, in the
natural world, and as many in the quies
cent things of which the terraqueous
globe consists. But whence and what
those degrees are, has been fully
explained in the Angelic Wisdom
Concerning the Divine Love and
the Divine Wisdom, published at
Amsterdam in the year 1763; and in a
small treatise concerning The Inter
course of the Soul and Body, pub
lished at London in the year 1769. —
It is by means of these degrees, that all
posterior things are receptacles of prior
things, and these of things still prior,
and thus in order receptacles ofthe prim
itives of which the sun ofthe angelic heav
en consists, and thus that finite things
are receptacles ofthe infinite. This also
coincides with the wisdom of the an
cients, according to which all and every
thing is divisible to infinity. The com
mon idea is, that, because what is finite
does not comprehend what is infinite,
finite things cannot be receptacles of
the infinite. But, from those things
which are said in my works concern
ing the creation, it is evident that God
first made his infinity finite, by sub
stances emitted from Himself, from
which exists his proximate encompass
ing sphere, which makes the sun ofthe
spiritual world ; and that afterwards, by
means of that sun, He perfected other
encompassing spheres, even to the last,
which'consists of things quiescent ; and
that thus, by means of degrees, He made
the world finite more and more. These
things are adduced in order that human
reason may be satisfied, which does not
rest unless it see the cause.

Concerning the Infinity of God.

2Q

34. That the Infinite Divine is in
men, as in its images, is evident from
the Word, where this is read : At
length God said, Let us make man in
our image, after our likeness ; therefore
God created man into his own image,
into the image of God He created him,
Gen. i. 26, 27 : from which it follows,
that man is an organ recipient of God,
and that he is an organ according to
the quality of reception. The human
mind, from which aud according to
which man is man, is formed into three
regions, according to three degrees : in
the first degree, it is celestial, in which
also are the angels of the highest heav
en ; in the second degree, it is spiritual,
in which also are the angels of the
middle heaven ; and in the third de
gree, it is natural, in which also are
the angels ofthe lowest heaven. The
human mind, organized according to
those three degrees, is a receptacle of
the divine, influx; but still the Divine
flows in no further than as man prepares
the way, or opens the door ; if he does
this even to the highest, or celestial
degree, then man becomes truly an
image of God, and after death he be
comes an angel of the highest heaven ;
but if he prepares the way, or opens
the door, only to the middle or spiritual
degree, then, indeed, man becomes an
image of God, but not in that perfec
tion, and after death he becomes an
angel of the middle heaven ; but if he
prepares the way, or opens the door,
only to the lowest or natural degree,
then man, if he acknowledges a God,
and worships him with actual piety, be
comes an image of God in the lowest
degree, and after death he becomes an
angel of the lowest heaven. But if he
does not acknowledge a God, and does
not worship him with actual piety, he
puts off the image of God, and becomes
like an animal, except that he enjoys
the faculty of understanding and thence
of speech. If he then shuts up the
highest natural degree, which corre
sponds to the highest celestial, he be
comes, as to love, like a beast of the
earth ; but if he shuts up the middle
natural degree, which corresponds to
the middle spiritual, he becomes, as to

love, like a fox, and as to the sight of
the understanding, like a bird of the
evening : but if he also shuts up the
lowest natural degree, as to its spiritual
part, he becomes, as to love, like a wild
beast, and as to the understanding of
truth, like a fish. The divine life which,
by influx from the sun of the angelic
heaven, actuates man, may be compar
ed with the light from the sun of the
world, and with the influx of it into a
transparent object ; the reception of
life in the highest degree, with the in
flux of light into a diamond ; the
reception of life in the second degree,
with the influx of light into a crystal ;
and the reception of life in the lowest
degree, with the influx of light into
glass, or into a transparent membrane ;
but if this degree, as to its spiritual
.part, be entirely shut up, which is done
when God is denied and Satan is wor
shipped, the reception of life from God
may be compared with the influx of
light into the opaque things of the earth,
as into rotten wood, or into the turf of a
bog, or into dung, &c. ; for man then
becomes a spiritual carcass.

35. To the above I shall add this
Relation. I was once in great
astonishment at the vast multitude of
men, who ascribe creation, and thence
all things which are under the sun,
and all things which are above the
sun, to nature ; saying, from an ac
knowledgment of the heart, when they
see any thing, " Is not this of nature?"
And when they are asked, why they
say that those things are of nature, ana
why not of God, when, nevertheless,
they sometimes say, with the rest of
the world, that God created nature,
and thence they may just as well say,
that those things which they see are
of God, as that they are of nature,
they answer with an internal tone
scarcely audible, " What is God but
nature 1" All such, from the persuasion
of the creation of the universe by na
ture, and from that insanity as from
wisdom, appear so elated, that they
look upon all who acknowledge the
oeation of the universe by God, as

so

Concerning God the Creator.

ants which creep upon the ground, and
tread the beaten path, and upon some
as butterflies, which fly in the air, call
ing their opinions dreams, 1; jcause they
see what they do not ste, saying, " Who
has seen God, and who does not see
nature." Wide I was in astonishment
at the multitude. of such persons, an
angel stood at my side, and said to
me, " What are you meditating about ?"
and I replied, " About the multitude of
such persons as believe that nature is
of itself, and thus the creator of the
universe." And the angel said to me,
" All hell is of such, and they are called
there satans and devils ; satans, who
have confirmed themselves in favor of
nature, and thence have denied God ;
devils, who have lived wickedly, and
thus have rejected from their hearts all
acknowledgment of God. But I will
conduct you to the gymnasiums, which
are in the south-western quarter, where
such are, who are not yet in hell." And
he took me by the hand, and led me
along ; and I saw small houses, in which
were gymnasiums, and, in the midst of
them, one which was like a palace
to the rest : it was built of pitch-color
ed stones, which were covered with
little plates, as of glass, sparkling as it
were with gold and silver, like those
which are called selenites, or stones
used instead of glass; and here and
there were interspersed glittering shells.
Hither we came, and knocked ; and
presently one opened the door and said,
"Welcome;" and he ran to the table.and
brought four books, and said, "These
books are the wisdom which is at this
day applauded by many kingdoms ;
this book, or wisdom, is applauded by
many in France ; this, by many in Ger
many ; this, by some in Holland ; and
this,by some in Britain :" he said, more
over, "If you wish to see it, I will make
these books shine before your eyes ;"
and then he poured forth and around
the glory of his fame, and the books
instantly shone as from light, but this
light, before our eyes, immediately
vanished ; and then we asked what
he was now writing; and he replied,
that he was producing, and bring
ing forth from his treasures, things

which are of inmost wisdom, which ir.
a summary are these: I. Whether
nature be of life, or whether life
be of nature. ii. whether the cen
tre be of the expanse, or whether
the expanse be of the centre.
III. Concerning the centre of
THE EXPANSE AND OF LIFE. Hav
ing said this, he placed himself again
upon the seat at the table, but we walk
ed in his gymnasium, which was spa
cious. He had a candle upon the table,
because the light of the sun was not
there, but the nocturnal light of the
moon ; and what appeared to me won
derful, the candle seemed to be carried
round about there, and to give light ;
but because it had not been snuffed, it
gave but little light. And when he
wrote, we saw images in various forms,
flying from the table to the walls, which,
in that nocturnal light of the moon,
appeared like beautiful Indian birds ;
but when we opened the door, they
appeared, in the day-light of the sun,
like those birds of the evening, which
have wings of network ; for they were
appearances of truth, which, by con
firmations, became fallacies, which had
been ingeniously connected by him in
a series. After we had seen them, we
came up to the table, and asked him
what he was now writing. He said,
concerning the first question : Wheth
er NATURE BE OF LIFE, OR WHETHER
LIFE BE OF nature ; and of this he
said that he could confirm both sides,
and cause them to be true; but
because something was concealed
within, which he feared, he durst con
firm only this, That nature is of life,
that is, from life, and not That life is
of nature, that is, from nature. We
asked him, courteously, what it was
that was concealed within, which he
feared. He replied, that it was that
he should be called by the clergy a
naturalist, and thus an atheist, and by
the laity a man of unsound reason,
since both the former and the latter,
either believe from a blind faith, or see
from the sight of those who confirm it.
But then, from an indignation of zeal
for the truth, we addressed him, saying,
" Friend, you are very much deceived;

Concerning the Infinity of God.

3J

your wisdom, which is an ingenuity of
writing, has seduced you, and the glory
of fame has induced you to confirm
what you do not believe. Do you
not know, that the human mind is
capable of being elevated above the
sensual things, which are in the
thoughts, from the senses of the body,
and that when it is elevated, it sees
those things which are of life above,
and those things which are of nature
below ? What else is life, but love and
wisdom ? and what else is nature but
their receptacle, by which they may
produce their effects or uses ? Can these
be one, except as the principal and
instrumental are so? Can light be one
with the eye, or sound with the ear?
Whence are the sensations of these but
from life ? whence their forms, but from
nature ? What is the human body
but an organ of life? Is not all, and
every thing there, organically formed
for producing those things which the
love wills, and the understanding
thinks? Are not the organs of the
body from nature, and love and thought
from life? And are not these entirely
distinct from each other ? Elevate the
keen sight of your genius yet a little
higher, and you will see that it is of
life to be affected and to think, and
that it is of love to be affected, and of
wisdom to think, and both are of life;
for, as was said, love and wisdom are
life. If you elevate the faculty of un
derstanding a little higher still, you will
see, that love and wisdom could not
exist, unless they had an origin some
where, and that their origin is Love
itself, and Wisdom itself, and thence
Life itself; and these are God from
whom nature is." Afterwards we con
versed with him about the second,
Whether the expanse be of the
centre, or whether the centre
be op the expanse ; and we asked
him why he canvassed this. He re
plied, to the end that he might con
clude concerning the centre, and the
expanse of nature, and of life ; and
thus concerning the origin of the one
and the other. And when we asked
him what was his opinion, he replied
concerning these, just as before, that

he could confirm both sides, but that,
for fear of the loss -of fame, he would
confirm that the expanse is of the cen
tre, that is, from the centre ; " although
I know, that before the sun, there may
have been something, and this every
where in the expanse ; and that this,
from itself, flowed together into order,
thus into the centre." But then we
again- addressed him, from an indignan'.
zeal, and said, "Friend, you are beside
yourself." And when he heard this, he
drew back the seat from the table, and
looked timidly at us, and then listened,
but smiling : we, however, continued
the discourse by saying, "What is more
indicative of insanity than to say that
the centre is from the expanse? By
your centre, we understand the sun,
and by your expanse, we understand
the universe; and thus that the uni
verse may have existed without the
sun. Does not the sun make nature,
and all its properties, which depend
solely on the light and heat proceeding
from the sun, through the atmospheres?
Where these are, we have said before ;
but whence they are, we will say in the
following discussion. Are not the at
mospheres, and all things which are
upon the earth as surfaces, and the
sun as their centre ? What would all
those things be without the sun ? Could
they subsist a moment? How, then,
could all those things have existed De-
fore the sun ? Is not subsistence per
petual existence ? Since, therefore, the
subsistence of all things of nature is
from the sun, it follows, that the exist
ence of all things is so too. Every
one sees this, and from his own per
ception acknowledges it. Does not
what is posterior subsist also, as well
as exist, from what is prior ? If the
surface were prior, and the centre pos
terior, would not the prior subsist from
the posterior, which yet is contrary to
the laws of order ? How can posterior
things produce prior, or exterior, in
terior, or grosser, purer? Thence, how
can surfaces, which make the expanse,
produce the centre? Who does not
see that this is contrary to the laws of
nature? We have adduced these ar
guments from the analysis of reason,

32

Concerning God the Creator.

to prove that the expanse exists from
the centre, and not the centre from
the expanse, although every one, who
thinks justly, sees this without those
arguments. You said that the expanse
flowed together into the centre from
itself; did it by chance flow thus into
such wonderful and stupendous order,
that one thing is for the sake of another,
and all and every thing for the sake of
man and his eternal life? Can nature,
from any love, by any wisdom, intend
ends, provide causes, and thus produce
effects, that such things may exist in
their order ? Can nature make angels
of men, and a heaven of angels, and
cause those who are there to live for
ever? Propose and consider these
things, and your idea concerning the
existence of nature from nature will
fall." After this, we asked him what
he had thought, and what he then
thought, concerning the third, Con
cerning THE CENTRE AND THE EX
PANSE OF NATURE AND OF LIFE J wheth
er he believed, that the centre and the
expanse of life is the same with the
centre and the expanse of nature.
He said that he hesitated, and that he
formerly thought, that the interior ac
tivity of nature was life, and that love
and wisdom, which essentially make
the life of man, were thence ; and that
the fire of the sun, by heat and light,
through the medium of the atmos
pheres, produced it ; but that now,
from what he had heard concerning
the life of men after death, he was in
doubt; and that this doubt carried his
mind sometimes upwards, and some
times downwards ; and when upwards,
he acknowledged a centre, of which he
before had not known any thing ; and
when downwards, he saw the centre,
which he believed the only one, and
that life was from the centre, of which
he before had not known any thing,
and that nature was from the centre,
which he before believed to be the only
one, and that each centre had an ex
panse around it. To this we said,
" Well ;" if he would only look also at
the centre and the expanse of nature,
from the centre and the expanse of life,
and not conversely. And we instructed

him that, above the angelic heaven,
there is a" sun, which is pure love, to ap
pearance fiery, as the sun of the world ;
and that from the heat which proceeds,
from that sun, angels and men have will
and love, and that from the light thence,
they have understanding and wisdom ;
and that those things which are thence,
are called spiritual; and that those
things, which proceed from the sun of
the world , are containers or receptacles
of life, and are called natural; then,
that the expanse of the centre of life
is called the Spiritual World, which
subsists from its sun : and that the ex
panse ofthe centre of nature is called
the Natural World, which subsists
from its sun. Now, because spaces
and times cannot be predicated of love
and wisdom, but instead of them, states,
it follows, that the expanse around the
sun of the angelic heaven, is not an
extense, but still in the extense of the
natural sun, and with the living sub
jects there according to reception, and
the reception is according to forms and
states. But then he asked, "Whence is
the fire of the sun of the world, or of
nature 1" We replied, that it is from
the sun of the angelic heaven, which
is not fire, but divine love proximately
proceeding from God, who is in the
midst of it ; and because he wondered
at this, we demonstrated it thus: "Love,
in its essence, is spiritual fire ; thence
it is, that fire, in the Word, in its spir
itual sense, signifies love ; wherefore
priests in the temples pray, that heaven
ly fire may fill the hearts, by which they
mean love. The fire of the altar, and
the fire ofthe candlestick, in the tab
ernacle, amongst the Israelites, rep
resented no other than the divine
love. The heat of the blood, or the
vital heat of men, and of animals
in general, is from no other source
than from the love which makes their
life; thence it is, that man is enkin
dled, grows warm, and is inflamed,
whilst his love is exalted to zeal, or
excited to anger and indignation.
Wherefore from this, that spiritual heat,
which is love, produces natural heat
with men, to such a degree that it en
kindles their faces and limbs, it may

Concerning the Essence of God.

33

be evident, that the fire of the natural
sun existed from no other source, than
from the fire of the spiritual sun, which
is Divine Love. Now, because the
expanse arises from the centre, and
not the centre from the expanse, as
Ae said above, and the centre of life,
which is the sun ofthe angelic heaven,
is the Divine Love, proximately pro
ceeding from God, who is in the midst
of that sun ; and because the expanse
of that centre, which is called the

spiritual world, is thence , and Decause
the sun of the world existed from t>~at
sun, and from this, its expanse, which
is called the natural world, it is mani
fest, that the universe was created by
God." After this we departed, and he
accompanied us out of the court of his
gymnasium, and talked with us con
cerning heaven and hell, and concern
ing the divine auspices, with new
sagacity of genius.

CONCERNING THE ESSENCE OF GOD, WHICH IS DIVINE LOVE AND
DIVINE WISDOM.

36. We have distinguished between
the Esse of God and the Essence
of God, because there is a distinc
tion between the infinity of God
and the love of God ; and infinity is
applicable to the Esse of God, and love
to the Essence of God ; for the Esse of
God, as was said above, is more uni
versal than the Essence of God : in
like manner, the infinity is more uni
versal than the love of God ; where
fore, infinite is an adjective belonging
to the essentials and attributes of God,
all which are called infinite ; as it is
said ofthe Divine Love, that it is infi
nite, of the Divine Wisdom, that it is
infinite, and of the Divine Power, in
like manner ; not that the Esse of God
existed before, but because it enters
into the Essence, as an adjunct, coher
ing with, determining, forming, and, at
the same time, elevating it. But this
member of this chapter, like the for
mer, shall be divided into the following
articles : I. That God is Love itself
and Wisdom itself, and that these two
make his Essence. II. That God is
Good itself and Truth itself;, because
Good is of, Love, and Truth is of
Wisdom. III. That Love itself and
Wisdom itself are Life itself, which
is Life in itself. IV. That Love and
Wisdom, in God, make one. V. That
the Essence of Love is, to love others
out of itself, to desire to be one with
them., and to make them happy from it
self. VI. .That these properties of the
5

Divine Love were the cause of the cre
ation of the universe, and that they are
the cause of its preservation. But of
these one by one.
37. I. That God is Love itself
and Wisdom itself, and that
these two make hls essence.
That love and wisdom are the two
essentials, to which all the infinite
things which are in God, and which
proceed from Him, refer themselves,
the first antiquity saw ; but the
ages following successively, as they
withdrew their minds from heaven, and
immersed them in worldly and corpo
real things, could not see it ; for they
began not to know what love is, in its
essence, and thence what wisdom is, in
its essence ; not knowing that love, ab
stracted from form, cannot exist, and
that it operates in a form, and by a
form. Now, because God is the very,
and the only, and thus the first Sub
stance and Form, whose essence is love
and wisdom ; and because out of Him
all things were made, that were made ;
it follows, that He created the universe,
with all and every thing of it, out of
love by wisdom ; and that thence the
Divine Love, together -with the Divine
Wisdom, is in all and every created
subject. Love, moreover, is not only
the essence, which forms all things,
but it also unites and conjoins them,
and thus keeps them, when formed, in
connexion. These things may be il
lustrated by innumerable things in the

M

Concerning God the Creator.

world ; as by the heat and light from
tne sun, which are the two essentials
and universals, by means of which all
and every thing, upon the earth, exists
and subsists : these are there, because
they correspond to the Divine Love
and the Divine Wisdom ; for the heat,
which proceeds from the sun of the
spiritual world, in its essence, is love ;
and the light thence, in its essence, is
wisdom. They may also be illustrated
by the two essentials and universals, by
which human minds exist and subsist,
which are the will and the under
standing ; for of these two the mind
of every one consists ; and those two
are and operate in all and every thing
of it. The reason is, because the will
is the receptacle and habitation of love,
and the understanding, of wisdom ;
wherefore those two faculties corre
spond to the Divine Love and the Di
vine Wisdom, from which they origin
ate. Moreover, those same things may
be illustrated by the two essentials and
universals, by which human bodies ex
ist and subsist, which are the heart
and the lungs ; or the systole and
diastole of the heart, and the respira
tion of the lungs : that these two oper
ate in all and every thing there, is
known ; the reason is, because the
heart corresponds to love, and the lungs
to wisdom ; which correspondence
is fully demonstrated in the Angelic
Wisdom concerning the Divine
Love and Divine Wisdom, published
at Amsterdam. That love as the
bridegroom or husband, produces or
begets all forms, but by wisdom as
the bride or wife, may be proved by
innumerable things, both in the spirit
ual and the natural world; this only
is to be observed, that the whole an
gelic heaven is arranged into its form,
and preserved in it, from the Divine
Love by the Divine Wisdom. Those
who deduce the creation of the world
from any other source than from the
Divine Laye by the Divine Wisdom
and do not know that those two make
the Divine Essence, descend from the
sight of reason to the sight of the eye,
and kiss nature as the creator of the
universe, and thence conceive chime

ras, and bring forth phantoms ; they
think fallacies, reason from them, and
conclude eggs, in which are birds ol
night. Such cannot be called minds,
but eyes and ears without understand.
ing, or thoughts without a soul ; they
speak of colors, as if they existed with
out light, of the existence of trees, as
if without seed, and of all the things of
the world, as if without a sun ; since
they make derivatives, primitives, and
effects, causes ; and so they turn every
thing upside down, and lull to sleep the
powers of reason, and thus see dreams.
38. II. That God is Good itself
and Truth itself, because Good is
of Love, and Truth is of Wisdom. 1
It is universally known, that all
things refer themselves to good and
truth ; a proof that all things derived -
their existence from love and wisdom;
for all that proceeds from love is called
good — for this is sensibly perceived — ;
and the delight by which love mani
fests itself, is every one's good ; but all
that which proceeds from wisdom is
called truth — for wisdom consists of
nothing but truths, and affects its ob
jects with the pleasantness of light :
and this pleasantness, while it is per
ceived, is truth from good. Wherefore
love is the complex of all goodnesses,
and wisdom is the complex of all truths ;
but both the former and the latter are
from God, who is Love itself, and
thence Good itself, and Wisdom itself,
and thence Truth itself. Thence it
is, that in the church there are two es
sentials, which are called charity and
faith, of which all and every thing of
the church consists, and which will be
in all and every thing of it : the reason
is, because all the goods of the church
are of charity, and are called charity ; !
and all its truths are of faith, and are
called faith. The delights of love, :
which are also the delights of charity,
cause what is good to be called good;
and the pleasantness of wisdom, which
is also the pleasantness of faith, causes
what is true to be called true ; for de
lights and pleasantnesses make their;
life, and without life from them, goods
and truths are like inanimate things, and
they are also -(^ifruitful.- But the de-

Concerning the Essence of God.

35

lights of love are of two kinds, as are
also the pleasantnesses, which appear as
of wisdom ; for there are the delights
ofthe love of good, and the delights of
the love of evil, and thence there are
the pleasantnesses ofthe faith of truth,
and the pleasantnesses of the faith of
the false. Those two delights of love,
from the sensation of them in the sub
jects in which they are, are called
good ; and those two pleasantnesses of
faith, from the perception of them, are
also called good ; but because they are
in the understanding, they are no oth
er than true ; although they are oppo
site to each other ; and the good of one
love is good, and the good of the oth
er love is evil ; also the truth of one
faith is true, and the truth ofthe other
faith is false. But the love whose de
lights are essentially good, is like the
heat ofthe sun, fructifying, vivifying
and operating in fertile grounds, in use
ful plants, and fields of corn ; and where
it operates, there is produced, as it
were, a paradise, a garden of the Lord,
and, as it were, the land of Canaan ;
and the pleasantness of its truth is as
the light of the sun in the time of
spring, and as the influx of light into a
crystal vessel, in which are beautiful
flowers, and from which, when open
ed, there breathes forth a fragrant per
fume ; but the delight of the love of
evil is as the heat of the sun, parching,
killing, and operating in barren ground,
in noxious plants, as in thorns and bri
ers ; and where it operates, there is
produced a desert of Arabia, where are
hydras and venomous serpents ; and
the pleasantness of its false is as the
light of the sun in the time of winter,
and as light flowing into a bottle, in
which there are worms, swimming in
vinegar, and reptiles of a noisome
smell. It should be known, that every
good forms itself by truths, and also
clothes itself with them, and thus dis
tinguishes itself from other goods ; and
also, that the goods of one stock or
kind bind themselves into bundles,
and, at the same time, clothe them, and
thus distinguish themselves from oth
ers : that thus formations are effected, is
manifest from all and every thing in the

human body ; and that similar forma
tions are effected in the human mind,
is evident, because there is a perpetual
correspondence of all things of the
mind with all things of the body
Thence it follows, that the human
mind is organized, inwardlv, of spirit
ual substances, and outwardly, of nat
ural substances, and lastly of material
substances. The mind, the delights of
whose love are good, consists, inward
ly, of spiritual substances, such as are
in heaven ; but the mind, the delights
of whose love are evil, consists, inward
ly, of spiritual substances, such as are
in hell ; and the evils of the latter are
bound into bundles by falses, and the
goods of the former are bound into
bundles by truths. Since there are such
bindings of goods and evils into bun
dles, therefore the Lord says, That
the tares are to be bound together into
bundles, to be burnt, and in like man
ner all things that offend, Matt, xiii
30, 40, 41. John xv. 6,
39. III. That God, because He
is Love itself and Wisdom it
self, is Life itself, which is Life
in itself.
It is said in John, The Word was
with God, and the Word was God; in
Him was life, and the life was the light
of men, i. 1, 4. By God, there,
is meant the Divine Love, and by the
Word, the Divine Wisdom ; and Di
vine Wisdom is properly life, and life
is properly the light which proceeds
from the sun of the spiritual world, in
the midst of which is Jehovah God.
Divine Love forms life, as fire forms
light. There are two properties in
fire, that of burning, and that of shin
ing ; from its burning property pro
ceeds heat, and from its shining prop
erty proceeds light. In like manner,
there are two things in love ; one, to
which the burning property of fire cor
responds, which is something most in
timately affecting the will of man ; and
another, to which the shining property
of fire corresponds, which is something
most intimately affecting the under
standing of man. Thence man has
love and intelligence ; for, as has been
several times said above, from the sun

Concerning God the Creator.

of the spiritual world proceeds heat,
which, in its essence, is love ; and
light, which, in its essence, is wisdom ;
and those two flow into all and every
thing of the universe, and affect them
most intimately ; and with men, into
their will and understanding, which
two were created receptacles of the in
flux; the will, the receptacle of love,
and the understanding, the receptacle
of wisdom. Thence it is manifest, that
the life of man dwells in his under
standing, and that it is such as his wis
dom is, and that the love of the will
modifies it.
40. It is also read in John, As the
Father hath life in Himself, so hath
He given to the Son to have life in
Himself, v. 26 ; by which is meant,
that as the Divine, which was from
eternity, lives in itself, so also the Hu
man, which it assumed in time, lives
in- itself. Life in itself is the very
and the only life, from which all an
gels and men live. Human reason
may see this from the light which pro
ceeds from the sun of the natural
world, in that this is not creatable, but
that forms, receiving it, are created ;
for eyes are its recipient forms, and the
light, flowing in from the sun, causes
them to see. It is similar with life,
which, as was said, is the light pro
ceeding from the sun of the spiritual
world, that it is not creatable, but that it
flows in continually, and, as it enlight
ens, it also enlivens the understanding
of man ; consequently, that, because
light, life and wisdom are one, wisdom
is not creatable ; so neither is faith, nor
truth, nor love, nor charity, nor good ;
but that forms receiving them are cre
ated ; human and angelic minds are
those forms. Let every one, therefore,
be cautious how he persuades himself,
that he lives from himself; and also, that
he is wise, believes, loves, perceives
truth, and wills and does good from
himself; for so far as any one indulges
such a persuasion, he casts down his
mind from heaven to earth, and from
spiritual becomes natural, sensual, and
corporeal ; for he shuts up the superior
regions of his mind, whence he be
comes blind, as to all the things which

are of God and heaven and the churcli',
and then, all that he may by chance
think, reason and speak concerning
them, is done in foolishness because
in darkness, and then, at the same
time, he is confident that they are of
wisdom ; for when the superior regions
ofthe mind, where the true light of1
life dwells, are shut up, the region be
low them opens itself, into which only
the light of the world is admitted; and
this light separate from the light ofthe
superior regions, is a fallacious light
in which falses appear as truths, and
truths as falses, and reasoning from
falses as wisdom, and from truths as
madness ; and then he believes himself
to be endued with the keen sight of an
eagle, although he sees the things
which are of wisdom no more than a
bat sees in the light of day.
41. IV. That Love and Wisdom,
in God, make one.
Every wise man in the church
knows, that all the good of love and
charity is from God ; in like manner, ¦
all the truth of wisdom and faith : that j
it is so, human reason may also see, if
it only knows that the origin of love
and wisdom is from the sun of the spir
itual world, in the midst of which is
Jehovah God ; or, what is the same,
that it is from Jehovah God, through
the sun, which is round about Him; for
the heat proceeding from that sun, in
its essence, is love, and the light thence
proceeding, in its essence, is wisdonKl
thence it is manifest, as in clear day- ;
light, that love and wisdom, in that ori
gin, are one ; consequently in God,
from whom is the origin of that sun.
This may be illustrated, also, from the
sun ofthe natural world, which is pure
fire, in that heat proceeds from its
fiery property, and light proceeds from
the splendor of its fiery property ; and
thus that both are, in their origin, one.
But that they are divided in proceeding,
is evident from the subjects, some of
which receive more of heat, and some,
more of light : this is the case, especi
ally with men ; in them, the light of
life, which is intelligence, and the
heat of life, which is love, are divided;
which is done because man is to be

Concerning the Essence of God.

37

reformed and regenerated ; and this
cannot be done, unless the light of life,
which is intelligence, teaches him what
ought to be willed and loved. It should,
however, be known, that Goa is con
tinually operating the conjunction of
love and wisdom in man, but that man,
unless be looks to God. and believes in
Him, continually operates to effect
their division ; wherefore, as far as
those two, the good of love or charity,
and the truth of wisdom or faith, are
conjoined in man, so far man is an
image of God, and is elevated to heav
en, and into heaven, where the angels
are ; and, on the contrary, as far as
those two are divided by man, so far
he becomes an image of Lucifer and
the dragon, and is ' cast down from
heaven to earth, and then under the
earth into hell. From the conjunction
of those two, the state of man becomes
like the state of a tree in the time of
spring, when the heat conjoins itself
equally with the light ; whence it pro
duces buds, blossoms, and fruit ; but,
on the other hand, from the division of
those two, the state of man becomes
like the state of a tree in the time of
winter, when the heat recedes from the
light, whence it is stripped and divest
ed of all its foliage and verdure. When
spiritual heat, which is love, separates
itself from spiritual light, which is wis
dom, or, what is the same, charity
from faith, the man becomes like sour
and rotten ground, in which worms are
bred, and, if it produces shrubs, their
leaves are covered with lice, and are
consumed. For the allurements of the
love of evil, which, in themselves, are
concupiscences, burst forth, which the
understanding, instead of subduing and
restraining, loves, pampers and cher
ishes. In a word, to divide love and
wisdom, or charity and faith, which
two God continually endeavors to join
together, is comparatively like depriv
ing the face of its redness, whence
comes a death-like paleness ; or like
taking away the whiteness from the
redne°s, whence the face beomes like
a burning torch. It is like like dis
solving the marriage connection be
tween two partners and so making the

wife a harlot, and the husband an adul
terer ; for love, or charity, is as the
husband, and wisdom, or faith, is as
the wife ; and when those two are sep
arated, spiritual whoredom and adul
tery ensue, which are the falsification
of truth, and the adulteration of good.
42. Moreover, it should be known,
that there are three degrees of love and
wisdom, and thence three degrees of
life, and that the human mind, accord
ing to these degrees, is formed, as it
were, into regions, and that life, in the
highest region, is in the highest degree,
and in the second region, in a lower
degree, and. in the last region, in the
lowest degree. These regions are
successively opened in man ; the last
region, where life is in the lowest
degree, is opened from infancy to child
hood, and this is done by the sciences ;
the second region, where life is in a
higher degree, from childhood to youth,
and this is done by knowledges from
the sciences ; and the highest region,
where life is in the highest degree, from
youth to manhood and onwards, and
this is done by the perception of truths,
both moral and spiritual. It should be
further known, that the perfection of
life consists not in thought, but in the
perception of truth from the light of
truth ; the differences of life with men
may be thence ascertained ; for there
are some, who, as soon as they hear
the truth, perceive that it is truth ; these
are represented in the spiritual world
by eagles : there are others, who do
not perceive truth, but conclude it
from confirmations, by appearances;
and these are represented by singing
birds : there are others, who believe a
thing to be true, because it was assert
ed by a man of authority ; these, are
represented by magpies : and, also,
there are others, who are not willing,
and then not able, to perceive truth,
but only the false ; the reason is, be
cause they are in the light of infatua
tion, in which light, the false appears
as truth, and the truth appears, either
as something above the head, hid in a
thick cloud, or as a meteor, or as the
false ; the thoughts of these are repre
sented by owls, and their speech by

38

Concerning God the Creator.

screech-owls. Those amongst them,
who have confirmed their falses, cannot
bear to hear truths ; and as soon as any
truth strikes the drum of their ears,
they repel it with aversion, just as the
stomach, when loaded with, bilious
matter, nauseates and vomits out food.
43. V. That the Essence of Love
is to love Others out of Itself, to
desire to be one with them, and to
MAKE THEM HAPPY FROM ItSELF.
There are two things which make
the essence of God — love and wisdom ;
but there are three things which make
the essence of his love — to love others
out of itself, to desire to be one with
them, and to make them happy from
itself: the same three things also
make the essence of his wisdom, be
cause love and wisdom, in God, make
one, as was shown above ; but love
wills those things, and wisdom pro
duces them. The first essential,
which is, to love others out of itself, is
acknowledged from the love of God
towards the whole human race ; and
for their sake God loves all the things
which he has created, because they
are means ; for he who loves the end also
loves the means ; and all persons and
all things are out of God, because they
are finite, and God is infinite. The
love of God goes and extends itself,
not only to good persons and good
things, but also to evil persons and
evil things ; consequently, not only to
those persons and things which are in
heaven, but also to those which are in
hell ; thus not only to Michael and
Gabriel, but also to the devil and Sa
tan ; for God is every where, and from
eternity to eternity the same. He
says also, that He maketh his sun rise
on the good and the evil, and that
He sendeth rain upon the just and the
unjust, Matt. v. 45. But the reason,
that evil persons and evil things are
still evil, is in the subjects and objects
themselves, in that they do not receive
the love of God, as it is, and according
to its inmost influx, but as they them
selves are, just as the thorn and the
nettle do with the heat of the sun and
the raiu of heaven. The second
essential of the love of God,

which is to desire to be one with them,
is acknowledged also from his con
junction with the angelic heaven, with
the church upon earth, with every
one there, and with every good and
truth which enter into and make man
and the church ; love also, viewed in
itself, is nothing but an effort to con-
junction ; wherefore, that this object
of the essence of love might be ob
tained, God created man into his image
and likeness, with which conjunction
may be effected. That the Divine
Love continually intends conjunction,
is manifest from the words of the Lord,
that He wills that they may be one,
He in them and they in Him,, and that
the love of God may be in them., John
xvii. 21, 22, 23, 26. The third es-
sential of the love of God, which
is to make them happy from itself, is
acknowledged from eternal life, which
is blessedness, happiness, and felicity
without end, which God gives to those
who receive his love in themselves ; for
God, as He is love itself, is also bless
edness itself; for every love breathes
forth from itself a delight, and the
Divine Love, blessedness itself, happi
ness, and felicity to eternity. I'hus
God makes angels happy from Himself,
and also men after death, which is
effected by conjunction with them.
44. That such is the Divine Love, is
known from its sphere, which pervades
the universe, and affects every one
according to his state ; it especially
affects parents, from which it is that
they tenderly love their children,
who are out of themselves, that they
desire to be one with them, and that
they desire to make them happy from
themselves. This sphere of Divine
Love affects not only the good, but also
the evil ; and not only men, but also
beasts and birds of every kind. For
what else does a mother think of, when
she has brought forth her child, than
that she may, as it were, unite herself
with it, and provide for its good?
What other concern has a bird, when
she has hatched her young, than to
cherish them under her wings, and
through their little mouths to put food
into their throats? That dragons and

Concerning the Essence qf God.

39

vipers also love their yoxng, is known.
That universal sphere affects, in a
special manner, those who receive that
love of God in themselves, who are
such as believe in God and love their
neighbor ; charity with them is an
image of that love. Friendship
amongst the good also resembles that
love; for a friend, at his table, gives
to a friend the better things; he kisses
and caresses him, takes him by the
hand, and proffers useful offices. The
sympathies and efforts of homogeneous
and similar things to conjunction, de
rive their origin from no other source.
That same divine sphere operates also
into inanimate things, as into trees and
plants, but through the sun ofthe world
and its heat and light; for the heat
enters them from without, conjoins
itself with them, and causes them to
bud, blossom, and bear fruit, which
things are in the place of blessedness
in animals; that heat does this, because
it corresponds to spiritual heat, which
is love. Representations of the opera
tion of this love are also exhibited in
various subjects of the mineral king
dom ; types of it are presented in their
exaltation to uses, and thence to cor
responding values.
45. From the description of the es
sence of Divine Love, it may be seen
what is the essence of diabolical love ;
this may be seen from the opposite.
Diabolical love is the love of self; and
this is called love, but, viewed in itself,
,t is hatred, for it does not love any one
out of itself, nor does it desire to be
conjoined to others, that it may do good
to them, but only that it may do so to
itself; from its inmost, it continually
desires to rule over others, to possess
the goods of others, and at last to be
worshipped as a god. This is the
reason why those who are in hell do
not acknowledge God, but worship,
as gods, those who have power over
others ; thus inferior and superior, or
lesser and greater gods, according to
the extent of their power ; and because
every one there desires that in heart
he also burns with hatred against his
god, and the god against those who are
under his power; and he reputes them
as vile slaves, with whom, indeed, he

speaks courteously, as long as the.y
adore him, but he rages as from fire
against others, and also inwardly, or
in his heart, against his dependents ;
for the love of self is the same with the
love of robbers, who mutually kiss each
other, while they are engaged in rob
beries, but afterwards they burn with
the desire of killing each other, that
they may also rob each other of their
booty. This love causes its lusts to
appear at a distance, in hell where it
reigns, like various species of wild
beasts, some like foxes and leopards,
some like wolves and tigers, and some
like crocodiles and venomous serpents ;
and the deserts where they live, to
consist only of heaps of stones, or of
naked gravel, with bogs interspersed,
in which frogs croak, and also dismal
birds fly over their cottages and scream.
The ochim, tziim and jiim, which are
mentioned in the prophetical parts of
the Word, where the love of ruling
from the love of self is spoken of, are
nothing else. Isaiah xiii. 21. Jerem
1. 39. Psalm Ixxiv. 15.
46. VI. That these Properties
of the Divine Love were the
Cause of the Creation of the Uni
verse, AND THAT THEY ARE THE
Cause of its Preservation.
That those three essentials of the
Divine Love were the cause of crea
tion, may be clearly seen from an at
tentive examination of them. That
this first, which is to love others out
of itself, was a cause, is evident from
the universe, which is out of God, as
the world is out of the sun; and there
fore He can extend his love into the
universe, and exercise it in it, and so
rest. It is read also, that after God
had created the heaven and the earth,
he rested; and that thence the day of
the Sabbath was made. Gen. ii. 2, 3.
That the second, which is to will to
be one with them, was a cause, is evi
dent from the creation of man into the
image and likeness of God ; by which
is meant, that man was made a form
receptive of love and wisdom from God,
so that God can unite himself with him,
and, for the sake of him, with all and
every thing of the universe, which are
no other than mediums; for conjunction

40

Conce

rning

God the Creator.

with a final cause, is also a conjunction
with the mediate -.auses. That all
things were created for the sake of
man, is manifest also from the book of
Creation, or Genesis, i. 28, 29, 30.
That the third, which is to make
them happy from itself, is a cause, is
evident from the angelic heaven, which
is provided for every man who receives
the love of God, where all are made
happy from God alone. That those
three essentials of the love of God, are
also the cause of the preservation of
the universe, is because preservation
is perpetual creation, as subsistence is
perpetual existence ; and the Divine
Love, from eternity to eternity, is the
same ; thus such as it was in creating
the world, such it is and continues to
be, in the created world.
47. From these things, rightly per
ceived, it may be seen, that the uni
verse is a work cohering from firsts to
lasts, because it is a work continent of
ends, causes and effects, in an indisso
luble connection ; and because in all
love there is an end, and in all wisdom
the promotion of an end by mediate
causes, and through them to effects,
which are uses, it follows also, that
the universe is a work continent of
divine love, divine wisdom, and uses,
and thus a work altogether coherent
from firsts to lasts. That the uni
verse consists of perpetual uses pro
duced by wisdom and originated by
love, every wise man may see as in a
mirror, while he procures to himself a
general idea of the creation of the
universe, and in that views the partic
ulars; for the particular parts adapt
themselves to the whole, and the whole
disposes them into such a form that they
may agree. That it is so, will be more
fully illustrated in the following pages.

48. To this I shall add this Re
lation. I was once conversing with
two angels ; one was from the eastern
heaven, and the other from the south
ern heaven. When they perceived that
I was meditating arcana of wisdom
concerning love, they said, " Do you
know any thing about the exercises of
wisdom in our world I" I replied, that

I did hot ; and they said, " There ire
many, and that those who love truths
from spiritual affection, or truths be
cause they are truths, and because by
them is wisdom, meet together at a
given signal, and canvass and determine
those questions which are of deeper un
derstanding." They then took me by
the hand, saying, " Follow us and you
shall see and hear, for the signal of
the meeting has been given to-day."
I was led over a plain to a hill, and,
behold, at the foot ofthe hill, a portico
of palm trees, continued even to its
top ; we entered it, and ascended ; and
upon the top or summit of the hill,
there appeared a grove, and between
the trees, the ground, being elevated,
formed as it were a theatre, within
which was a smooth floor, paved with
little stones of various colors. Around
it, in the form of a square, were placed
seats, upon which the lovers of wisdom
were sitting ; and in the midst of the
theatre, there was a table, upon which
lay a paper sealed with a seal. Those
who sat on the seats invited us to the
seats still vacant; and I replied that I
was led hither by two angels, that I
might see and hear, and not that I
might sit. And then those two angels
went into, the middle of the floor to
the table, and loosed the seal of the
paper, and read, in the presence of
those who were sitting, the arcana of
wisdom written on the paper, which
they were now to canvass and unfold.
They were written by angels of the
third heaven, and let down upon the
table. There were three arcana : The
first — " What is the image of God,
and what the likeness of God, into
which man was created ?" Th e second
— " Why is not man born into the sci
ence of any love, when yet beasts and
birds, noble as well as ignoble, are born
into the sciences of all their loves ?"
The third — " What does the tree of
life signify ; and what the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil ; and what
the eating from them?" Underneath
was written — " Join those three togeth
er into one sentence, and write it upon
a new paper, and put it back upon this
table, and we will see it ; if the sen
tence appear true and just on the bal-

Concerning the Essence of God.

41

ance, to each of you shall be given
the prize of wisdom." The two angels,
having read this, retired, and were car
ried up into their heavens. And then
those who sat upon the seats began
to canvass and unfold he arcana
proposed to them ; and they spoke in
order ; first, those who sat towards the
North, then those towards the West,
afterwards those towards the South,
and lastly those towards the East.
And they took up the first subject of
investigation, which was, " What is
the image of God, and what the
likeness of God, into which man
was created 1" And then, in the
first place, these words from the book
of Creation, were read to them all :
God said, Let us make man in our
image, according to our likeness ;
and God created man into his own
image ; He made him in the likeness
of God, Gen. i. In the day when God
created man, He made him in the like
ness of God, Gen. v. 1.
Those who sat towards the North
spoke first, saying, that " The image
of God and the likeness of God are
the two lives breathed into man by
Go-J, which are the life ofthe will, and
the life of the Sinderstanding ; for it is
read, Jehovah God breathed into the
nostrils of Adam the breath of lives,
and man was made into a living soul,
Gt-n. ii. 7. By which seems to be
meant, that there was breathed into
him the will of good, and the percep
tion of truth, and thus the soul of lives ;
and because life from God was breath
ed into him, an image and a likeness
signify integrity from love and wisdom,
and from justice and judgment in him."
Those who sat towards the West fa
vored these, adding however this,
that " The state of integrity breathed
into him by God, is continually breath
ed into every man after him ; but that
it is in man as in a receptacle, and
that man, as he is a receptacle, is an
image and likeness of God." After
wards the third in order, who were
those who sat towards the South, said,
" The image of God and the likeness of
God are two distinct things, but united
in man by creation ; and we see, as
6

from a kind of interior light, that th*
image of God may be lost by man, bi-
not the likeness of God. This appears,
as it \vere,through a veil, from this, that
Adam retained the likeness of God af
ter he had lost the image of God; for it
is read after the curse, Behold the
man is become as one of us, in knowing
good and evil, Gen. iii. 22. And af
terwards he is called a likeness of God,
and not an image of God, Gen. v. 1.
But let us leave to our companions,
who sit towards the east, and are thence
in superior light, to say what is prop
erly the image of God, and what is prop
erly the likeness of God." And then,
after silence was made, those who sat to
wards the East rose up from their seats,
and looked up to the Lord ; and after
wards they sat down again upon their
seats and said, that " An image of
God is a receptacle of God ; and be
cause God is Love itself and Wisdom
itself, an image of God is the reception
of love and wisdom from God in it ;
but that a likeness of God is a perfect
likeness and a full appearance, as if love
and wisdom were in man, and thence as
if they were altogether his ; for man,
by the senses, perceives no otherwise
than that he loves from himself, and is
wise from himself; or that he wills good
and understands truth from himself;
when, nevertheless, nothing of this is
from himself, but from God. God
alone loves from himself, and is wise
from himself, because God is Love itself
and Wisdom itself; the likeness or ap
pearance that love and wisdom, or good
and truth, are in man, as his, causes
that man may be man, and that he may
be conjoined to God, and thus live to
eternity ; whence it flows, that man is
man from this, that he can will good
and understand truth, altogether as
from himself, and still know and believe
that it is from God ; for as he knows
and believes this, God puts his image
in man ; it would be otherwise, if he
should believe it is from himself, and
not from God." When these things
were said, there came upon them a
zeal from the love of truth, from which
they spoke these words : " How can
man receive any thing of love and wis-

42

Concerning God the Creator.

dom, and retain it, and re-produce it,
unless he sensibly perceives it as his
own ? And how can conjunction with
God, by means of love and wisdom, be
effected, unless there be given to man
something reciprocal of conjunction !
For without reciprocation, no conjunc
tion is possible, and the reciprocation
of conjunction is, that man should love
God, and do those things which are
of God, as from himself, and yet be
lieve that it is from God. Besides, how
can man live to eternity, unless he be
conjoined to the eternal God ? Con
sequently, how can man be man, with
out that likeness in him 1" To these
words all assented, and said, " Let a
conclusion be made from them ;" and
this was made : " Man is a receptacle
of God, and a receptacle of God is an
image of God ; and because God is
Love itself and Wisdom itself, man is a
receptacle of them ; and a receptacle
becomes an image of God according
.as it receives; and man is also a like
ness of God from this, that he sensibly
perceives'in himself that those things
which are from God, are in him as his ;
but still so much of that likeness is an
image of God, as acknowledges that
love and wisdom, or good and truth,
are not in him his, and thence nei
ther from him, but only in God, and
thence from God." After this, they
took up the next object of investigation,
" Why man is not born into the
science of any love, when yet
beasts and birds, noble as well
as ignoble, are born into the sci
ENCES OF ALL THEIR LOVES." First
they confirmed the truth of the propo
sition from various things ; as, con
cerning man, that he is born into no
science, not even into the science of
conjugial love; and they inquired and
heard from examiners, that an infant
does not even know the breast of its
mother, from any innate science, but
that it learns this by being applied to
;t by its mother or nurse ; and that it
only knows how to suck, and that it
derives this from continual suction in
the mother's womb; and that, after
wards, it does not know how to walk,
nor to articulate sound into any human

voice, yea nor to sound the aVec-
tionsofitslove, as beas.s _c; moreover,
that it knows not wha* food is suitable
for it, as beasts do, but that it lays hold
of whatever comes in its way, whether
clean or unclean, and puts it into its
mouth. The examiners said, that
" Man, without instruction, knows
nothing at all about the modes of lov
ing tl.j sex, and that not even virgins
and young men know any thing of this,
without instruction from others. Tn a
word, man is born corporeal, like a
worm, and continues corporeal, unless
he acquires knowledge.intelligence and
wisdom from others." After this, they
proved that animals^ noble as well as
ignoble, such as the beasts of ttye earth,
the fowls of the air, the reptiles, the
fishes, and the little worms wjhich are
called insects, are bom intcj> all the
sciences of the loves of their life, as
into all things concerning nourishment,
into all things concerning habitation,
into all things concerning the love of
the sex and prolification, and into all
things concerning the education of
their young. These things they con
firmed by the wonderful things which
they recalled to remembrance, from
what they had seen, heard and read
in the natural world, in which they
once lived, and in which there are not
representative, but real beasts. After
the truth of the proposition was thus
established, they applied their minds
to investigate and discover the causes
by means of which they might unfold
and lay open this mystery ; and they all
said that those things could not but
exist from the Divine Wisdom, that
man may be man, and beast may be
beast ; and that thus the imperfection
of man's nativity is his perfection, and
the perfection of a beast's nativity is its
imperfection. Then those on the North began
first to open their minds, and said,
that " Man was born without sciences,
that he might be able to receive them
all ; but, if he were born into sciences,
he would not be able to receive any, ex
cept those into which he was born, and
then he would not be able to appropri
ate any to himself;" which they illus-

Concerning the Essence of God.

trated by this comparison : " Man, at
first, is born like ground in which no
seeds have been sown, but which
can yet receive all, and bring them
forth, and cause them to bear fruit ;
but a beast is like ground already
sown, and covered over with grass and
herbs, which receives no other seeds
than those which have been sown ; and,
if others should be sown, they would be
suffocated. Thence it is, that man is
many years in coming to his growth,
during which he may be cultivated like
the ground, and produce grain of
every kind, flowers and trees ; but a
beast comes to its growth in a few
years, during which it can be cultivat
ed for no other things than those
which are born with it." Afterwards,
those on the West spoke, and said,
that " Man is not born science, like
a beast, but that he is born a facul
ty, and an inclination ; a faculty to
know, and an inclination to love ; and
that he is born a faculty, not only for
loving those things which are of self
and the world, but also those which are
of God and heaven ; consequently, that
man is born an organ, which scarcely
lives by the external senses, except ob
scurely, but by no internal senses, to
the intent, that he may, by degrees,
live, and become a man ; first, a natural
man ; afterwards, a rational man ; and,
lastly, a spiritual man ; which would
not be the case, if he were born into
sciences and loves, as beasts are ; for
the sciences and affections of love,
which are born with one, limit that
progression ; but mere faculties and in
clinations, born with one, limit nothing ;
wherefore, man may be perfected in sci
ence, intelligence and wisdom, to eter
nity." Those on the South took up
the subject, and declared their opinion,
saying, that " It is impossible for man
to derive any science from himself, but
he may derive it from others, since no
science was born with him ; and be
cause he cannot derive any science
from himself, neither can he any love,
since, where there is no science, there
is no love ; science and love are insep
arable companions ; they can no more
be separated, than the will and under

standing, or affection and thought ; yea,
no more than essence and form ; where
fore, as man receives science from oth
ers, love adjoins itself to it, as its com
panion. The universal love, which
adjoins itself, is the love of knowing,
and afterwards of understanding and
becoming wise ; and these loves are in
man only, and not in beasts, and they
flow in from God. We agree with our
companions from the West, that man is
not born into any love, and thence not
into any science ; but that he is only
born into an inclination to love, and
thence into a faculty to receive sci
ences, not from himself, but from oth
ers, that is, through others : it is said,
through others, because neither did
those receive any thing from themselves,
but originally from God. We agree
also with our companions towards the
North, that man, at first, is born like
ground, in which not any seeds have
been sown, but in which all seeds, as
well noble as ignoble, may be sown :
thence it is, that man was called man
from the ground, and Adam from
Adama, which is the ground. To
this we add, that beasts are born into
natural loves, and thence into the sci
ences corresponding to them ; but still
from the sciences they do not derive
any knowledge, nor thought, nor intel
ligence, nor wisdom, but that they are
led to them from their loves, almost in
the same manner as blind men are led
through the streets by dogs; for, as to
the understanding, they are blind; or
rather like persons walking in sleep,
who do what they do from a blind sci
ence, while the understanding is fast
asleep." Lastly, those on the East
spoke, and said, " We consent to those
things which our brethren have spoken,
that man knows nothing from himself,
but from others, and through others,
that he may know and acknowledge
that all science, intelligence and wis
dom are from God, and that man
could not otherwise be born and begot
ten of God, and become an image and
likeness of Him; for he becomes an
image of God, by acknowledging and
believing, that all the good of love and
chanty, and all the truth of wisdom and

44

Concerning God the Creator.

faith, vere received, and are received,
by him from God, and nothing from
himself; and he is a likeness of God, in
that he sensibly perceives those things
in himself, as if from himself; and he
sensibly perceives this, because he is
not born into sciences, but receives
them ; and what he receives, appears to
him as from himself. To perceive
thus, is given to man by God, that he
may be a man, and not a beast ; since
by this, that he wills, thinks, loves,
knows, understands, and is wise, as
from himself, he receives sciences, and
exalts them into intelligence, and by
their uses into wisdom ; thus God con
joins man to himself, and man conjoins
himself to God. These things could
not have been effected, unless it bad
been provided by God, that man should
be born in total ignorance." After
this declaration, all desired that a con
clusion should be made from the things
canvassed ; and this was made : " That
man is born into no science, in order that
he may be able to come into them all,
and advance tointelligence.and through
this to wisdom ; and that man is born
into no love, in order that he may be
able to come into all, by applications
of the sciences from intelligence, and
into love to God through love towards
the neighbor, and thus to be conjoined
to God, and by that means to become a
man, and to live to eternity."
After this, they took the paper, and
read the third object of investigation,
which was, What does the tree of
LIFE SIGNIFY ; WHAT THE TREE OF
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL ;
AND WHAT THE EATING FROM THEM ?
And they all requested, that those who
were from the East would unfold this
mystery, because it is of deeper under
standing, and because those who are
from the East are in flammeous light,
that is, in the wisdom of love ; and this
wisdom is meant by the garden of
Eden, in which those two trees were
placed. And they answered, "We
will speak ; but, because man does not
take any from himself, but from God,
we will speak from Him, but still from
ourselves, as from ourselves." And then
they said, "A tree signifies man, and

its fruit, the good of life ; thence, by the
tree of life, is signified man living from
God ; and because love and wisdom
and charity and faith, or good and
truth, make the life of God in man, by
the tree of life is signified the man in
whom those things are from God, and
who has thence eternal life. Similar
things are signified by the tree of life,
from which it will be given to eat, Rev.
ii. 7, xxii. 2, 14. By the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, is signified
man believing that he lives from him
self, and not from God; thus, that love
and wisdom, charity and faith, that
is, good and truth, are in man, his,
and not God's ; believing this, because
he thinks, and wills, and speaks, and
acts, in all likeness and appearance, as
from himself; and because man thence
persuades himself that he is a God,
therefore the serpent said, God doth
know, that, in the day when ye shall
eat of the fruit of that tree, your eyes
will be opened, and ye will be as God,
knowing good and evil, Gen. iii. 5.
By eating from those trees is signified
reception and appropriation ; by eating
from the tree of life, the reception of
eternal life ; by eating from the tree
ofthe knowledge of good and evil, the
reception of damnation. By the ser
pent is meant the devil, as to the love
of self, and the pride of one's own in
telligence ; and that love is the pos
sessor of that tree, and the men who
are in pride from that love, are those
trees. They are, therefore, in an
enormous error, who believe that
Adam was wise, or did good from him
self, and that this was his state of in
tegrity ; when, yet, Adam himself,
on account of that belief, was curs
ed ; for this is signified by eating of
the tree ofthe knowledge of good and
evil ; wherefore, he then fell from the
state of integrity which he had from
this, that he believed that he was wise
and did good from God, and not at
all from himself; for this is meant by
eating from the tree of life. The Lord
alone, when He was in the world, was
wise from Himself, and did good from
Himself, because the Divine Itself,
from nativity, was in Him, and was

Concerning the Omnipotence of God.

45

his ; wherefore also by his own pow
er, He became a Redeemer and Sa
vior." From all these things, they
made this conclusion; that "By the
tree of life, and by the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, and by
eating from 'them, is meant, that the
life of man is God in him, and that
then he has heaven and eternal life,
and that the death of man is the per
suasion and belief that the life of man
is not God, but himself, whence he has
hell and eternal death, which is damna
tion." After this, they looked at the paper
which was left by the angels upon the
table, and saw written underneath,
Join those three together into one
sentence ; and then they collected
them, and saw that those three cohered
in one series, and that that series or
sentence is this ; that " Man was cre
ated, that he might receive love and
wisdom from God, and yet in all like
ness as from himself, and this for the
sake of reception and conjunction ; and
that, therefore, man is not born into
any love, nor into any science, nor
even into any power of loving and be
coming wise from himself; wherefore,

if he ascribes all the good of love, and
all the truth of wisdom, to God, he be
comes a living man; but if he ascribes
them to himself, he becomes a dead
man." This they wrote on a new pa
per, and laid it upon the table ; and lo,
suddenly the angels came in a bright
cloud, and carried the paper away into
heaven ; and, after it was read there,
those who sat upon the seats heard
thence the words, " Well, well, well."
And immediately there appeared one
thence, as it were flying, who had, as
it were, two wings about the feet, and
two about the temples, bringing the
prizes, which were robes, caps, and
wreaths of laurel ; and he alighted,
and gave to those towards the North,
robes of an opaline color ; to those
towards the West, robes of- a scarlet
color ; to those towards the South,
caps, whose borders were adorned with
bands of gold and pearls, and the ele
vations of the left side with diamonds,
cut in the form of flowers : but to those
towards the East he gave wreaths
of laurel in which were rubies and
sapphires. And they all, decorated
with these rewards, left the school
of wisdom, and went home with joy.

CONCERNING THE OMNIPOTENCE, OMNISCIENCE AND OMNIPRESENCE
OF GOD.

49. We have treated of the Divine
'.iOVE AND THE DlVINE WlSDOM, and
shown that these two are the Divine
Essence : it follows now to treat ofthe
Omnipotence, Omniscience and Om
nipresence of God, because these
three proceed from the Divine Love
and the Divine Wisdom, scarcely oth
erwise than the power and presence of
the sun in this world, and in all and
every part of it, by means of light and
heat. The heat also from the sun of the
spiritual world, in the midst of which
is Jehovah God, in its essence, is Di
vine Love, and the light thence is Di
vine Wisdom ; whence it is manifest,
that as infinity, immensity and eterni
ty appertain to the Divine Esse, so om

nipotence, omniscience and omnipres
ence appertain to the Divine Essence.
But because those three universal pred-
icables of the Divine Essence have
not hitherto been understood, because
their progression, according to their
own ways, which are the laws of order,
was unknown, it is proper to exhibit
them here by distinct articles, which
will be, I. That Omnipotence, Omnis
cience and Omnipresence are of the
Divine Wisdom from the Divine Love.
n. That the Omnipotence, Omnis
cience and Omnipresence of God can
not be known, unless it be known what
Order is, and unless these properties of
it be known, that God is Order, and
that, at the creation, He introduced Or-

46

Concerning God the Creator.

der into the universe, and into all and
every part of it. III. That the Om
nipotence of God in the universe, and
in all and every part of it, proceeds
and operates according to the laws of
his Order. IV. That God is omnis
cient, that is, perceives, sees and knows
all and every thing, even to the most
minute, which is done according to Or
der; and thence also whatever is done
contrary to Order. V. That God is
omnipresent from the firsts to the lasts
of his Order. VI. That man was
created a form of Divine Order. VII.
That man is so far in power against
the evil and the false from the Divine
Omnipotence, and that he is so far in
wisdom concerning the good and the
true from the Divine Omniscience, and
that he is so far in God from the Di
vine Omnipresence, as he lives accord
ing to Divine Order. But these arti
cles are to be explained one by one.
50. I. That Omnipotence, Omnis
cience and Omnipresence are of
the Divine Wisdom from the Di
vine Love.
That omnipotence, omniscience
and omnipresence are of the Divine
Wisdom from the Divine Love, is an
arcanum from heaven, which has not
hitherto shone in the understanding of
any one ; because no one has yet known
what love is in its essence, nor what
wisdom thence is in its essence, and still
less concerning the influx of one into
the other, which is, that love, with all
and every thing of it, flows into wis
dom, and resides in it, as a king in
his kingdom, or as a master in his
house, and relinquishes all the govern
ment of justice to judgment ; and be
cause justice is of love, and judgment
is of wisdom, he relinquishes all the
government of love to his wisdom ; but
this arcanum will receive additional
light in what follows : in the mean
time, let it serve for a canon. That
God is omnipotent, omniscient, and
omnipresent, by means of the wisdom
of his love, is also meant by these
words in John ; In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word, was with God,
and the Word tuas God. All things
were made by Him, and without Him

there was nothing made that was made,
In Him ions life, and the life was the
light of men ; and, the world was made
by H m ; and, the Word became flesh,
i. 1, 3, 4, 10, 14. By the Word there,
is meant the Divine Truth, or, what
amounts to the same, the Divine Wis
dom ; wherefore it is also called life
and light; and life and light are no
other than wisdom.
51. Since, in the Word, justice is
predicated of the Divine Love, and
judgment of. the Divine Wisdom,
therefore some passages shall be ad
duced to prove, that the government of
God is effected in the world by means
of those two; which passages are —
Jehovah, Justice and Judgment are
the support of thy throne, Psalm Ixxxix.
15. Let him who gloricth, glory in
this, that Jehovah doeth Judgment
and Justice in the earth, Jerem. ix.
23. Let Jehovah be exalted, because
He hath filled the earth with Judgment
and Justice, Isaiah xxxiii. 5. Judg
ment shall flow as water, and Justice
as a mighty torrent, Amos v. 24. Je
hovah, thy Justice is as the moun
tains of God, thy Judgments are as a
great abyss, Psalm xxxvi. 7. Jeho
vah will bring forth his Justice as the
light, and his Judgment as the noon
day, Psalm xxxvii. 6. Jehovah will
judge his people in Justice, and his
miserable ones in Judgment, Psalm
lxxii. 2. When I shall have learned
the Judgments of thy Justice, Psalm
cxix. 7, 164. J will betroth thee unto
Me in Justice and Judgment, Hosea
ii. 19. Zion shall be redeemed in Jus
tice, and her converts in Judgment,
Isaiah i. 27. He shall sit upon the
throne of David, and upon his king
dom, to establish it in Judgment and
Justice, Isaiah ix. 7. J will raise
unto David a righteous branch, who
shall reign as king, and shall do Judg
ment and Justice in the earth, Jerem.
xxiii. 5 ; xxxiii. 15 : and in other places
it is said, that they ought to do Jus
tice and Judgment, as in Isaiah i. 21 ;
v. 16; Iviii. 2; Jerem. iv. 1: xxii. 3,
13, 15; Ezekiel xviii. 5; xxxiii. 14,
16, 19; Amos vi. 12; Mich. vii. 9;
Deut. xxxiii. 21; John xvi. 8, 10. 11.

Concerning the Omnipotence of God.

47

52. II. That the Omnipotence,
Omniscience and Omnipresence of
God cannot be known, unless it
be known what Order is, and un
less these Properties of it be
known, that God is Order, and
THAT, AT THE CREATION, He INTRO
DUCED Order' into the Universe,
AND INTO ALL AND EVERY PART OF
IT. How many and how great absurdi
ties have crept into the minds of men,
and thence, through the heads of in
novators, into the church, in conse
quence of their not understanding the
Order in which God created the uni
verse, and all and every part of it, will
be evident, from the bare mention of
them in the following pages. But
here we will first explain Order, by a
general definition of it. Order is the
quality of the disposition, determi
nation and activity of the parts, sub
stances or entities which make the form,
tohence is the state, whose perfection
wisdom front its love produces, or
whose imperfection the insanity of
reason from cupidity forges. In
this definition, substance, form and
state are mentioned ; and by substance,
we at the same time mean form, be
cause every substance is a form, and
the quality of the form is its state, the
perfection or imperfection of which re
sults from order. But these things,
because they are metaphysical, cannot
but be in darkness ; but this will be
dispersed in what follows by applica
tions to examples, which will illustrate
the subject.
53. That God is Order, is because
He is Substance itself and Form itself;
Substance, because all things which
subsist, existed and exist from Him ;
Form, because every quality of sub
stances arose and arises from Him :
quality is derived from no other source
than from form. Now, because God is
the very, the only, and the first Sub
stance and Form, and, at the same time,
the very and the only Love, and the very
and the only Wisdom, and because wis
dom from love makes form, and the
state and quality of this is according
to the order therein, it follows that

God is Order itself, and that, from Him
self, He introduced order into the uni
verse, and also into all and every part
of it, and that He introduced the most
perfect order, because all things which
He created were good, as it is read in
the book of Creation. It will be de
monstrated in its proper place, that
evils began to exist at the same time
with hell, thus after creation. But
now to such things as more readily en
ter, more clearly enlighten, and more
gently affect, the understanding.
54. But what the order is, in which
the universe was created, cannot be
fully explained but by many pages :
some sketch of it will be exhibited in
the following Lemma concerning cre
ation. It is to be held, that all
things in the universe were created in
their orders, so that they may subsist
each one by itself, and that from the
beginning they were so created, that
they may conjoin themselves with the
universal order, to the intent, that each
particular order may subsist in the uni
versal, and thus make one. But to
refer to some examples : Man is creat
ed according to his order, and also
every particular part of him, accord
ing to its order ; as the head and the
body, each according to its order ; the
heart, the lungs, the liver, the pancreas,
the stomach, according to their orders ;
every organ of motion, which is called
a muscle, according to its order ; and
every organ of sense, as the eye, the ear,
the tongue, each respectively, according
to its order ; nay, there is not the small
est artery or fibril there, which is not ac
cording to its order ; and yet these in
numerable parts conjoin themselves
with the whole, and so insert them
selves in it, that they together make
one. The case is similar with other
things, the bare mention of which is
sufficient for illustration ; every beast
ofthe earth, every bird ofthe air, eve
ry fish of the sea, every reptile, nay,
every worm, even to the moth, is creat
ed according to its order ; in like man
ner, every tree, every grove, every
shrub, and every herb, according to its
order ; and moreover every stone and
every mineral, even to every particle

48

Concerning God the Creator.

of the dust of the earth, is according
to its order.
55. Who does not see, that there is
not an empire, kingdom, dukedom, re
public, state, or family, which is not
established by laws, which make the
order, and thus the form, of its govern
ment? In each of them, the laws of
justice are in the highest place, politi
cal laws in the second, and economi
cal laws in the third : if these are com
pared with man, the laws of justice
make his head, political laws his body,
and economical laws his dress ; where
fore also these, like the dress, may be
changed. But as to what concerns
the order, according to which the
church is established by God, it is this ;
that God is in all and every part of it ;
and the neighbor is he towards whom
order is to be exercised. The laws of
that order are as many as there are
truths in the Word ; the laws which
relate to God will make its head, the
laws which relate to the neighbor will
make its body, and the ceremonies
will make the dress ; for unless these
hold the others together, in their order,
it would be as if the body were strip
ped naked, and exposed to the heat in
summer, and to the cold in winter ; or
as if the walls and roof should be re
moved from a temple, and thus the
sacred asylum, the altar, and the pul
pit, should stand without protection,
exposed to various violences.
56. III. That the' Omnipotence
of God, as well in the Universe
as in all and every part of it,
proceeds and operates according
to the Laws of his Order.
God is omnipotent, because He has
all power from Himself, and all others
from Him. His power and will are one ;
and because He wills nothing but what
is good, therefore He can do nothing
but what is good. In the spiritual
world, no one can do any thing con
trary to his own will ; this they derive
there from God, whose power and will
are one. God also is Good itself; where
fore, whilst He does good, He is in
Himself, and He cannot go out of Him
self. Thence it appears, that his om
nipotence proceeds and operates within

the sphere of the extension of good;
which is infinite ; for this sphere, from
the inmost, fills the universe and all
and every thing there ; and, from the
inmost, governs those things which are
without, as far as they .conjoin them
selves according to their orders ; and if
they do not conjoin themselves, still it
sustains them, and with all effort labors
to bring them into order, according to
the universal order in which God is
in his omnipotence ; and if this is not
effected, they are cast out from Him,
where, nevertheless, He sustains them
from the inmost. From this it is evi
dent, that the Divine Omnipotence
can by no means go out from itself to
the contact of any thing evil, nor pro
mote it from itself, for evil turns itself
away ; thence it is, that evil is entirely
separated from Him, and cast into hell,
between which and heaven, where He
is, there is a great gulf. From these
few things it may be seen how deliri
ous they are, who think, and more so
who believe, and still more so who
teach, that God can condemn any one,
curse any one, cast any one into hell,
predestinate the soul of any one to
eternal death, avenge injuries, be an
gry, or punish. He cannot even turn
away his face from any one, or look at
him with a stern countenance ; these
and similar things are contrary to his
essence, and what is contrary to this,
is contrary to Himself.
57. It is, at this day, a prevailing
opinion, that the omnipotence of God
is like the absolute power of a king in
the world, who can at his pleasure do
whatever he wills, absolve and condemn
whom he pleases, make the guilty in
nocent, declare the faithless faithful,
exalt the unworthy and undeserving
above the worthy and deserving ; nay,
that he can, under any pretext, deprive
his subjects of their goods, and sen
tence them to death ; besides other
similar things. From this infatuated
opinion, faith and doctrine, concerning
the divine omnipotence, as many falsi
ties, fallacies and chimeras have flowed
into the church, as there are changes,
articulations, and generations of faith
therein ; and as many more may yet

Concerning the Omnipotence of God.

4S

flow in, as would equal the number of
pitchers which might be filled with
water from a large lake, or of serpents
which creep out of their holes, and re
gale on a sunny day in the desert of
Arabia. What need is there of more
than two words, omnipotence and
faith ; and then to spread before the
vulgar conjectures, fables and trifles,
such as fall into the senses of the body?
For reason is utterly banished, and
when reason is banished, in what does
the thought of man excel that of a
bird that flies over his head ; or what
is the spirituality, which man has above
the beasts, but something like the
stench in the dens of beasts, which is
agreeable to the wild beasts', but not to
man, unless he be like them? If the
extension of the divine omnipotence
were to do evil as well as good, what
would be the distinction between God
and the devil ? Would it be any other
than that between two monarchs, one
of whom is a king, and at the same
time a tyrant, and the other a tyrant,
whose power is restrained, whence he
is not to be called a king ; or that be
tween two shepherds, one of whom is
permitted to act the part of a sheep,
and also of a leopard ; and the other is
not permitted to do so ? Who may not
know that good and evil are opposites,
and that if God, from his omnipotence,
could will the one and the other, and,
from willing, could do them, He could
do nothing at all? Thus He would have
no power, much less omnipotence.
This would be as if two wheels, in a
contrary motion, should mutually act
against each other, from which re-ac
tion, both wheels would stop and be
entirely at rest; or like a ship in a
torrent driving it contrary to its course,
which, unless it rest at anchor, would
be carried away and lost; or like a
man who has two wills opposed to each
other, one of which must necessarily
be at rest, while the other acts ; but if
both should act at the same time, de
lirium or giddiness would seize his
mind. 58. If the omnipotence of God were,
according to the faith at this day, abso
lute for doing evil as well as good,
7

would it not be possible, nay, easy, fol
God to elevate all hell into heaven, and
to convert devils and satans into angels,
and to purify every sinner upon earth
in a moment from his sins, to renew,
sanctify and regenerate him, and from
a child of wrath to make a child of
grace, that is, to justify him; which
would be done merely by the applica
tion and imputation of the righteous
ness of his Son ? But God by his
omnipotence cannot do this, because it
is contrary to the laws of his order in
the universe, and at the same time
contrary to the laws of order prescrib
ed to every man, which are, that they
should conjoin themselves by a mutual
inclination ; that it is so, will be seen
in the sequel of this work. From that
infatuated opinion and faith concern
ing the omnipotence of God, it would
result, that God could convert every
man-goat into a man-sheep, and, of his
good pleasure, remove him from his
left to his right side ; also, that He
could change the spirits of the dragon
into the angels of Michael, and that
He could give to a man, whose under
standing is like that of a mole, the
sight of an eagle ; in a word, from a
man-owl, make a man-dove. These
things God cannot do, because they
are contrary to the laws of his own
order, although He continually wills
and endeavors to effect them. If He
could have done such things, He would
not have permitted Adam to obey the
serpent, and take fruit from the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil, and
put it to his mouth ; if He could have
done it, He would not have permitted
Cain to kill his brother, David to num
ber the people, Solomon to build tem
ples to idols, and the kings of Judah
and Israel to profane the temple, as
they so often did ; nay, if He could
have done it, He would have saved
the whole human race, without excep
tion, through the redemption of his
Son, and would have extirpated all
hell. The ancient gentiles ascribed
such omnipotence to their gods and
goddesses, whence arose their fabulous
stories, as concerning Deucalion and
Pyrrha, that the stones thrown behind

50

Concerning God the Creator.

them became men and women ; con
cerning Apollo, that he changed Daph
ne into a laurel ; concerning Diana,
that she changed a hunter into a stag ;
and that another of their gods turned
the virgins of Parnassus into magpies.
There is, at this day, a similar belief
concerning the divine omnipotence,
whence so many fanatical, and thence
heretical opinions, have been introduc
ed into the world, in every country
where there is any religion.
59. IV. That God is Omniscient,
that is, perceives, sees and knows
all and every Thing, even to the
most minute, which is done accord
ING to Order, and thence also
WHAT IS DONE CONTRARY TO ORDER.
That God is omniscient, that is,
perceives, sees and knows all things,
is, because he is Wisdom itself, and
Lijfit itself; and Wisdom itself per
ceives all things, and Light itself sees
all things. That God is Wisdom itself,
was shown above ; that He is Light
itself, is because He is the sun of the
angelic heaven, which enlightens the
understandings of all angels and all
men ; for, as the eye is enlightened by
the light of the natural sun, so the un
derstanding is enlightened by the light
of the spiritual sun ; nor is it only en
lightened, but it is also filled with in
telligence, according to the love of
receiving it, since this light, in its
essence, is wisdom ; wherefore in David
it is said, that God dwelleth in light
inaccessible ; and in the Revelation,
that, in the New Jerusalem, they have
no need of a candle, because the Lord
God enlighteneth them ; and in John,
that the Word which was in the begin
ning with God, and was God, is the
light, which enlighteneth every man that
cometh into the world. By the Word
is meant the Divine Wisdom. Thence
it is, that the angels, as far as they are
in wisdom, are so far in the brightness
of light; and thence also it is, that in
the Word, where light is mentioned,
wisdom is meant.
60. That God perceives, sees and
knows all things, even to the most
minute, which are done according to
order, is, because order is universal

from all the several parts ; for the seve.
ral parts, taken together, are called a
universal, as the particulars are called a
general; and a universal, together with
all its several parts, is a work cohering
as one, so that one part cannot be touch
ed and affected, without communicat
ing to the rest some sensible perception
of it. It is from this quality of order
in the universe, that there is something
similar in all created things in the uni
verse ; but this will be illustrated by
comparisons taken from visible things.
In the whole man, there are general
things and particular things, and the
general include the particular therein,
and unite themselves together by such
a connection, that one depends upon
another : this is done by this, that there
is a general covering about every mem
ber there, and that this insinuates itself
into every part therein, so that they
make one in every office and use. For
example, the covering of every muscle
enters into every moving fibre, and
from itself clothes them ; in like man
ner, the coverings of the liver, the
pancreas and the spleen, enter into all
the particular parts which are within ;
in like manner the covering of the
lungs, which is called the pleura, into
the interior parts of the lungs; and in
like manner the pericardium, into all
and every part of the heart ; and, gen
erally, the peritonseum, by anastomo
ses, with the coverings of all the visce
ra ; in like manner the meninges of the
brain ; these, by threads emitted from
them, enter into all the glands below
them, and, through these, into all the
fibres, and, through these, into all parts
of the body ; thence it is, that the head,
from the brains, governs all and every
thing subject to itself. These things
are adduced, merely for the purpose
thai, from visible things, some idea
may be formed, how God perceives.
sees and knows all things, even to the
most minute, which are done according
to order.
61. That God, from those things
which are according to order, perceives,
sees and knows all and every thing,
even to the most minute, which is done
contrary to order, is, because God does

Concerning the Omniscience of God.

51

not hold man in evil, but withholds him
from evil ; thus he does not lead him,
but strives with him. From that per
petual striving, struggling, resistance,
repugnance, and reaction of the evil
and the false, against his good and
truth, thus against Himself, He per
ceives both their quantity and qual
ity. This follows from the omnipresence
of God, in all and every part of his
order, and, at the same time, from his
perfect knowledge of all and every
tiling there; comparatively, as he who
has an ear for music and harmony,
accurately notices every discordant
and unharmonious sound, as soon as
it enters ; in like manner, he whose
senses are in their delight, readily per
ceives what is undelightful ; or, as the
eye, which is looking at a beautiful ob
ject, sees it distinctly while any thing
ugly is at the side of it ; wherefore it
is customary for painters to place an
ugly face at the side of a handsome
one. It is similar with the good and
the true, while they strive against the
evil and the false ; for they are distinct
ly perceived from their opposites ; for
every one, who is in good, can perceive
what is evil ; and he who- is in truth,
can see what is false ; the cause is,
because good is in the heat of heaven,
and truth in its light ; but evil is in
the cold of hell, and the false in its
darkness ; which may be illustrated by
this, that the angels of heaven can see
whatever is done in hell, and what
monsters are there ; but, on the other
hand, the spirits of hell cannot see any
thing at all that is done in heaven, and
not even the angels, any more than a
blind man, or more than an eye looking
into the naked 'air, or ether. Those
whose understandings are in the light
of wisdom, are like those who, at
noon-day, stand upon a mountain, and
see clearly all things that are below ; and
those who are in still superior light,
are, comparatively, like those who,
through telescopes, see the objects
around and below them, as if they were
present ; but those who are in the in
fatuated light of hell, from the confir
mation of falsities, are like those who
stand upon the same mountain, in the

time of night, with lanterns in theii
hands, and see nothing but the nearest
objects, and the forms of these indis
tinctly, and their colors confusedly.
A man who is in some light of truth,
and yet in evil of life, while he is in
the delight of his love of evil, does not
at first see truths, otherwise than as a
bat sees linen, hanging in a garden, to
which it flies, as to its place of refuge;
and afterwards he becomes as a bird
of night, and at length as an owl ; and
then he becomes like a chimney-sweep
er, sticking close to a black chimney,
who, when he raises his eyes upwards,
sees the sky beyond the smoke, and
when he looks downwards, he sees the
fire from which the smoke arises.
62. It is to be observed, that the
perception of opposites differs from the
perception of relatives ; for opposites
are without, and contrary to those things
which are within ; for an opposite begins
to be, when one thing entirely ceases to
be any thing, and another thing rise.*
up with the effort of counteracting the
former, as a wheel which acts against
a wheel, or a stream against a stream ;
but relatives have respect to the dispo
sition of many and various things in
convenient and agreeable order, as of
precious stones of divers colors in the
stomacher of a queen, or of different
colored flowers in an ornamental gar
land. There are, therefore, relatives
in each opposite, in the good as well
as in the evil, and in the true as well
as in the false ; thus in heaven as well
as in hell ; but the relatives in hell are
all opposite to the relatives in heaven.
Now, because God perceives and sees,
and thence knows, all the relatives in
heaven, from the order in which He is,
and thence perceives, sees and knows
all the opposite relatives in hell, as it
follows from what was said above, it is
manifest that God is omniscient in hell
as well as in heaven, and likewise
among men in the world ; thus that
He perceives, sees and knows theii
evils and falses, from the good and the
true, in which He is, and which, in
their essence, are Himself; for it is
read, If I ascend into heaven, Thou
art there ; if flay me down in hell, be-

52

Concerning God the Creator.

hold Thou art there. Psalm cxxxix. 8 ;
and in another place, If they dig
through into hell, thence shall my hand
take them, Amos ix. 2, 3.
63. V. That God is Omnipresent,
from the Firsts to the Lasts of
his Order.
That God is omnipresent, from the
firsts to the lasts of his order, is by
means of the heat and light of the sun
of the spiritual world, in the midst of
which He is : by means of this sun,
order was made, and from it He sends
forth heat and light, which pervade the
universe, from the firsts to the lasts of
it, and produce the life of men and
every animal, and also the vegetative
soul in every germ upon the earth ;
and those two flow into all and every
thing, and cause every thing to live
and grow, according to the order im
pressed upon them at the creation ; and
because God is not extended, and yet
fills all the extenses of the universe,
He is omnipresent. That God is in
all space without space, and in all time
without time, and that thence the uni
verse, as to essence and order, is the
fullness of God, has been elsewhere
shown ; and because it is so, by omni
presence He perceives all things ; by
omniscience He provides all things ;
and by omnipotence He operates all
things ; whence it is manifest, that
omnipresence, omniscience and omnip
otence make one, or that one supposes
another, and thus that they cannot be
separated. 64. The divine omnipresence may
be illustrated by the wonderful presence
of angels and spirits in the spiritual
world. In this world, because there is
no space, but only an appearance of
space, an angel or a spirit may, in a
moment, become present to another,
provided he comes into a similar affec
tion of love, and thence thought, for
these two make the appearance of
space. That such is the presence of
all there, was manifest to me from this,
that I could see Africans and Indians
there very near me, although they are
so many miles distant upon earth ; nay,
that I could become present to those
who are in other planets of this system,

and also to those who are in the planets
in other systems, out of this solar sys
tem. By virtue of this presence, not
of place, but of the appearance of place,
1 have conversed with apostles, deceas
ed popes, emperors and kings ; with
the founders of the present church,
Luther, Calvin and Melancthon ; and
with others from distant countries.
Since such is the presence of angels
and spirits, what limits can be set to
the Divine presence in the universe,
which is infinite ! The reason that
angels and spirits have such presence,
is, because every affection of love, and
thence every thought of the under
standing, is in space without space,
and in time without time ; for any one
can think of a brother, relation or
friend in the Indies, and then have him,
as it were, present to him ; in like man
ner, he may be affected with their love by
recollection. By these things, because
they are familiar to every one, the di
vine omnipresence may, in some de
gree, be illustrated ; and also by human
thoughts, as, when any one recalls to
his remembrance what he has" seen
upon a journey in various places, he is,
as it were, present at those places.
Nay, the sight ofthe body emulates that
same presence ; the eye does not per
ceive distances, except by intermediate
objects, which, as it were, measure
them. The sun itself would be near
the eye, nay, in the eye, unless in
termediate objects discovered that it is
so distant : that it is so, writers on op
tics have also observed in their books.
Such presence has each sight of man,
both intellectual and corporeal, because
his spirit sees through his eyes; but
no beast has similar presence, because
they have not any spiritual sight.
From these things, it is evident, that
God is omnipresent, from the firsts to
the lasts of his order : that He is also
omnipresent in hell, was shown in the
preceding article.
65. VI. That Man was created
a Form of Divine Order.
That man was created a form of
divine order, is because he was cre
ated an image and likeness of God ;
and because God is Order itself he was

Concerning the Omnipotence of God.

53

created an image and likeness of or
der. There are two things from which
order exists, and by which it subsists —
Divine Love and Divine Wisdom ; and
man was created a receptacle of them ;
wherefore, also, he was created in the
order according to which those two
act in the universe, and principally
according to which they act in the an
gelic heaven ; thence all that heaven
is, in the greatest effigy, a form of divine
order ; and that heaven is, in the sight
of God, as one man ; and, also, there
is a plenary correspondence between
that heaven and man ; for there is not
any society in heaven, which does not
correspond to some member, viscus or
organ in man. Wherefore it is said
in heaven, that this society is either in
the province of the liver, or the pan
creas, or the spleen, or the stomach, or
the eye, or the ear, or the tongue, &.c. ;
the angels themselves also know in
what jurisdiction of any part of man
they dwell. That it is so, has been
given me to know to the life. I have
seen a society, consisting of several
thousands of angels, as one man ;
whence it was manifest, that heaven,
in the complex, is an image of God,
and an image of God is a form of di
vine order.
66. It is to be observed, that all
things which proceed from the sun of
the spiritual world, in the midst of
which is Jehovah God, have some re
semblance to man, and that thetice,
whatsoever things exist in that world,
conspire to the human form, and, in
their inmost, they exhibit it ; whence
all the objects, which are presented to
the eyes there, are representatives of
man. There appear there animals of
every kind, and they are likenesses of
the affections of the love, and thence
of the thoughts, of the angels ; and
likewise shrubberies, flower-gardens,
and green fields there ; and it is given
to know what affection this and that
object represents ; and, what is won
derful, when their inmost sight is open
ed, they know their own image in those
things ; and this is the case, because
every man there is his own love, and
thence his own thought; and because

the affections, and thence the thoughts,
in every man, are various and manifold,
and some of them represent the affec
tion of one animal, and some of another ;
therefore, images of their affections
are thus exhibited. But more will be
seen concerning these things in the
following member concerning Crea
tion. From these things also appears
the truth, that the end of creation was
an angelic heaven from the human
race ; consequently man, in whom
God may dwell as in his receptacle ;
thence is the reason why man was cre
ated a form of divine order.
67. God, before the creation, was
Love itself and Wisdom itself, and
these two in the effort of doing uses ;
for love and wisdom, without use, are
only volatile things of reason, and they
also fly away, unless they apply them
selves to use. The two former also,
separate from the third, are like birds
which are flying over a great ocean,
and at length, being wearied with fly
ing, they fall down, and are drowned.
Thence it is evident, that the universe
was created by God, that uses might
exist; wherefore also the universe
may be called a theatre of uses ; and
because man was the principal end of
creation, it follows, that all and every
thing was created for the sake of man
and thence that all and every thing of
order was brought together into him,
and concentrated in him, that God
might do primary uses through him.
Love and wisdom, without their third,
which is use, may be compared to the
heat and light of the sun, which, un
less they operated upon men, animals
and vegetables, would be empty things ;
but they become real, by influx into
them, and operation in them. There
are also three things, which follow each
other in order, end, cause and effect;
and it is known, in the learned world,
that the end is not any thing, unless
it have respect to the efficient cause,
and that the end and this cause are
not any thing, unless the effect be
produced ; the end and the cause may,
indeed, be abstractly contemplated in
the mind, but still for the sake of some
effect, which the end intends and tho

54

Concerning God the Creator.

cause procures. It is similar with
love, wisdom and use ; and use is what
love intends and produces by the cause ;
and when the use is produced, love
and wisdom really exist, and make for
themselves a habitation and abode in
it, and rest, as it were, in their own
house. It is similar with the man in
whom are the love and wisdom of God,
while he is doing uses ; and that he
may do the uses of God, he is created an
image and likeness, that is, a form, of
divine order.
68. VII. That Man is so far in
Power against the Evil and the
False, from the Divine Omnipo
tence, AND THAT HE IS SO FAR IN WlS-
dom concerning the good and the
True,from the Divine Omniscience,
and that he is so far in god from
the Divine Omnipresence, as he
lives according to dlvine order.
The reason that man is so far in
power against the evil and the false,
from the divine omnipotence, as he lives
according to divine order, is, because
no one can resist evils, and the falses
thence, but God alone ; for all evils, and
the falses thence, are from hell ; and in
hell they cohere as one, just as all goods,
and the truths thence, do in heaven ;
for, as was said above, the whole heav
en is, in the sight of God, as one man,
and, on the other hand, hell as one
giant, which is a monster ; wherefore,
to act against one evil and one false
thence, is to act against that monstrous
giant, or hell ; and this no one can do
but God, because He is omnipotent;
whence it is manifest, that man, un
less he goes to the omnipotent God,
has, from himself, no more power
against the evil, and the false thence,
than a fish has against the ocean, than
a flee against a whale, or than a parti
cle of dust against a falling mountain,
and much less than a locust has against
an elephant, or a fly against a camel.
And, moreover, man has still less pow
er against the evil, and the false thence,
because he is born in evil, and evil
cannot act against itself. Hence it
follows, that unless a man lives accord
ing to divine order, that is, unless he
ackr-owledges God and his omnipo

tence, and from this, protection against
hell; and, moreover, unless man, on
his part, fights with the evil in himseli
(for this together with that is of order),
he cannot but be immersed and over
whelmed in hell, and there be driven
about by evils, one after another, as a
boat on the sea is driven about by tem
pests. 69. The reason that man is so far in
wisdom, concerning the good and the
true, from the divine omniscience, as he
lives according to divine order, is, be
cause all the love of good, and all the
wisdom of truth, or all the good of
love, and all the truth of wisdom, are
from God. That it is so, is also ac
cording to the confession of all the
churches in the Christian world ;
whence it follows, that man cannot be
interiorly in any truth of wisdom un
less from God, because God is Omnis
cience, that is, infinite wisdom. The
human mind is distinguished into three
degrees, like the angelic heaven, and
thence it may be elevated to a degree
higher and higher, and also it may
be let down to a degree lower and
lower ; but as far as it is elevated to
the higher degrees, so far it is elevated
into wisdom, because into the light
of heaven ; and this cannot be done,
except by God ; and as far as it is ele
vated thither, so far it is a man; and
as far as it is let down to the lower de
grees, so far it is in the infatuated light
of hell, and so far it is not a man, but
a beast. Man, also, for this reason,
stands erect upon his feet, and looks
towards heaven with his face, and can
elevate it to the zenith ; but a beast
stands upon his feet, in a posture par
allel with the earth, and with his whole
countenance looks thither ; nor can
he, without difficulty, raise it up to
wards heaven. The man who elevates
his mind to God, and acknowledges
that all the truth of wisdom is from
Him, and, at the same time, lives ac
cording to order, is like one who stands
upon a high tower, and sees a populous
city below him, and, at the same time,
whatever is done there in the streets;
but the man who confirms in himself
the idea, that all the truth of wisdom

Concerning the Omnipotence of God.

55

is from the natural light with him, thus
from himself, is like one who stays in a
cavern under that tower, and looks,
through the holes there, into the same
city ; he sees nothing but the walls of
one house in that city, and how the
bricks there cohere. Again, the man
who derives wisdom from God, is like
a bird flying aloft, which looks about
upon all things that are in the gardens,
woods and villages, and flies to those
things which are of use to it ; but the
man who derives such things as are
of wisdom, from himself, without a
belief that they are still from God, is
like a hornet, which flies along near
the ground, and when it sees a heap
of dung, it flies to it, and regales itself
with its stench. Every man, as long
as he lives in the world, walks in the
midst between heaven and hell, and
thence is in equilibrium, so that he
has freedom of will to look upwards to
God, or downwards to hell : if he looks
upwards to God, he acknowledges that
all wisdom is from God, and he, as to
his spirit, is actually with the angels in
heaven ; but he who looks downwards,
as every oue does who is in the false
from evil, is, as to his spirit, actually
with the devils in hell.
70. That man is so far in God, from
the divine omnipresence, as he lives
according to order, is because God is
omnipresent, and because where He
is, in his order, there He is as in Him
self; because He is Order itself, as was
shown above. Now, because man was
created a form of divine order, God is
in him, and, so far as he lives accord
ing to divine order, fully ; but if he
does not live according to divine order,
still God is in him, but in the highest
parts of him, and gives him the power
to understand truth and to will good ;
that is, He gives him a faculty for un
derstanding, and an inclination for
loving ; but as far as man lives contra
ry to order, so far he shuts up the low
er parts of his mind, or spirit, and
thus prevents God from descending and
fi.l'ng the lower parts of him with his
presence ; thence God is in him, but
he not in God. It is a general canon
in heaven, that God is in every man,

evil as well as good, but that man is
not in God, unless he lives according
to order ; for the Lord says, that He
willeth that man should be in Him, and
He in man, John xv. 4. That man
is in God, by a life according to order,
is because God is omnipresent in the
universe, and in all and every part of
it, in the inmost of those parts, for
these are in order ; but in those things
which are contrary to order, which are
such only as are out of the inmost,
God is omnipresent by a continual
struggle with them, and by a continual
effort to bring them back to order ;
wherefore, as far as man allows him
self to be brought back to order, so far
God is omnipresent in the whole of
him ; consequently, so far God is in
him and he in God. The absence of
God from man is no more possible
than the absence ofthe sun, by means
of heat and light, from the earth ; the
objects of the earth, however, are not
affected by the sun's virtue, except so
far as they receive the light and heat
proceeding from it, as is done in the
time of spring and summer. These
things may be thus applied to the om
nipresence of God ; that man is so far
in spiritual heat, and, at the same time,
in spiritual light, that is, in the good
of love and in the truth of wisdom, as
he is in order. Spiritual heat and
light, however, are not like natural
heat and light; for natural heat re
cedes from the earth in the time of
winter, and light in the time of night ;
and this is the case, because the earth,
by its rotations about its axis, and its
revolutions about the sun, makes those
times. But spiritual heat and light are
not so ; for God, by means of his sun,,
is present with both, and does not un
dergo changes, as the sun of the world
apparently does. Man himself turns
himself away, comparatively, as the
earth turns from its sun ; and when he
turns himself away from the truths of
wisdom, he is like the earth turned
from its sun in the time of night ; and
when he turns himself away from the
goods of love, he is like the earth turn
ed from its sun in the time of winter.
Such is the correspondence between

56

Concerning God the Creator.

the effects and uses from the sun of the
spiritual world, and the effects and uses
ffnm the sun of the natural world.

71. To the above shall be added three
Relations. First. I once heard un
der me, as it were, a roaring of the sea ;
and I asked, "What is this?" And
some one said to me, that it was a
tumult amongst those who are gathered
together in the lower part of the earth,
which is next above hell ; and present
ly the ground, which made a cover
ing over them, opened wide, and lo
through the opening, there flew out in
flocks, birds of night, which spread
themselves to the left hand ; and imme
diately after them, rose up locusts,
which leaped upon the grass of the
ground, and made a desert wherever
they came ; and a little afterwards, I
heard alternately from those birds of
night, as it were a howling, and at the
side a horrid screaming, as it were from
spectres in the woods. After this, I
saw beautiful birds from heaven, which
spread themselves to the right hand :
those birds were remarkable for their
wings as of gold, interspersed with
streaks and spots as of silver, and upon
the heads of some of them were crests
in the form of crowns. Whilst I was
looking and wondering at these things,
suddenly a spirit raised himself up
from the lower part of the earth where
that tumult was, who could trans
form himself into an angel of light ;
and he cried, " Where is he who speaks
and writes concerning the order, to
which the omnipotent God has tied
himself, in relation to man ? We have
heard these things below, through the
covering." While he was above that
earth, he ran through a paved street,
and at length came to me, and imme
diately feigned himself an angel of
heaven, and speaking in a tone not his
own, he said, " Are you the man who
thinks and speaks concerning order?
Tell me, briefly, what order is, and
some things which are of order." And
I replied, " I will tell you the general
things, but not the particulars, because
you cannot comprehend them." And

1 said, "I. That God is Order itself
II. That He created man from order,
in order and to order. III. That He
created his rational mind according
to the order of the whole spiritual
world, and his body according to the
order of the whole natural world ;
wherefore man was called, by the an
cients, a little heaven, and a little world.
IV. That thence it is a law of order,
that man, from his little heaven, or lit
tle spiritual world, should govern his
little world, or his little natural world,
as God, from his great heaven, or spir
itual world, governs the great world, or
natural world, in all and every part of
it. V. That it is a law of order thence
resulting, that man ought to introduce
himself into faith by truths from the
Word, and into charity by good works,
and thus to reform and regenerate
himself. VI. That it is a law of or
der, that man should purify himself
from sins by his own labor and power,
and not stand still in a belief of his
inability, and expect that God should
immediately wipe away his sins. VII.
It is also a law of order, that man
should love God with all his soul, and
with all his heart, and his neighbor as
himself, and not wait 'and expect that
such love should be infused into his
mind andhisheart,immediately,byGod,
as bread from the baker is put into his
mouth; besides many similar things."
When the satan had heard these things,
he replied, with a mild voice, in which
there was inwardly craft, " What
is it that you say ? that man, of his
own power, is to introduce himself
into order, by obeying its laws ? Do
you not know, that man is not under
the law, but under grace ? that all
things are given to him freely ? and
that he cannot take any thing to him
self, unless it be given him from heav
en ? and that man, of himself, has no
more power to act than the statue, Lot's
wife, or no more than Dagon, the
idol of the Philistines at Ekron ? and
that thus it is impossible for man to
justify himself, which must be done
by faith and charity 1" In reply to
these questions, I only said, "It is also
a law of order, that man, by his own

Concerning the Omnipotence of God.

a:

labor and power, should procure to
himself faith, by means of truths from
the Word, and yet he should believe,
that not a grain of faith is from him
self, but from God ; and also that man,
by his own labor and power, should
justify himself, and yet he should be
lieve, that not a jot of justification is
from himself, but from God. Is it not
commanded, that man should believe
in God, and love God with all his
strength, and his neighbor as himself?
Think, and say how these things could
have been commanded by God, if man
had no power to obey and do them."
When the satan had heard this, he was
changed as to his face,which from white
became at first dark, and then black ;
and, speaking from his own mouth, he
said, " You have spoken paradoxes
against paradoxes ;" and then he in
stantly sunk down to his companions,
and disappeared. And the birds on
the left hand, together with the spec
tres, uttered unusual sounds, and cast
themselves into the sea, which is there
called the Sea Suph, and the locusts
followed them by leaps ; and the air
was purified, and the earth was cleared
of those wild creatures, and the tumult
below ceased, and it became tranquil
and serene.
72. Second Relation. I once
heard an unusual murmur at a dis
tance, and I, in the spirit, followed the
direction of the sound, and approached
to it. When I came to the beginning
of it, behold there was a company of
spirits reasoning about Imputation and
Predestination. They were Dutch
men and Englishmen ; and some from
other nations were intermixed, who,
at the conclusion of every argument,
exclaimed, "Wonderful! Wonderful!"
The question discussed was, "Why God
does not impute the merit and righte
ousness of his Son to all and every one
created and afterwards redeemed by
Him. Is He not omnipotent ? Could
He not, if He would, make Lucifer,
the dragon, and all the goats, archan
gels? Is He not omnipotent ? Why
does He permit the injustice and im
piety of the devil to triumph over the
righteousness of his Son, and over the
S 8

piety of the worshippers of God ? What
is easier for God than to bestow faith,
and thus salvation, upon all? What is
necessary for this but a single word ?
And if all are not saved, does He not
act contrary to his own words, which
are, that He desires the salvation of
all, and the death of none ? Say, there
fore, from whom, and in whom, is the
cause of the damnation of those who
perish." And then one of the Dutch
men, a Supralapsarian Predestinarian,
said, " Is not this according to the
good pleasure of the Almighty ? Shall
the clay find fault with the potter, be
cause he has made of it a vessel of dis
honor V And another said, " The
salvation of every one is in His hand
as a balance in the hand of him who
uses it." There stood at the sides
some who were simple in faith and
upright in heart, some of them in
flamed in their eyes, some as it were
amazed, some as it were intoxicat
ed, and some as it were suffocat
ed, muttering amongst themselves,
" What have we to do with those
deliriums? Their faith has infatuat
ed them, which is, that God the
Father imputes the righteousness of
his Son to whomsoever and whenso
ever He pleases, and sends the Holy
Spirit to give assurances of that right
eousness; and., lest man should claim
any thing to himself, in the work of
salvation, he must be altogether like a
stone in the business of justification,
and like a stock in spiritual things."
And one of them thrust himself into
the company, and speaking with a loud
voice, he said, " O you simpletons,
your reasoning is futile. You are
totally ignorant that the omnipotent
God is Order itself, and that the laws
of order are myriads, even as many as
there are truths in the Word, and that
God cannot act contrary to them, be
cause to act contrary to them, would
be to act contrary to Himself, and thus
not only contrary to his justice, but
also contrary to his omnipotence."
And he saw at his right hand, as it
were a sheep, and a lamb, and a dove
flying ; and at his left hand, as it were
a goat, a wolf, and a vulture ; and he

5S

Concerning God the Creator.

said, " Do you suppose that God, by
virtue of his omnipotence, could change
that goat into a sheep, or that wolf into
a lamb, or that vulture into a dove, or
the contrary ? No ; for it is contrary to
the laws of his order, of which not
even a tittle can fall to the ground,
according to his own words. How,
then, can He insert the righteousness
of his Son's redemption into any one
who rebels against the laws of his
righteousness ? How can Righteous
ness itself commit unrighteousness,
predestinate any to hell, cast any into
the fire, at which the devil stands with
torches in his hand to feed it ? O
simpletons, destitute of the spirit !
your faith has seduced you. Is it not
as a snare in your hands for catching
doves?" A certain magician, hearing
these words, formed a snare, as it were,
from that faith, and hung it upon a
tree, saying, " You will see that I
shall catch that dove." And presently
a hawk flew up, and put his neck into
the snare, and was caught ; and the
dove, seeing the hawk, flew away.
The by-standers wondered, and ex
claimed, " Even this sport is a proof of
justice." 73. The next day there came to me
several from the company who were
in the faith of predestination and im
putation, and they said, " We are, as
it were, drunken, not with wine, but
with the discourse of that man yester
day. He spoke concerning omnipo
tence, and, at the same time, concern
ing order; and concluded that, as
there is divine omnipotence, so also
there is divine order, nay, that God
himself is Order ; and he said, that
there are as many laws of order as
there are truths in the Word, which
are not only thousands, but myriads of
myriads, and that God is bound to his
laws there, and man to his. What, then,
is the divine omnipotence, if it is tied
up by laws ? for thus all that is absolute
recedes from omnipotence ; and, in
that case, is not the power of God less
than that of a king in the world, who
is a monarch ? for he can change the
laws of justice at his pleasure, and act
absolutely, like Octavius Augustus,

and also like Nero. After we began
to think of omnipotence tied up by
laws, we became, as it were, drunken,
and are ready to fall into a swoon, un
less a remedy be quickly applied ; for,
according to our faith, we have prayed
that God the Father would have mer
cy on us, for the sake of his Son ; and
we believed, that He could have mercy
on whom He would, and remit sins to
whom He pleased, and save whom He
would ; and we durst not take away
the least particle from his omnipotence.
Wherefore, to bind God with the chains
of any of his own laws, we regarded
as great wickedness, because it seem
ed contradictory to his omnipotence."
Having said these words, they looked
at me, and I at them, and I saw that
they were amazed; and I said, "I
will pray to the Lord, and thence will
bring to you a remedy, by illustrating
this subject ; but now only by exam
ples." And I said, "The omnipo
tent God created the world, from the
order in Himself, and thus into the or
der in which He is, and according to
which He governs ; and He stamped
upon the universe, and upon all and
every part of it, its proper order ; up
on man, beast, bird, fish, worm ant
tree of every kind ; nay, upon the gras;
its own order. But, to illustrate b;
examples, I will briefly adduce the fol
lowing : The laws of order, prescrib
ed to man, are, that man should ac
quire for himself truths from the Word
and think of them naturally, and, as
far as he can, rationally, and thus pro
cure for himself natural faith : the laws
of order, then, on the part of God,
are, that He should approach and fill
the truths with his divine light, and
thus man's natural faith, which is only
science and persuasion, with his divine
essence ; thus, and not otherwise, sav
ing faith is produced. The case is
similar with charity ; but we will men
tion some particulars. God cannot,
according to the laws of his order,
remit sins to any man, except so far
as man, according to his laws, ceases
from them. God cannot spiritually
regenerate man, except so far as man,
according to his laws, naturally regen-

Concerning the Omnipotence of God.

59

efrates himself. God is in the perpet
ual effort of regenerating, and thus of
saving man ; but this He cannot effect,
except as man prepares himself a re
ceptacle, and thus prepares the way for
God, and opens the door ; a bride
groom cannot enter into the chamber
of a virgin not betrothed to him ; she
shuts the door, and keeps the key with
her within ; .hut after the virgin has
been betrothed, she gives the key to
the bridegroom. God could not, by
his omnipotence, have redeemed men,
unless He had become man ; nor could
He have made his Human Divine, un
less his Human had been, at first, as
the human of an infant, and afterwards
as the human of a boy; and unless
the Human afterwards had formed it
self into a receptacle and habitation,
into which its Father might enter ;
which was done by fulfilling all things
of the Word, that is, all the laws of
order there ; and as far as He did this,
so far He united Himself to the Father,
and the Father united Himself to Him.
But these are a few things, adduced
for the sake of illustration, that you may
see, that the divine omnipotence is in
order, and that its government, which
is called Providence, is according to
order ; and that it acts continually and
eternally according to the laws of its
order ; and that it cannot act contrary
to them nor change them, as to a sin
gle tittle, because order, with all its
laws, is Himself." When these words
were spoken, a radiant light, of a
golden color, flowed in through the
roof, and formed cherubs flying in the
air ; and the effulgence thence en
lightened the temples of some towards
the occiput, but not as yet towards the
forehead ; for they muttered, " We are
still ignorant what order is." And I
said, " It will be revealed to you, when
the things hitherto said to you shall
have. received some light."
74. Third Relation. I saw, at
a distance, several gathered together,
with caps on their heads ; some with
caps bound around with silk and who
were of the ecclesiastic order ; some
with caps whose borders were adorned
with bands of gold, who were of the

civil order ; all these vi ere men of
science and erudition ; and, moreover,
I saw some with turbans, who were
illiterate. I approached, and heard
them conversing together concerning
Divine Power without limits, saying,
that if it proceeded according to any
established laws of order, it could not
be without limits, but limited, and thus
power, and not omnipotence. But who
does not see, that no law of necessity
can compel omnipotence to do so, and
not otherwise? Certainly, while we
think of omnipotence, and at the same
time of the laws of order, according
to which it is obliged to proceed, our
preconceived ideas concerning om
nipotence fall, like a hand when its
staff is broken. When they saw me
near them, some of them ran up to me,
and, with some vehemence, said, "Are
you the man that has circumscribed
God with laws, as with bonds ? How
insolent this is ! Thus you have also
torn to pieces our faith, upon which our
salvation is founded, in the midst of
which we place the righteousness of
the Redeemer ; upon that, the om
nipotence of God the Father ; and we
make the operation of the Holy Spirit
an appendage ; and the efficacy of it
is in the absolute impotency of man, in
spiritual things, for whom it is enough
to speak ofthe fullness of justification,
which is in that faith, from the om
nipotence of God. But we have heard
that you see vanity in it, because there
is in it nothing of divine order on the
part of man." On hearing these
words, I opened my mouth, and, speak
ing with a loud voice, I said, " Learn
the laws of divine order, and after
wards open that faith, and you will see
a vast desert, and in it an oblong and
crooked Leviathan, and all around it,
nets, as it were, entangled into an in
explicable knot; but dp you, as it is
read of Alexander, when he saw the
Gordian knot, that he drew his sword,
and cut it in two, and thus loosed its
entanglements, and threw its thongs
on the ground, and trampled them un
der his feet." At these words, the
congregation bit their tongues, wishing
to sharpen them for invectives ; but

60

Concerning God the Creator.

they durst not, because they saw heav
en open above me, and heard a voice
thence — " Listen with moderation to
hear, for the first time, what is the or
der, according to the laws of which
the omnipotent God acts. God from
Himself, as Order, in order and into
order, created the universe, and like
wise man, in whom He fixed the laws
of his order, by which he became an
image and likeness of God ; which laws,
in the sum, are, that he should believe
in God and love his neighbor, and as
far as he does those two things by nat
ural power, so far he makes himself a
receptacle of the divine omnipotence,
and so far God conjoins Himself to
him, and him to Himself; thence his
faith becomes living and saving, and
his practice becomes charity, also liv
ing and saving. But it should be
known, that God is perpetually present,
and continually strives and acts in man,
and also touches his free will, but never
violates it ; for if He should violate the
free will of man, man's dwelling in
God would perish, and there would be
that of God only in man ; and this
dwelling is in all, as well in those who
are upon the earth as in those who are
in the heavens, and also in those who
are in the heils ; for thence is their
power to will and understand. But
there is no reciprocal dwelling of man
in God, except with those who live
according to the laws of order pre
scribed in the Word ; and these become
images and likenesses of Him, and to
them paradise is given for a possession,
and the fruit of the tree of life for
food. But the rest gather themselves
together around the tree of the knowl
edge of good and evil, and talk with
the serpent there, and eat , but after
wards they aie driven out of paradise ;
yet God does not leave them, but they
leave God." Those in caps under
stood and approved these words ; but
those in turbans denied, and said, <! Is
not omnipotence thus limited ? and is
not limited omnipotence a contradic
tion 1" But I replied, '' It is not a
contradiction to act omnipotently ac
cording to the laws of justice, and with
judgment, or according to the laws

inscribed on love from wisdom ; but it is
a contradiction, that God can act con
trary to the laws of his own justice and
love ; and this would not be from judg
ment and wisdom. Such a contradic
tion is implied in your faith, which is,
that God can, out of mere grace, jus
tify the unjust, and endow him with
all the gifts of salvation and the re
wards of life. But I wiH say, in a few
words, what the omnipotence of God
is. God, by his omnipotence, created
the universe, and, at the same time, in
troduced order into all and every part
of it ; God also, by his omnipotence,
preserves the universe, and watches
over the order there, with all its laws,
perpetually, and when any thing gets
out of order, He puts it back again,
and re-establishes it. Moreover, God,
by his omnipotence, established the
church, and revealed the laws of its
order in the Word ; and when it fell
from order, He re-established it, and
when it fell totally, He came down into
the world,and,by assuming the Human,
He clothed himself with omnipotence,
and restored it. God, by his omnipo
tence, and also his omniscience, ex
amines every one after death, and pre
pares the righteous, or the sheep, for
their places in heaven, and forms heav
en from them; and He prepares the
unrighteous, or the goats, for their
places in hell, and forms hell from
them ; and He disposes both heaven
and hell into societies and congrega
tions, according to all the varieties of
their love, which,in heaven, are as many
as the stars in the firmament of the
world ; and He joins the societies in
heaven together into one, that they may
be as one man in his sight ; in like man
ner, the congregations in hell, that they
may be as one devil ; and He separates
the former from the latter by a gulf,
lest hell should do violence to heaven,
and lest heaven should occasion tor
ment in hell ; for those who are in hell
are tormented in proportion as heaven
flows in. Unless God, by his omnipo
tence, should every instant act in heav
en and in hell, the bestial nature would
enter into men to such a degree, that
they could no longer be restrained by

Concerning the Creation of the Universe.

61

the laws of any order, and thus the
human race would perish. These and
similar things would happen, unless
God were Order, and omnipotent in or
der." On hearing these words, those
who wore caps went away, with their

caps under their arms, praising God ; for
in that world, the intelligent wear caps
Not so those who wore turbans, oe-
cause they are bald, and baldness signi
fies dullness or stupidity ; and these went
away to the left, but those to the right.

CONCERNING THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE.

75. Since, in this first chapter, we
eat of God the Creator, we ought al
so to treat of the creation of the uni
verse by Him; as, in the following
chapter concerning the Lord the Re
deemer, we shall also treat of Redemp
tion. But no one can obtain for him
self a just idea concerning the crea
tion of the universe, unless some uni
versal knowledges, previously acquired,
put the understanding into a state of
perception ; which knowledges will be
the following : I. That there are two
worlds, the spiritual world, in which
angels and spirits are ; and the natural
world, in which men are. II. That in
each world there is a sun, and that the
sun ofthe spiritual world is pure love
from Jehovah God, who is in the midst
of it'; and that from that sun proceed
heat and light; and that the heat
thence proceeding, in its essence, is
love, and that the light thence pro
ceeding, in its essence, is wisdom, and
that those two affect the will and un
derstanding of man, the heat his will,
and the light his understanding ; but
that the sun of the natural world is
pure fire, and that therefore the heat
thence is dead ; in like manner, the
light ; and that they serve for clothing
and support to spiritual heat and
light, that they may pass to man. III.
Then, that those two things, which
proceed from the sun of the spiritual
world, and thence all the things which
exist there by means of them, are sub
stantial, and are called spiritual; and
that the two similar things, which pro
ceed from the sun of the natural world,
and thence all the things which exist
here by means of them, are material,
and are called natural. IV. That in

each world there are three degrees,
which are called degrees of altitude,
and thence three regions, according to
which the three angelic heavens are
arranged, and according to which hu
man minds are arranged, which thus
correspond to the three angelic heav
ens ; and that other things are arrang
ed in like manner, both here and there.
V. That there is a correspondence be
tween those things which are in the
spiritual world, and those things which
are in the natural world. VI. That
there is an order, into which all and
every thing in both worlds was creat
ed. VII. That an idea concerning
these things ought first of all to be ob
tained; and, unless this be done, the
human mind, from mere ignorance
concerning them, may easily fall into
the idea of the creation of the universe
by nature, and- say, only from the au
thority of the church, that nature was
created by God ; but because it knows
not how, if it inquires into it more in
teriorly, it falls headlong into natural
ism, which denies God. But because
it would be the work of a large vol
ume, to explain and demonstrate those
things in a proper manner, one by one,
and, also, as it does not properly enter
into such a system of theology as this,
as a lemma, or an argument, I will
only adduce some Relations, from
which an idea of the creation of thti
universe by God may be conceived,
and from conception, some birth, re
presenting it, may be produced.

76. First Relation. On a cer
tain day, I was engaged in meditation
about the creation of the universe ; and

62

Concerning God the Creator.

because this was perceived by the an
gels who were above me on the right
side, where were some who had sev
eral times meditated and reasoned on
the same subject, therefore one de
scended and invited me, and I became
in the spirit, and accompanied him ;
and after I entered, I was conducted
to the prince, in whose palace I saw
several hundreds assembled, and the
prince in the midst of them. And
then one of them said, "We perceiv
ed here, that you were meditating
about the creation of the universe, and
we have several times been in a simi
lar meditation, but could never come
to a conclusion, since in our thoughts
was fixed the idea of a chaos; that this
was, as it were, a great egg, out of
which proceeded all and every thing
of the universe in their order ; when
yet we now perceive, that so great a
universe could not have been thus pro
duced. Then, also, there was fixed
in our minds another idea, which was,
that all things were created by God
out of nothing ; and yet we now per
ceive, that nothing is made out of noth
ing ; and our minds have not yet been
able to extricate themselves from these
two ideas, and to see creation in any
light, how it was effected ; wherefore,
we have called you out from the place
where you were, that you may disclose
your meditation concerning this sub
ject." On hearing these words, I re
plied, " I will do so." And I said,
" I meditated on this subject for a long
time, but to no purpose ; but after
wards, when I was admitted by the
Lord into your world, I perceived
that it would be vain to conclude any
thing concerning the creation of the
universe, unless it be first known, that
there are two worlds, one in which
angels are, and another in which men
are ; and that men, at death, pass out
of their world into the other ; and then
also I saw, that there were two suns,
one from which all spiritual things'
proceed, and the other from which all
natural things proceed ; and that the
sun, from which all spiritual things
proceed, is pure love from Jehovah
God, who is in the midst of it : and

that the sun, from which all natural
things proceed, is pure tire. Knowihg
these things, on a certain time, when I
was in illustration, I was enabled to
perceive that the universe was created
by Jehovah God, by means of the sun,
in the midst of which He is ; and be
cause love cannot exist, except together
with wisdom, that the universe was
created by Jehovah God, from his love
by his wisdom. That it is so, is evinced
by all and every thing that I have seen
in the world where you are, and that
I have seen in the world where I am,
as to the body. But to explain how
the progress of creation was made,
from its beginning, would be too prolix ;
but, when I was in illustration, I per
ceived, that by means of the light and
heat from the sun of your world, spir
itual atmospheres, which in themselves
are substantial, were created one from
another ; and because there were three,
and thence three degrees of them,
three heavens were made ; one for the
angels who are in the highest de
gree of love and wisdom, another for
the angels who are in the second de
gree, and the third for the angels
who are in the lowest degree : but,
because this spiritual universe cannot
exist without a natural universe, in
which it may produce its effects and
uses, that then the sun, from which all
natural things proceed, was created at
the same time, and by this, in like
manner, by means of light and heal,
three atmospheres, encompassing the
former, as the shell does the kernel,
or the bark of a tree the wood ; and at,
last, by means of these, the terraque
ous globe, where are men, beasts and
fishes, also trees, shrubs and herbs,
was formed of different kinds of earths,
which consist of loom, stones and min
erals. But this is a very general
sketch of the creation and its progres
sion ; but the particulars and singulars
cannot be explained, except by volumes
of books; but all things lead to the
conclusion, that God did not create the
universe out of nothing, because, as
you said, Nothing is made out of noth
ing; but by means of the sun of the
angelic heaven, which is from his

Concerning the Creation ofthe Universe.

63

Esse, and thence is pure love, together
with wisdom. That the universe, by
which is meant both worlds, the spir
itual and the natural, was created from
the divine love, by the divine wisdom,
all and every part of it testifies and
proves ; and you, if you consider the
parts of the universe in their order
and connection, from the light in
which the perceptions of your under
standings are, may clearly see it. But
it should be kept in mind, that the love
and wisdom, which in God make one,
are not love and wisdom, in an abstract
sense, but in Him as a substance ; for
God is the very, the only, and thence
the first Substance and Essence, which
is and subsists in itself. That all and
every thing was created from the di
vine love and the divine wisdom, is
meant by these words in John ; The
Word was with God, and the Word
was God; all things were made by
Him; and the world was made by
Him, i. 1, 3, 10. God there, signi
fies the divine love, and the Word
signifies the divine truth, or the di
vine wisdom ; wherefore the Word
there is called light, and by light,
when spoken of God, is meant the di
vine wisdom." After this, when I
was saying farewell, rays of light, from
the sun there, descended through the
angelic heavens, into their eyes, and
through them into the habitations of
their mind ; and, when thus illustrated,
they favored the things that had been
said by ine, and afterwards followed
me into the outer court, and my former
companion to the house where I was,
and from thence he reascended to his
society. 77 Second Relation. One morn
ing, when I had awaked from sleep,
and was meditating in the serene twi
light of the morning, before it was
broad day-light, I saw through the
window, as it were a flash of light
ning, and presently I heard, as it were,
a clap of thunder. While I was won
dering whence this was, I heard from
heaven, that there were some not far
from me, who were reasoning sharply
concerning God and Nature, and
that the flashing ofthe light, like light

ning, and the clapping of the air, like
thunder, were correspondences, and
thence appearances ofthe conflict and
collision of arguments, on one side in
favor of God, and on the other in fa
vor of nature. The beginning of this
spiritual combat was this : There wt -e
some satans in hell, who said amongst
themselves, " O that we might be al
lowed to speak with the angels of
heaven, and we would completely and
fully demonstrate, that what they call
God, from whom are all things, is na
ture ; thus, that God is" only a word,
unless nature be meant." And be
cause those satans believed this, with
the whole heart, and the whole soul,
and wished to speak with the angels of
heaven, it was given to them to ascend
out of the filth and darkness of hell,
and to speak with two angels then de
scending from heaven. They were in
the world of spirits, which is in the
midst, between heaven and hell. The
satans, when they saw the angels there,
ran quickly to them, and cried with a
furious voice, " Are you the angels of
heaven, with whom we are allowed to
engage in reasoning concerning God
and nature? You are called wise, be
cause you acknowledge God ; but oh,
how simple you are ! Who has ever
seen God? or who understands what
God is ? Who can conceive that God
reigns, and that He can govern the
universe, and all and every part of it?
Who, except the vulgar and the lowest
of the people, acknowledges what he
does not see and understand? What
is more evident than that nature is all
in all ? Who has seen any thing with
the eye, but nature ? Who has heard
any thing with the ear, but nature?
Who has smelt any thing with the
nose, but nature ? Who has tasted any
thing with the tongue, but nature?
Who has perceived any thing with the
touch of the hand or body, but nature ?
Are not the senses of the body our
witnesses of truths ? Who cannot swear
from those things, that it is so ? Is not
respiration, by which our body lives, al
so a witness ? What else do we breathe,
but nature? Are not our heads and
yours in nature? Whence is there

64

Concerning God the Creator.

influx into the thoughts of our heads,
but from nature ? And if nature be
taken away, can you think any thing?"
Beside many other things of a similar
kind. The angels, on hearing these
things, replied, " You speak in this
manner, because you are merely sen
sual. All in hell have the ideas of
their thoughts immersed in the senses
of the body, nor are they able to ele
vate their minds above them ; where
fore we forgive you. The life of evil,
and the faith of the false, have so
closed up the interiors of your minds,
that elevation above sensual things,
with you, is not possible, except in a
state removed from evils of life and
falses of faith ; for a satan can under
stand the truth, when he hears it, as well
as an angel, but he does not retain it,
because evii obliterates the truth and
induces the false. But we perceive
that you are in a state thus removed,
and so you can understand the truth
which we speak ; wherefore attend to
those things which we shall say." And
they said, " You have been in the
natural world, and you have departed
thence, and now you are in the spirit
ual world ; did you ever before know
any thing concerning a life after death ?
Did you not before deny it, and make
yourselves like the beasts? Did you
before know any thing concerning
heaven and hell? or any thing con
cerning the light and heat of this
world? or concerning this, that you
are no longer within nature, but above
it? For this world, and all the things
of it, are spiritual ; and spiritual things
are above natural things, so that not
even the least thing of nature, in
which you were, can flow into this
world. But you, because you believed
nature to be a god or a goddess, also
believe the light and heat of this world
to be the light and heat of the natural
world, when yet it is not so ; for natu
ral light here is darkness, and natural
heat here is cold. Did you know
any thing concerning the sun of this
world, from which our light and our
heat proceed ? Did you know that this
sun is pure love, and that the sun of
the natural world is pure fire? and

that the sun of the world, which ,fe
pure fire, is that from which nature
exists and subsists? and that the sun of
heaven, which is pure love, is that from
which life itself, which is love together
with wisdom, exists and subsists?
and thus, that nature, which you make
a god or a goddess, is entirely dead ?
You can, if a guard be given to you,
ascend with us into heaven ; and we
can, if a guard be given, descend with
you into hell ; and you will see in
heaven magnificent and splendid
things, but in hell, vile and filthy
things ; that difference is, because aH
in heaven worship God, and all in hell
worship nature ; and those magnificent
and splendid things in the heavens
are correspondences of the affections
of the love of good and truth; but
those vile and filthy things in the hells
are correspondences of the affections
of the love of the evil and the false.
From all these things now conclude,
whether God or whether nature be all
in all." To this the satans replied,
" In the state in which we are now,
we can conclude, from what we have
heard, that there is a God ; but when
the delight of evil fills our minds, we
see nothing but nature." Those two
angels and the satans were standing
not far from me, wherefore I saw and
heard them ; and, behold, I saw around
them manv who had been celebrated
for erudition in the natural world, and
I wondered, that those scholars should
stand now near the angels, and now
near the satans, and that they should
favor those near whom they were
standing ; and it was said to me, that
the changes of their situation were
changes of the state of their mind,
which sometimes favored one side,
and sometimes the other ; for they
were, as to faith, like Vertumni, or
changelings. " And we will tell you
a secret : we looked down upon the
earth at those who were celebrated for
erudition, and we found six hundred
in a thousand in favor of nature, and
the rest in favor of God : and these
in favor of God, because they had fre
quently said, — not from the understand
ing, but from what they had heard, —

Concerning the Creation of the Universe.

65

that nature is from God ; for the prac
tice of speaking from memory and re
collection, although not at the same
time from thought and intelligence,
produces an appearance of faith." Af
ter this, a guard was given to the sa
tans, and they ascended with the two
angels into heaven, and they saw mag
nificent and splendid things ; and then,
in the illustration from the light of
heaven there, they acknowledged that
there is a God, and that nature was
created to be subservient to the life
which is from God ; and that nature
in itself is dead ; and that thus it does
nothing from itself, but is actuated by
life. Having seen and perceived these
things, they descended ; and, while
they were descending, the love of evil
returned, and closed their understand
ing above, and opened it below ; and
then there appeared above it, as it
were, a dark shade, sparkling from
infernal fire ; and, as soon as they
touched the earth with their feet, the
ground under them opened, and they
sunk down again to their companions.
78. Third Relation. The next
day, an angel came to me from another
society of heaven, and said, " We
have heard there, that, in consequence
of meditating on the creation of the
universe, you were invited into a soci
ety near ours, and that there you said
such things about the creation as they
favored then, and have since recollect
ed with pleasure. I will now show
you how animals and vegetables of
every kind were produced by God."
And he led me along into a large green
field, and said, " Look around." And
I looked around, and saw birds of the
most beautiful colors, some flying,
some perching upon the trees, and
some upon the ground, plucking little
leaves from the roses ; amongst the
birds were also doves and swans. Af
ter these things vanished from my
sight, I saw, not far from me, flocks of
sheep with lambs, and of goats and
kids ; and round about those flocks,
I saw herds of cows and calves, and
also of camels and mules ; and in a
certain grove, stags with high horns ;
and also unicorns. After these things
9

were seen, he said, " Turn your face
towards the east." And I saw a gar
den, in which were fruit-trees, as
orange-trees, citrons, olives, vines, fig-
trees, pomegranates, and also shrubs,
which bore berries. Afterwards he
said, " Look now towards the south."
And I saw fields of grain of various
kinds — wheat, oats, barley and beans ;
and round about them, beds of roses,
exhibiting colors beautifully variegated ;
but, towards the north, groves full of
chestnut-trees, palm-trees, linden-trees,
plane-trees, and other trees, all in the
richest foliage. When I had seen
these, he said, " All those things which
you have seen are correspondences of
the affections of the love of the angels,
who are in the vicinity." And they
told me to what affections every thing
corresponded ; and, moreover, that not
only those things, but also all the other
things which are presented to our
eyes as objects of sight, are corre
spondences ; such as houses and the
furniture in them, tables and meats
and clothes, and also coins of gold ami
silver,, as also diamonds and other
precious stones, with which wives and
virgins in heaven are adorned. " From
all these things, we perceive what
each one is as to love and wisdom.
Those things which are in our houses,
and serve for uses, constantly remain
there ; but to the eyes of those who
wander from one society to another,
such things are changed according to
consociation. These things have been
shown to you, in order that you might
see the whole creation in a particular
type ; for God is Love itself and Wis
dom itself; and the affections of his
love are infinite, and the perceptions of
his wisdom are infinite; and of these,
all and every thing that appears upon
the earth are correspondences ; thence
are birds and beasts, thence trees and
shrubs, thence corn ana other grain,
thence herbs and grass of every kind ,
for God is not extended but still He is
in the extense every where ; thus in
the universe from its firsts to its lasts ;
and because He is omnipresent, such
correspondences of the affections of
his love and wisdom are in the whole

QG

Concerning God the Creator.

natural world ; but in our world, which
is called the spiritual world, there are
similar correspondences with those
who receive affections and perceptions
from God ; the difference is, that such
things, in our world, are created by
God instantaneously, according to the
affections of the angels ; but in your
world, they were created in like man
ner at the beginning ; but it was pro
vided, that, by generations of one from
another, they should be perpetually re
newed, and thus that creation should
be continued. The reason why crea
tion, in our world, is instantaneous,
and in yours continued by generations,
is, because the atmospheres and earths
of our world are spiritual, and the at
mospheres and earths of your world
are natural ; and natural things were
created that they might clothe spiritual
things, as the skin clothes the bodies
of men and animals, and the rind and
bark clothe the trunks and branches
of trees, the maters and meninges the
irain, the coats the nerves, and the
delicate membranes, the nervous fibres,
«fcc. Thence it is, that all those
things which are in your world are
constant, and constantly return every
year." To this the angel added,
" Relate these things, which you have
seen and heard, to the inhabitants of
your world, because hitherto they have
been in entire ignorance concerning
the spiritual world ; and without some
knowledge of it, no one can know, nor
even guess, that creation is continual
in our world, and that it was similar to
this in yours, while the universe was
created by God."
After this, we talked upon various
subjects, and at last concerning hell;
as, that no such things as are in heav
en appear there, but only the oppo
sites ; since the affections of their love,
which are the lusts of evil, are opposite
to the affections of the love in which
the angels of heaven are, Wherefore,
with those in, hell, and generally in
their deserts, there appear birds of night,
as bats, and various kinds of owls, and
also wolves, leopards, tigers, rats and
mice ; moreover, venomous serpents of
every kind, such as dragons and croco

diles ; and where there is any spot;of
grass, there grow briers, nettles, thorns
and thistles, and some poisonous plants,
which at times vanish, and then appear
only heaps of stones, and bogs in which
frogs croak. All these things are
also correspondences ; but, as was said,
correspondences of the affections of
their love, which are the lusts of evil.
Yet such things were not created there
by God, nor were they created in the
natural world, where similar things ex
ist ; for all things that God created and
creates, were and are good ; but such
things upon the earth arose together
with hell, which exists from men, who,
by aversion from God, after death be
came devils and satans. But because
these direful things began to hurt our
ears, we averted our thoughts from
them, and recollected the things which
we had seen in the heavens.
79. Fourth Relation. Once,
when I was engaged in thinking of
the creation ofthe universe, there came
to me some from the Christian world,
who, in their time, were philosophers
among the most celebrated, and reput
ed wise above the rest ; and they said,
" We perceive that you are thinking of
the creation ; tell us what your mind
is about it." But I replied, " Tell first
what yours is." And one said, "My
mind is, that creation is from nature, and
thus that nature created itself, and that
it was from eternity ; for there is not,
and cannot be, a vacuum. But what
do we see with our eyes, hear with our
ears, smell with our nostrils, and re
ceive into our breast by respiration, ex
cept nature, which, because it is with
out us, is also within us ?" Another,
hearing these words, said, " You talk
of nature, and make it the creator of
the universe ; but you do not know
how nature operates in producing the
universe ; wherefore I will tell you. It
folded up itself into vortexes, which
dashed against each other, like clouds,
or like houses when they fall together
in an earthquake ; and, by means of
that collision, the denser parts collect
ed themselves together, whence was
formed the earth ; and the looser
parts separated themselves from these

Concerning the Creation cf the Universe.

67

and also collected themselves together,
whence were formed seas ; and the
parts still lighter separated themselves
from these, whence were formed the
air and ether ; and from the lightest of
these, the sun. Have you not seen,
that when oil, water and dust of the
earth are mixed together, they sepa
rate of their own accord, and arrange
themselves in order, one above an
other ?" Then another, hearing that,
said, " You speak from fancy. Who
does not know, that the first origin
of all things was chaos, which, in
magnitude, filled a fourth part of the
universe ; and that in the midst of it
was fire ; and round about it, ether ;
and around this, matter ; and that that
chaos was shivered, and through the
chinks burst out fire, as from JEtna
and Vesuvius, whence originated the
sun ; and that, after this, the ether
3volved and diffused itself, whence
originated the atmosphere ; and at last
the residue of matter collected itself
into a globe, whence originated the
earth? As to the stars, they are
only luminaries in the expanse of the
universe, which sprung from the sun
and its fire and light; for the sun, at
first, was, as it were, an ocean of fire,
which, lest it should burn the earth,
severed from itself little shining flames,
which, being located in the circumfer
ence, completed the universe ; thence
originated . its firmament." But there
stood one among them who said,
" You are mistaken ; you appear to
yourselves to be wise, and I appear to
you simple ; but still, in my simplicity,
I have believed, and do believe, that
the universe was created by God ; and
because nature is of the universe, that
all nature was then created at the same
time. If nature created itself, would
it not have been from eternity ? But
oh, what folly!" And then one of
those wise men, so called, ran up nearer
and nearer to him who spoke, and put
his left ear to his mouth, for his right
ear was stopped up, as it were with
cotton, and asked what he said ; and
he repeated the same ; and then he
who ran up, looked around to see
whether any priest were present ; and

he saw one at the side of him who
spoke ; and then he replied, saying,
" I also confess, that all nature is from
God, but " — And then he went away,
and, whispering to his companions, he
said, " I said this because the priest
was present ; but you and I know that
nature is from nature ; and because
thus nature is God, I said that all na
ture is from God. But" — Then the
priest, hearing their whispering, said,
" Your wisdom, which is merely philo
sophical, has seduced you, and has so
closed the interiors of your minds, that
no light from God and from his heaven
could flow in and enlighten you ; you
have extinguished it. Consider," said
he, " and decide among yourselves,
whence are your souls, which are im
mortal, whether they were from na
ture, or whether they were at the same
time in that great chaos." On hearing
this, the former went away to his com
panions, requesting that they, together
with him, would solve this knot of a
question ; and they concluded, that the
human soul is nothing but ether, and
that thought is nothing but a modifica
tion of ether, by means of the sun's
light; and ether is of nature. And
they said, " Who does not know that
we speak by means of the air, and that
thought is nothing but speech in a
purer air, which is called ether ; thence
it is, that thought and speech make
one. Who cannot perceive this from
man while he is an infant? He first
learns to speak, and, by degrees, to
speak with himself, and this is to
think. What then is thought, but a
modification of ether 1 and what else is
the sound of speech, but a modulation
of air? Whence we conclude, that
the soul, which thinks, is of nature."
But some of them dissented not, indeed,
from the rest, but illustrated the state
of the question, saying, that " Souls
sprung into existence when the ether
gathered, itself together from that great
chaos, and then, in the highest region,
divided itself into innumerable indi
vidual forms,, which infuse themselves
into men, while they begin to think
from p; rer air, which are then called
souls '¦ Hearing this, another said.

66

Concerning God the Creator.

"I grant that the individual forms,
formed by the ether in the higher re
gion, may have been innumerable ;
but still the men born since the crea
tion of the world, have exceeded their
number ; how, then, could those ethe
real forms suffice ? Wherefore I have
thought with myself, that the souls,
which go out of the mouth of men
when they die, may return to the same,
and begin and end a life similar to the
former ; that many of the wise men
believe similar things and a metemp
sychosis, is known." Besides these,
other conjectures were broached by
the rest, which, because they were ut
terly foolish, i pass by. After an
hour or so, the priest returned ; and
then he, who before spoke of the crea
tion of the universe by God, told him
their decisions concerning the soul ; on
hearing which, the priest said to them,
" You have spoken just as you thought
in the world, not knowing that you are
not in that world, but in another,
which is called the spiritual world; all
those who have become sensual cor
poreal, by confirmations in favor of
nature, know no otherwise than that
they are in the same world in which
they were born and educated : the rea
son is, because there they were in a
material body, but here they are in a
substantial body;- and a substantial
man sees himself and his companions
around him, just as a material man
sees himself and his companions
around him ; for the substantial is the
primitive of the material ; and because
you think, see, smell, taste and speak
in like manner as in the natural world,
therefore you suppose, that the same
nature is here, when yet the nature of
this world is as different and distant
from the nature of that world, as the
substantial is from the material, or the
spiritual from the natural, or the prior
from the posterior ; and because the
nature of the world in which you be
fore lived is respectively dead, there
fore you, by confirmations in favor of
it, are become, as it were, dead; but in
respect to those things which are of
God, heaven and the church, and
also in respect to that which relates to

your souls. But still every man, the
bad as well as the good, may, as to the
understanding, be elevated even into
the light in which the angels of heav
en are, and then see that there is a
God, and that there is a life after
death, and that the soul of man is not
ethereal, and thus from the nature of
that world, but spiritual, and there
fore that it will live to eternity. The
understanding may be in that angelic
light, provided natural loves, which
are from the world, and for it and its
nature, and from the body, and for it
and its proprium, be removed ;" — and
then, in an instant, those loves were
removed by the Lord ; and it was given
them to speak with the angels, and
from their conversation, while in that
state, they perceived that there is a
God, and that, after death, they live in
another world ; wherefore they were
covered with shame, and exclaimed
" We have been mad, we have been
mad !" But because this was not
their proper state, and thence, after
some minutes, it became tedious and
irksome, they turned themselves away
from the priest, and would not hear his
speech any longer ; and thus they re
turned into their former loves, which
were merely natural, worldly and cor
poreal ; and they went away to the
left, from society to society, and at
length came to a way where the de
lights of their loves blew upon them,
and they said, " Let us go this way;"
and they went, and descended, and at
length came to those who were in the
delights of similar loves, and farther.
And because their delight was the de
light of doing evil, and in the way they
also did evil to many, they were im
prisoned, and became demons : and
then their delight was changed into
what is undelightful, because they
were curbed and restrained, by punish
ments and the fears of them, from their
former delight, which made their na
ture ; and they asked those who were
in the same prison, whether they were
about to live so to eternity. Some there
replied, " We have been here sever
al ages, and we are to remain for
ages of ages ; since the nature, which

Concerning the Creation of the Universe.

69

we contracted in the world, cannot be
changed nor expelled by punishments ;
and whenever it is expelled by them, still,
after a short lapse of time, it returns.
80. Fifth Relation. Once a sa-
tan, by permission, ascended out of
hell, together with a woman, and came
to the house where I was ; on seeing
whom, I shut the window, but yet
through it I talked with them, and
asked the satan whence he came. He
said, " From the company of his asso
ciates." And I asked, " Whence came
.the woman ?" He said, " From the
same." She was from a company of
Sirens, who know how to induce upon
themselves, by means of fantasies, all
the habits and figures of beauty and or
nament: at one time, they figure the
beauty of Venus ; at another, graceful
ness of person, as it were of a nymph of
Parnassus ; at another, they adorn them
selves, as it were, with the crowns and
robes of a queen, and walk magnificent-
y, leaning upon asilver cane. Such, in
the world of spirits, are harlots, and
they study fantasies. Fantasy is
produced by sensual thought, whilst
ideas from any interior thought are
shut up. I asked the satan whether
she was his wife. He replied, " What
is a wife ? I do not know what a wife
is, nor does my society. She is my
harlot." And then she breathed lascivi
ous desire into the man, which also
Sirens know how to do dexterously ;
and he, on receiving it, kissed her, and
said, " Ah, my Adonis!" But to pro
ceed to serious things : I asked the
satan what was his employment; and
he said, " My employment is the pur
suit of learning : do you not see the
laurel upon my head?" for this his
Adonis had formed by her art, and,
standing behind, she placed it upon
his head. And I said, " Since you are
come from a society where there are
schools of learning, tell me what you
believe, and what your associates be
lieve, concerning God." He replied,
" Our God is the universe, which also
we call nature, and which the simple
amongst us call the atmosphere, which
to them is air ; but the wise call it the
atmosphere, which also is ether. God,

heaven, angels, and the like, about
which many tell many stories in this
world, are empty words and. fictions
taken from meteors, which play before
the eyes of many here. Are not all
the things which appear upon the earth
created by the sun? Are not worms,

with wings and without wings.

pro

duced at every coming of the sun, in
the time of spring ? And do not the
birds, from his heat, mutually love each
other, and breed?
"Does not the earth, warmed by
his heat, bring forth seeds into
plants, and at length into fruits, as an
offspring ? Is not thus the universe a
God, and nature a Goddess ; and does
not she, as a wife, conceive, bring
forth, educate and nourish them ?"
Moreover, I asked what he and his
society believed concerning religion.
He replied, that " Religion, with those
of us who are learned above the vulgar,
is nothing but a charm for the common
upople, which, about the sensitive and
imaginative powers of their mind, is,
as it were, an aura, in which the ideas of
piety fly like butterflies in the air ; and
their faith, which connects those ideas,
as it were, into a chain, is like a silk
worm, in a silken envelope, from which
it flies forth as the king of butterflies.
For the common herd of the illiterate
love images above the sensual things
of the body and of the thought thence,
on account of a strong desire that they
may fly ; thus, also, they make foi
themselves wings, that they may ele
vate themselves like eagles, and boast
before the inhabitants of the earth,
saying, ' Look at me.' But we believe
what we see, and love what we touch."
And then he touched his harlot, arid
said, " I believe this, because I see
and touch it ; but as for such ludicrous
things, we cast them out through our
windows, and drive them away with a
blast of ridicule." Afterwards, I ask
ed what he, together with his associ
ates, believed concerning heaven and
hell. He replied, with a loud laugh,
" What is heaven, but the ethereal
firmament in its light? and what are
the angels there, but spots wandering
about the sun ? and the archangels, but

70

Concerning God the Creator.

comets with a long tail ? And what is
hell, but bogs, where are frogs and
crocodiles, which, in the imagination of
those people , are devils ? Besides these
ideas concerning heaven .and hell, all
the rest are trifles, introduced by some
primate, for the purpose of acquiring
glory from an ignorant populace." But
all these things he spoke just as he
had thought concerning them in the
world, not knowing that he was living
after death, and having forgotten all
that he heard, when he first enter
ed the world of spirits ; wherefore, to
the question concerning a life after
death, he replied, that " It is an ima
ginary entity ; and that perhaps some
effluvia, arising from a dead body in
the tomb, in form as a man, or some
thing which is called a spectre, about
which some people tell fabulous stories,
had introduced some such thing into
the imaginations of men." On hear
ing these words, I could no longer re
strain my laughter from bursting forth,
and I said, " Satan, you are raving
mad Why, now, are you not in form

a man ? Do you not speak, see, hear
and walk? Recollect that you once
lived in another world, whicli you have
forgotten, and that now, after death,
you live, and that you have been talk
ing just as you did before." And re
collection was given to him, and he
remembered, and then he was ashamed,
and cried, " I am mad : I have seen
heaven above, and heard the angels
there speaking ineffable things ; but
this when I had recently arrived here ;
but now I will retain this in order to
relate it to my companions, from whom
I came, and perhaps they likewise will
then be ashamed." And he kept in his
mouth, that he would call them mad;
but, as he descended, forgetfulness ex
pelled recollection, and when he was
there, he was as mad as ever, and call
ed those things which he heard from
me nonsense. Such is the state of
thought and speech of satans after
death. Those are called satans, who
have confirmed themselves in the belief
of falses ; and those devils, who have
confirmed evils in themselves by life.

Concerning tlie Lord the Redeemer.

71

CHAPTER II.

CONCERNING THE LORD THE REDEEMER.

81. In the former chapter, we have
treated of God the Creator, and at
the same time of creation ; but in
this chapter we are to treat of the Lord
the Redeemer, and at the same time
also of redemption ; and in the fol
lowing chapter, of the Holy Spirit, and
at the same time of the divine opera
tion. By the Lord the Redeemer, we<
mean Jehovah in the Human ; for that
Jehovah himself descended and as
sumed the Human, for the purpose of
accomplishing redemption, will be de
monstrated in what follows. The rea
son why it is said the Lord, and not
Jehovah, is because Jehovah, in the
Old Testament, is called the Lord in
the New, as is evident from these pas
sages : Tt is said in Moses, Hear, O
Israel, Jehovah your God is one Jeho
vah ; and thou shalt love Jehovah thy
God with all thy heart and witli all
thy soul, Deut. vi. 4, 5 ; but in Mark;
The Lord your God is one Lord, and
thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy .heart and with all thy soul, xii.
29, 30. Also in Isaiah ; Prepare a
way for Jehovah ; make smooth in the
desert a path for our God, xl. 3 ; but
in Luke ; Thou shalt go before the
face of the Lord, to prepare a way
for Him, i.. 76 ; besides in other
passages. And also the Lord com
manded his disciples to call Him I^ord,
and therefore He was so called by the
apostles, in their Epistles, and .after
wards by the apostolic church, as ap
pears from their creed, which is called
the " Apostles' Creed." The reason
was, because the Jews durst not use
the _ name Jehovah, on account of its
sanctity ; and also, by Jehovah is meant
the Divine Esse, which was from eter
nity, and the Human, which He as
sumed in time, was not that Esse.
What the Divine Esse, or Jehovah, is,
was shown in the foregoing chapter,

n. 18 to 26, and n. 27 to 35. For this
reason, here and in what follows, by
the Lord, we mean Jehovah in his Hu
man. Now, because knowledge con
cerning the Lord exceeds, in excel
lence, all the knowledges which are
given in the church, and even those
which are in heaven, the arrangement
shall be so ordered, that that knowledge
may come into the light, which there
fore will be this : I. That Jehovah,
the Creator of the universe, descended
and assumed the Human, that He might
redeem and save men. II. That He
descended as the Divine Truth, which
is the Word, and yet that He did not
separate the Divine Good. III. That
He assumed the Human according to
his divine order. IV. That the Hu
man, by which He sent Himself into
the world, is what is called the Son of
God. V. That the Lord, by acts of
redemption, made Himself righteous
ness. VI. That by the same acts, He
united Himself to the Father, and the
Father Himself to Him ; also accord
ing to divine order. VII. That thus
God became Man, and Man God, in
one person. VIII. That the progres
sion to union was the state cf his ex-
inanition, (or humiliation,) and that
the union itself is the state of his glo
rification. IX. That hereafter no one
among Christians can come into heaven,
unless he believes in the Lord God the
Savior, and goes to Him alone. But
these things shall be explained one by
one.
82. I. That Jehovah, the Crea
tor of the Universe, descended
AND ASSUMED THE HuMAN, THAT He
MIGHT REDEEM AND SAVE MeN.
In the Christian churches at this
day, it is believed that God, the Crea
tor of the universe, begat a Son from
eternity, and that this Son descended
and assumed the Human, to redeem

72

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

and save men ; but this is erroneous,
and falls «.f itself to the ground, while
it is considered that God is one, and
that it is more than fabulous in the eye
of reason, that the one God should
have begotten a Son from eternity, and
also that God the Father, together with
the Son and the Holy Ghost, each of
whom singly is God, should be one
God. This fabulous representation is
entirely dissipated, while it is demon
strated from the Word, that Jehovah
God himself descended, and became
Man, and also Redeemer. As it re
gards the first- That Jehovah God him
self descended and became Man, is evi
dent from these passages : Behold a
Virgin shall conceive and bring forth
a Son, who shall be called God with
us, Isaiah vii. 14. Matt. i. 22, 23. A
Cliild is born to us, a Son is given
to us, upon whose shoulder shall be the
government, and his name shall be call
ed Wonderful, God, Hero, Father
of Eternity, the Prince of Peace,
Isaiah ix. 6. It shall be said in that
day, Lo,this is our God, whom we have
expected to deliver us ; this is Jehovah,
whom we have expected; let us exult
and rejoice in his salvation, xxv. 9.
The voice of one crying in the wilder
ness, Prepare a way for Jehovah; make
smooth in the desert a path for our
God ; and all flesh shall see together,
xl. 3, 5. Behold, the Lord Jehovah is
coming in the mighty one, and his arm
shall rule for Him; behold, his reward
is with Him, and he shall feed his flock
like a shepherd, xl. 10, 11. Jehovah
said, Sing and rejoice, O daughter of
Zion ; behold, I am coming to dwell in
the midst of thee ; then many nations
shall cleave to Jehovah in that day,
Zech. ii. 14, 15. I Jehovah have
called thee in righteousness, and I will
give thee for a covenant of the people ; I
am Jehovah ; this is my name, and
my glory i will not give to
another, Isaiah xii. 6, 7, 8. Behold,
the days are coming, when I will raise
up unto David a righteous Branch,
who shall reign king, and do judg
ment and justice in the earth, and this
is his name, Jehovah our Righteous
ness, Jerem. xxiii. 5, 6. xxxiii 15, 16 :

besides in many passages, where the
coming of the Lord is called the da v.
of Jehovah, as Isaiah xiii. 6, 9, 13, 22.
Ezek. xxxi. 25. Joel i. 15. ii. 1, 2, 11.
iii. 24. iv. 1, 4, 18. Amos v. 13, 18,
20. Zeph. i. 7 to 18. Zech. xiv. 1, 4
to 21 ; and in other places. That
Jehovah himself descended and assum
ed the Human, is very evident in Luke,
where are these words : Alary said lo
the angel, How shall this be done, since
I know not a man ? To whom the an
gel replied, The Holy Spirit shall
come upon thee, and the virtue of tile
Most High shall overshadow thee ;
whence the Holy Thing that is born of
thee, shall be called the Son of God, i.
34, 35. And in Matthew : The angel
said, to Joseph, the bridegroom of Mary,
in a dream, That which is born in her
is of the Holy Spirit; and Joseph
knew her not, until she brought forth a
Son, and called his name Jesus, i. 20,
25. That by the Holy Spirit is meant
the Divine which proceeds from Jeho
vah, will be seen in the third chapter
of this work. Who does not know,
that the child has the soul and life from
the father, and that the body is from
the soul ? What, therefore, is said
more plainly, than that the Lord had
his soul and life from Jehovah God?
and, because the Divine cannot be
divided, that the Divine itself was his
soul and life ? Wherefore the Lord so
often called Jehovah God his Fatlier,
and Jehovah God called Him his Son.
What, then, can be heard more ludi
crous, than that the soul of our Lord
was from the mother Mary, as both the
Roman Catholics and the Reformed at
this day dream, not having as yet been
awaked by the Word.
83. That a Son, born from eternity,
descended and assumed the Human,
evidently appears as erroneous, and is
dissipated, from the passages in the
Word, in which Jehovah himself says,
that He himself is the Savior and the
Redeemer, which are the following:
Am not I Jehovah ? and there is no God
else besides Me ; a just God and a Sa
vior there is not besides Me, Isaiah
xiv. 21 , 22. lam Jehovah, and besides
Me there is no Savior, xliii. 11. lam

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

73

Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt not
acknowledge a God besides Me ; there
is no Savior besides Me, Hosea xiii.
4. That all flesh may know that I Jeho
vah am thy Savior and thy Redeem
er, Isaiah xlix. 26. lx. 16. As for our
Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts is his
name, xlvii. 4. Their Redeemer is
mighty ; Jehovah of hosts is his
name, Jerem. 1. 34. Jehovah, my Rock
and my Redeemer, Psalm xix. 15.
Thus said Jehovah, thy Redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah
thy God, Isaiah xlviii. 17. xliii. 24.
xlix. 7. Thus said Jehovah thy Re
deemer, I am Jehovah, that makeih
all things, even alone by myself, xliv. 24.
Thus said Jehovah, the King of Israel,
andhis Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts,
lam the First and the Last, and besides
Me there is no God, xliv. 6. Thou, Je
hovah, art our Father, our Redeemer
from eternity is thy name, lxiii. 16.
With the mercy of eternity I will have
merry, thus said Jehovah thy Redeem
er, liv. 8. Thou hast redeemed me,
Jehovah, God of truth, Psalm xxxi. 6.
Let Israel hope in Jehovah, because in
Jehovah is mercy, and with Him is
plenteous Redemption, and He will
redeem Israel from all his iniquities,
cxxx.7, 8. Jehovah God, and thy Re
deemer the Holy One of Israel, the
God of the whole earth shall He
be called, Isaiah liv. 5. From these
passages and very many others, every
man who has eyes, and a mind opened by
means of them, may see that God, who is
one, descended and became Man, for the
purpose of accomplishing the work of re
demption. Who cannot see this, as in
the morning light, while he attends to
those very divine declarations, which
have been adduced? But those who
are in the shade of night, from confir
mation in favor ofthe birth of another
God from eternity, and concerning his
descent and redemption, close their
eyelids at those divine declarations, and
in that state think how they may apply
them to their falses, and pervert them.
84. There are several reasons,
which will be explained in the course
of the following pages, why God could
not redeem, men, that is, deliver them
10

frftm damnation and hell, except by
the assumed Human ; for redemption
was the subjugation of the hells, and
the establishment of order in the heav
ens, and, after this, the institution of a
church : these things, God by his om
nipotence could not effect, except by
means of the Human ; as no one can
work unless he has an arm ; also his
Human is called in the Word, the Arm
of Jehovah, Isaiah xl. 10; Iiii. 1 ; and
also as no one can attack a fortified
city, and destroy the temples of the
idols which are therein, except by
means of proper powers. That, in this
divine work, God had omnipotence by
means of his Human, also is manifest
from the Word ; for God, who is in the
inmost, and thus the purest things, other
wise might have passed in vain into the
ultimates in which the hells are, and
irr which the men of that time were,
comparatively as the soul cannot do
any thing without a body, or as no
one can conquer enemies, which do
not come into his sight, or to which he
cannot come and approach with any
arms, as spears, shields, or muskets.
To accomplish the work of redemp
tion without the Human, was as im
possible for God, as it is for man to
subjugate the Indies, and not trans
port soldiers thither by means of ships ,
or as it is to make trees grow only by
the heat and light of the sun, unless
the air were created, through which
the heat and light might pass, and un
less the earth were created, out of
which they might be produced ; nay,
it is as impossible, as to cast nets into
the air, and catch fishes there, and not
in the water ; for Jehovah, as He is in
Himself, cannot, by his omnipotence,
touch any devil in hell, nor any devil
upon earth, and repress him and his
fury, and subdue his violence, unless
He be in the lasts, as He is in the
firsts : He is in the lasts in his Human ;
wherefore, in the Word, He is called
the First and the Last, the Alpha and
the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
85. II. That Jehovah descended
as the Divine Truth, which is the
Word, and yet that He did not
separate the Divine Good.

74

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

There are two things which make
the essence of God, the Divine Love and
the Divine Wisdom ; or, what is the
same, the Divine Good and the Divine
Truth. That these two are the essence
of God, was demonstrated above, n.
36 to 48. These two, in the Word,
are meant also by Jehovah God; by
Jehovah, the Divine Love or the Divine
Good, and by God, the Divine Wisdom
or the Divine Truth ; thence it is, that,
in the Word, they are distinguished in
various ways, and sometimes only Je
hovah is named, and sometimes only
God ; for where it is treated of the Di
vine Good, there it is said Jehovah;
and where of the Divine Truth, there
God; and where of both, there Jeho
vah God. That Jehovah God de
scended as the Divine Truth, which is
the Word, is evident in John, where
are these words ; In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. All
things were made by Him, and without
Him was nothing made that was made.
And the Word became flesh, and
dwelt amongst us, i. 1, 3, 14. That, by
the Word is there meant the Divine
Truth, is because the Word, which is in
the church, is the Divine Truth itself;
for it was dictated by Jehovah Himself,
and what is dictated by Jehovah, is
purely the Divine Truth, and can be no
other ; but, because that passed through
the heavens, even into the world, it be
came accommodated to the angels in
heaven, and also to men in the world.
Thence there is, in the Word, a spirit
ual sense, in which Divine Truth is in
the light, and a natural sense, in which
Divine Truth is in the shade ; wherefore
the Divine Truth, in this Word, is what
is meant in John. This appears still
more clearly from this, that the Lord
came into the world that He might ful
fill all things of the Word ; wherefore
it is so often read, that this and that
was done by Him that the Scripture
might be fulfilled. No other than the
Divine Truth is meant by the Messiah
or Christ ; nor any other by the Son of
Man ; nor any other by the Comforter,
the Holy Spirit, which the Lord sent
after his departure. That He repre

sented Himself as that Word, in his
transfiguration before the three dis
ciples on the mount {Matt. xii. Mark
ix. and Luke ix.), and also before
John {Rev. i, 12 to 16), will be seen in
the chapter concerning the Sacred
Scripture. That the Lord, in the
world, was the Divine Truth, appears
from his own words : 7" am the Way,
the Truth and the Life, John xiv.
6 ; and from these, We know that
the Son of God hath come, and given
us understanding, that we may know
the truth, and we are in the truth,
in his Son Jesus Christ : This is the
true God and eternal life, 1 John v.
20, 21 ; and still further by his being
called the light, as in these passages:
He was the true light, which enlight
eneth every man that cometh into the
world, John i. 4, 9. Jesus said, Yet
for a little while the light is with you :
walk while ye have light, lest darkness
overtake you : while ye have light, be
lieve in the light, that ye may be sons
ofthe light, xii. 35, 36, 46. / am the
light of the world, ix. 5. Simeon
said, Mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
a light for the revelation of the gen
tiles, Luke ii. 30, 31, 32. This is the
judgment, that light hath come into
the world; he who doeth the truth,
cometh to the light, John iii. 19, 21 :
besides other places, where by the
light is meant the Divine Truth.
86. The reason why Jehovah God
descended into the world as the Divine
Truth was, that He might do the work
of redemption ; and redemption was
the subjugation of the hells, the estab
lishment of order in the heavens, and,
after this, the institution of a church.
The Divine Good is not competent to ef
fect those things, but the Divine Truth
from the Divine Good : the Divine Good,
considered in itself, is as the round
hilt of a sword, or as blunt wood, or as
a naked bow; but the Divine Truth
from the Divine Good, is as a sharp
sword, and as wood in the form of a
spear, and as a bow with arrows,
which are serviceable against an ene
my. By swords, spears, and bows,
in the spiritual sense of the Word,
also are meant truths fighting : see

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

"Apocalypse Revealed," n. 52, 298,
436, where this is demonstrated : nor
could the falses and evils in which the
hells were and perpetually are, be at
tacked, conquered and subjugated
otherwise than by the divine truth
from the Word ; nor could the new
heaven, which also was then made, be
founded, formed and arranged in order
by any other means ; nor could the
New Church upon earth be instituted
by any other means. Moreover, all
the strength, all the virtue, and all the
power of God, is of the divine truth
from the divine good. This was the
reason why Jehovah God descended as
divine truth, which is the Word ; there
fore it is said in David, Gird thy sword
upon thy thigh, O Mighty, and in
thy honor ascend; ride upon the
Word of Truth ; thy right hand will
teach thee wonderful things ; thine ar
rows are sharp ; thine enemies shall fall
under thee, Psalm xiv. 4, 5, 6. These
words are concerning the Lord, and
concerning his combats with the hells,
and concerning his victories over them.
87. What good without truth is,
and what truth from good is, appears
manifestly from man ; all his good
resides in the will, and all his truth in
the understanding; and the will from
its good cannot do any thing except by
the understanding ; it cannot work, it
cannot speak, it cannot feel ; all its
virtue and power is by means of the
understanding, consequently by means
of truth, for the understanding is the
receptacle and habitation of truth.
The case is similar with these as with
the operation ofthe heart and lungs in
the body ; the heart, without the respi
ration of the lungs, does not produce
any motion or any sensation, but the
respiration of the lungs from the heart
does both ; which is evident in swoons
with those who are suffocated and
drowned in water, in whom respiration
ceases, while the systolic activity of the
heart still continues ; that such have
neither motion nor sensation, is'known.
It is similar with embryos in the womb
of the mother ; the reason is, because
the heart corresponds to the will and
its goods, and the lungs to the under

standing and its truths. In the spirit
ual world, the power of truth is most
conspicuous ; an angel who is in divine
truths from the Lord, although, as to
the body, he is as weak as an infant,
can put to flight, pursue to hell, and
thrust into the caverns there, even a
troop of infernal spirits, who appear as
the Anakim and the Nephalim, that is,
as giants ; and when they go out of the
caverns, they dare not approach the
angel. Those who are in divine truths
from the Lord are in that world as li
ons, although, as to their bodies, they
are no stronger than sheep.- It is
similar with men who are in divine
truths from the Lord, against evils and
falses, consequently against phalanxes
of devils, who, considered in their
essence, are no other than evils and
falses. The reason why there is such
strength inherent in divine truth is,
because God is Good itself and Truth
itself, and He created the universe by
the divine truth ; and all the laws of
order, by which He preserves the uni
verse, are truths. Wherefore it is
said in John, that By the Word all
things were made, and without it noth
ing was made that was made, i. 3, 10 ;
and in David, By the Word of Jeho
vah the heavens were made, and all the
host of them by the breath of his
mouth, Psalm xxxiii. 6.
88. That God, although He de
scended as the divine truth, still did
not separate the divine good, is evi
dent from the conception, concerning
which it is read, that The virtue of
the Most High overshadowed Mary,
Luke i. 35 ; and by the virtue of the
Most High, is meant the divine good.
The same is evident from the pas
sages, where He says that the Father is
in Him, and He in the Father ; that all
things of the Father are his ; and that
the Father and He are one ; besides
many other things ; by the Father is
meant the Divine Good.
89. III. That God assumed the Hu
man according to his Divine Order.
In the section concerning the divine
omnipotence and omniscience, it was
shown, that God, at the creation, in
troduced order into the univei se, and

76

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

into all and every part of it ; and that
therefore the omnipotence of God, in
the universe, and in all and every part
of it, proceeds and operates according
to the laws of his divine order, concern
ing which we have treated above in a
series from n. 47 to 74. Now, because
God descended, and because He is
Order itself, as also was there demon
strated, in order that He alsG might
actually become Man, He codd not
but be conceived, carried in the womb,
brought forth, educated, and succes
sively learn the sciences, and by them
be introduced into intelligence and
wisdom. Wherefore, as to the Human,
He was an infant as an infant, a boy
as a boy, &c. ; with this difference
only, that He perfected those progres
sive states sooner, more fully and more
perfectly, than others. That He ad
vanced thus progressively according to
order, is evident from these words in
Luke ; And the Child Jesus grew, and
was strengthened in spirit, and increas
ed in wisdom, in age, and in favor with
God and man, ii. 43, 50. That He
did so sooner, more fully and more
perfectly, than others, appears from
those things which are said of Him in
the same Evangelist ; as that when He
was a Boy of twelve years, He sat in the
temple in the midst of the doctors, and
taught ; and that all who heard Him
were astonished at his intelligence and
answers, ii. 46, 47 ; and afterwards, iv.
16 to 22, 32. This was done, because
the divine order is, that man should
prepare himself for the reception of
God ; and as he prepares himself, so
God enters into him, as into his habi
tation and house ; and that preparation
is made by means of knowledges con
cerning God, and concerning the spir
itual things which are of the church,
and thus by intelligence and wisdom ;
for it is a law of order, that as far as
man accedes and approaches to God,
which he should do altogether as from
himself, so far God accedes and ap
proaches to man, and in the midst of
him conjoins Himself with him. That
the Lord proceeded according to this or
der, even to union with his Father, will
be further demonstrated in what follows.

90. Those who do not know, thai
the divine omnipotence proceeds and
operates according to order, may hatch
out of their fancy many things oppo
site and contradictory to sound reason,
as why God did not assume the Human
immediately, without such a progres
sion ; why He did not create or com
pose for Himself a body out of the
elements, from the four quarters of the
world, and thus exhibit himself to be
seen as God-Man, before the Jewish
people, nay, before the whole world ;
or, if He would be born, why He did
not infuse into the embryo itself, or into
Himself as an infant, all his Divine ;
or why He did not, after his birth,
raise Himself up to the stature of a
perfect man, and speak immediately
from the divine wisdom. Such and
similar things those may conceive and
bring forth, who think concerning the
divine omnipotence without order ; and
thus may fill the church with deliriums
and trifles, as also has been done ; as
that God could beget a Son from eter
nity, and cause that a third God also
should then proceed from Himself and
the Son ; then that He could be angry
with the human race, give them over
to execration, and be willing to be
brought back to mercy by his Son, and
this by his intercession and the remem
brance of his cross ; and, moreover,
that He could put into man the righte
ousness of his Son, and insert it in his
heart, as a simple substance, according
to Wolfius, in which, as the author
himself says, are all things of the Son's
merit ; but that it cannot be divided,
since, if it be divided, it falls into
nothing ; and, moreover, that He can,
as by a papal bull, remit sins to whom
soever He will, or purify the most im
pious person from his black evils^ and
thus make one who is black as a dWil.
white as an angel of light, without
man's moving himself any more than
a stone, or while he stands still as a
statue or as an idol; besides many
other foolish notions, which those who
maintain that the divine power is ab
solute, without any knowledge or ac«
knowledgment of order, may scatter
about as a winnower scatters chaff in

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

77

the air. These, in spiritual things,
which are of heaven and the church,
and thence of eternal life, may wander
from divine truths, like a blind man in
the woods, who now falls upon stones,
now dashes his forehead against a
tree, now entangles his hair in its
branches. 91. Divine miracles also have been
done according to divine order, but ac
cording to the Order of the Influx of
the Spiritual World into the Natural;
concerning which order no one has
hitherto known any thing, because no
one has known any thing of the spir
itual world. But what that order is,
will be made manifest in its time, when
we treat of Divine Miracles, and of
Magical Miracles.
92. IV. That the Human, by
which God sent Himself into the
world, is the Son of God.
The Lord frequently said, that the
Father sent Him into the world, and
that He was sent by the Father ; as
Matt. x. 40. xv. 24. John iii. 17, 24.
v. 23, 24, 36, 37, 38. vi. 29, 39, 40,
44, 57. vii. 16, 18, 28, 29. viii. 16, 18,
29,42. ix. 4; and in many other places;
and this He says, because by being
sent into the world, is meant to de
scend and come amongst men ; and
this was done by the Human, which
He assumed by means of the virgin
Mary; and also the Human is actually
the Son of God, because it was con
ceived of Jehovah God, as a Father,
according to Luke, i. 32, 35. He is
called the Son of God, the Son of Man,
and the Son of Mary ; and by the Son
of God is meant Jehovah God in his
Human ; by the Son of Man, the Lord
as to the Word ; and by the Son of
Mary, properly the Human, which He
assumed. That by the Son of God,
and by the Son of Man, those two
things are meant, will be demonstrated
in what follows ; that by the Son of
Mary is meant the merely Human, is
manifest from the generation of men,
that the soul is from the father, and the
body from the mother ; for the soul is
in the seed of the father, and it is
clothed with a body in the mother ; or,
what is the same, all the spiritual that

man has, is from the father, and al'.
the material is from the mother ; as to
the Lord, the Divine which He had
was from Jehovah, the Father, and the
human was from the mother ; these
two united are the Son of God. That
it is so, appears clearly from the nativ
ity of the Lord, concerning which this
is written in Luke : The angel Gabriel
said to Mary, The Holy Spirit shall
come upon thee, and the virtue of the
Most High shall overshadow thee;
whence the Holy Thing that is born of
thee shall be called the Son of God,
i. 35. The Lord called Himself Sent
by the Father, also for this reason, be
cause by sent is signified the like as
by angel; for angel, in the original
language, is sent : for it is said in Isaiah,
The angel of the faces of Jeho
vah delivered them; in his love and
his pity he redeemed them, lxiii. 9 ; and
in Malachi ; The Lord, whom ye seek,
shall suddenly come to his temple, and
the angel of the covenant, whom
ye desire, iii. 1 ; besides other places.
That the Divine Trinity, God the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is
in {he Lord, and that the Father in Him
is the Divine from which [are all things] ,
the Son, the Divine Human, and the
Holy Spirit, the proceeding Divine,
will be seen in the third chapter of
this work, where we shall treat of the
Divine Trinity.
93. Since it was said to Mary, by
the angel Gabriel, the Holy Thing
which shall be born of thee shall be
called the Son of God, passages shall
be adduced from the Word to show
that the Lord, as to the Human, is
called the Holy One of Israel,
which are I was seeing in visions ; lo,
a watcher and a Holy One descending
from heaven, Dan. iv. 10, 20. God
will come from Teman, and the Holy
One from mount Paran, Hab. iii. 3.
I Jehovah, the Holy One, the Crea
tor of Israel, your Holy One, Isaiah
xliv. 11, 15. Thus said Jehovah, the
Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, xiii.
7. I Jehovah thy God, the Holy One
of Israel, thy Savior, xliii. 3. As for
our Redeemer, Jehovah of liosts is his
name, the Holy One of Israel, xlvii.

78

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

4. Said Jehovah your Redeemer, the
Holy One of Israel, xliii. 13. xlviii.
17. Jehovah of hosts is his name, and
thy Redeemer, the Holy One of
Israel, liv. 5. They tempted God and
the Holy One of Israel, Psalm
lxxviii. 41. They forsook Jehovah,
and provoked the Holy One of Isra
el, Isaiah 1. 4. They said, Make the
Holy One of Israel cease from our
faces ; therefore, thus said th e Holy
One of Israel, xxx. 11, 12. Who say,
Let him hasten his work, that we may
see, and let the counsel of the Holy
One of Israel approach and come,
v. 19. In that day they shall lean upon
Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel,
in truth, x. 20. Cry out and sing aloud,
O daughter of Zion, because great in
the midst of thee is the Holy One
of Israel, xii. 6. The saying ofthe
God of Israel; In that day his eyes
shall look to the Holy One of Israel,
xvii. 7. The poor of men shall exult
in the Holy One of Israel, xxix.
19. xii. 16. The earth is full of guilt
iness against the Holy One of Isra
el, Jerem. 1. 29 ; and, moreover, Isaiah
lv. 5. lx. 9, and in other places. By
the Holy One of Israel is meant
the Lord as to the Divine Human ; for
the angel said to Mary, The Holy
Thing which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God, Luke
i. 35. That Jehovah and the Holy
One of Israel are one, although they
are distinctly named, may be evident
from the passages also here adduced
to show that Jehovah is that Holy One
of Israel. That the Lord is called the
God of Israel, is evident also from
very many passages, as Isaiah xvii. 6.
xxi. 10, 17. xxiv. 15. xxix. 23. Jerem.
vii. 3. ix. 14. xi. 3. xiii. 12. xvi. 9.
xix. 3, 15. xxiii. 2. xxiv. 5. xxv. 15,
27. xxix. 4, 8, 21 , 25. xxx. 2. xxxi.
29. xxxii. 14, 15, 36. xxxiii. 4. xxxiv.
2, 13. xxxv. 13, 17, 18, 19. xxxvii. 7.
xxxviii. 17. xxxix. 16. xiii. 9, 15, 18.
xliii. 10. xliv. 2,7, 11,25. xlviii. 1. 1.
18. li. 33. Ezek. viii. 4. ix. 3. x. 19,20.
xi. 2. xliii. 2. xliv. 2. Zeph. ii. 9. Psalm
xii. 13. lix. 0. Ixviii. 9.
94. In the Christian churches at the
present time, it is common to call the

Lord, our Savior, the Son of Mary,
and rarely the Son of God, unless they
then mean a Son of God, born from
eternity : the reason of this is, because
the Roman Catholics have sanctified
Mary, the mother, above the rest, and
have exalted her as a goddess, or queen,
over all their saints ; when yet the
Lord, when He glorified his Human,
put off all of his mother, and put on
all of the Father, which will be fully
demonstrated in the following parts of
this work. From this common saying
in the mouth of all, that He is called
the Son of Mary, many enormities
have flowed into the church, especially
with those who have not admitted into
their judgment those things which art
said in the Word concerning the Lord,
as that the Father and He are one ;
that He is in the Father, and the Fa
ther in Him ; that all things ofthe Fa
ther are his ; that He called Jehovah his
Father, and Jehovah the Father called
Him his Son. The enormities which
have flowed into the church from this,
that they name Him the Son of Mary,
and not the Son of God, are, that con
cerning the Lord, the idea of divinity is
lost, and with this, all that which is said
in the Word concerning Him as the Son
of God ; then that through that enters
Judaism, Arianism, Socinianism, Cal
vinism, such as it was in the beginning,
and at length Naturalism, and with
this the fancy that He was the Son of
Mary by Joseph, and also that he had
his soul from the mother, and thence
that He is called the Son of God, and
is not so. Let every one, clergyman
as well as layman, consult himself,
whether he has conceived and cherishes
any other idea concerning the Lord,
as the Son of Mary, than as of a mere
man. Since such an idea began to
prevail amongst Christians in the third
century, when the Arians arose, there
fore the Nicene coun^if, to vindicate
the divinity of the Lord, feigned a Son
of God born from eternity ; but, by
this fiction, the Human of the Lord
was indeed elevated then, and with
many also at this day it is elevated, tc
the Divine ; but not with those who,
by the hypostatic union, undersian'

Concerning the Lsrd the Redeemer.

a union as between two, of whom one
is above, and the other is below. But
what else results thence than that the
whole Christian church should perish,
which was founded solely upon the
worship of Jehovah in the Human,
consequently upon God-Man. That no
one can see the Father, nor know Him,
nor come to Him, nor believe in Him,
unless through his Human, the Lord
declares in many passages. If this is
not done, all the noble seed of the
church is turned into ignoble seed ;
the seed of the olive into the seed of
the pine ; the seed of the orange, the
citron, the apple and the pear, into the
seed of the willow, the elm, the linden
and the holm-oak ; the vine into the
bulrush of the bog ; the wheat and bar
ley into chaff; nay, all spiritual food
becomes as the dust which serpents
eat ; for in man the spiritual light be
comes natural, and at length sensual
corporeal, which, viewed in itself, is
the light of infatuation ; yea, man then
becomes as a bird, which, while it flies
on high, when its wings are clipped
will fall to the earth, where walking, it
sees no more around it than what lies
before its feet ; and then concerning
the spiritual things of the . church,
which will be for eternal life, he thinks
no otherwise than a soothsayer. These
things take place, while man regards
the Lord God, the Redeemer and
Savior, as the mere. Son of Mary, thus
as a mere man.
95. V. That the Lord, by Acts of
Redemption, made Himself Right
eousness. That the Lord alone had merit and
righteousness by the obedience which
He yielded to the Father, and especial
ly by the passion of the cross, is said
and believed at this day in Christian
churches: but it is supposed, that the
passion of the cross was the very act
of redemption, when yet that was not
the act of redemption, but the act of
the glorification of his Human, of
whicli we shall treat in the following
Lemma concerning Redemption. —
The acts of redemption, by which the
Lord made Himself righteousness, were
tha» He executed a last judgment,

which was done in the spiritual world,
and then separated the evil from the
good, and the goats from the sheep,
and expelled from heaven those who
made one with the beasts of the dragon,
and of the worthy He founded a new
heaven, and of the unworthy a hell,
and successively reduced all things in
both to order ; and, moreover, instituted
a new church. These acts were the
acts of redemption, by which the Lord
made Himself righteousness ; for right
eousness is to do all things according
to divine order ; and to reduce to or
der those things which have fallen out
of order ; for righteousness is divine
order itself. Those things are meant
by these words of the Lord : It is meet
for Me to fulfill all the righteousness
of God, Matt. iii. 15 ; and by these in
the Old Testament ; Behold the days
will come, when I shall raise unto Da
vid a RIGHTEOUS BRANCH, who shall
reign King, and do righteousness in
the earth, and this is his name, Jeho
vah our righteousness, Jerem. xxiii.
5, 6. xxxiii. 15, 16. / speak in right
eousness, great to save, Isaiah lxiii. 1.
He shall sit upon the throne of David,
to establish it in judgment and right
eousness, ix. 7. Zion shall be redeem
ed in righteousness, i. 27.
96. Our countrymen who bear rule
in the church, describe the righteous
ness of the Lord quite differently ; and
also, by the inscription of it upon man,
they make their faith saving; when
yet the truth is, that the righteousness
of the Lord, because it is such and
thence, and in itself purely divine,
cannot be conjoined to any man, and
thus cannot produce any salvation,
any more than the divine life, which is
the divine love and the divine wisdom.
The Lord with these enters into every
man ; but, unless man lives according to
order, that life is in him, indeed, but
it contributes nothing at all to his sal
vation ; it only gives the faculty of un
derstanding truth, and of doing good
To live according to divine order, is to
live according to the commandments of
God ; and when man so lives and does,
then he procures for himself righteous
ness ; not the righteousness of the re-

60

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

demption of the Lord, but the Lord him
self as righteousness. These are they,
who are meant by these words : Unless
your righteousness shall abound
above that ofthe Scribes and Pharisees,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of the
heaccns Matt. v. 20. In the consum
mation oj the age, the angels will go
forth, and separate the wicked from
the midst of the righteous, xiii. 49 ;
besides other places. By the right
eous, in the Word, are meant those
who have lived according to divine or
der, since the divine order is righteous
ness. The righteousness itself, which,
by acts of redemption, the Lord became,
cannot be ascribed to man, inscribed
upon him, adapted and conjoined to
him, otherwise than light can be to the
eye, sound to the ear, will to the mus
cles of one acting, thought to the lips
of one speaking, air to the lungs of
one breathing, heat to the blood, &c,
which, that they flow in and adjoin
themselves, besides that they conjoin
themselves, every one of himself per
ceives. But righteousness is acquired
so far as man exercises righteousness;
and he exercises righteousness as far
as he acts with his neighbor from the
love of what is just and true : in the
good itself, or in the use itself, which
he does, righteousness dwells ; for the
Lord says, that every tree may be
known by its fruit. Who does not
know another by his works, if he at
tends to them, from what end and pur
pose of the will, and from what cause
and intention they are done ? All the
angels attend to these things, and also
all the wise men in our world. In
general, every shrub and plant is known
by its flower and seed, and by its use ;
every metal, by its goodness ; every
stone by its quality ; every field, every
kind of food, every animal of the earth,
and every bird of the air, by their qual
ity : why not man ? But concerning
the quality of the works of man,
whence it is, will be opened in the
chapter concerning faith.
97. VI. That the Lord, by the
same Acts, united Himself to
the Father, and the Father
Himself to Him.

That the union was effected by acts
of redemption, is because the Lord per
formed them by means of his Human ;
and as He operated, so the Divine,
which is meant by the Father, came
nearer, assisted and co-operated, and at
length They so conjoined Themselves,
that They were not two, but one ; and
this union is the glorification, of which
in the following pages.
98. That the Father and the Son,
that is, the Divine and the Human in
the Lord, are united like the soul and
body, is, indeed, according to the
faith of the church at this day, and
also according to the Word; but still
scarcely five in a hundred, or fifty in
a thousand know this : the reason is,
the doctrine of justification by faith
alone, which most of the clergy, who
seek the reputation of learning, on ac
count of honors and riches, have em
braced with all zeal, until that doc
trine has got complete possession of
the minds of those at this day; and
because this has intoxicated their
thoughts, like the vinous spirit called
alcohol, therefore, like men intoxicat
ed, they have not seen this most essen
tial thing of the church, that Jehovah
God descended and assumed the Hu
man ; when yet, solely by this union, is
given to man conjunction with God;
and by conjunction, salvation. That
salvation depends on the knowledge
and acknowledgment of God, may ap
pear evident to every one who consid
ers that God is all in all of heaven, and
thence all in all of the church; con
sequently, all in all of theology. But
first it shall here be demonstrated, that
the union of the Father and the Son,
or of the Divine and the Human in the
Lord, is as the union of the soul and
the body ; and afterwards, that that
union is reciprocal. A union like that
of the soul and the body has been
established in the Athanasian creed,
which is received, in all the Christian
world, for the doctrine concerning God.
There these words are read : Our
Lord Jtsus Christ is God and Man ;
still there, are not two, but there is one
Christ: He is one, because the Divine
took the Human to itself; yea, He ii

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

81

altogether one, and He is one person ;
for as the soul and body is one man, so
God and Man is one Christ. But here
it is meant that there is such a union
of a Son of God from eternity with the
Son born in time ; but, because God is
one, and not three, while that union is
meant with the one God from eternity,
that doctrine agrees with the Word.
In the Word these things are read,
that He was conceived of Jehovah, the
Father, Luke i. 34, 35; thence his
soul and life ; wherefore He says, that
He and the Father are one, John x. 30 ;
that He who seeth and knoweth Him,
seeth and knoweth the Father, xiv. 9;
If ye had known me, ye would also
have known my Father, viii. 19; He
who receiveth me, receiveth Him who
sent me, xiii. 20. that He is in the bo
som of the Father, i. 18; that All
things whatsoever the Father hath are
his, xvi. 15 ; that He is called the Fa
ther of eternity, Isaiah ix. 6; that
Thence He hath power over all flesh,
John xvii. 2 ; and all power in heaven
and in earth, Matt, xxviii. 18. From
these and several other passages in the
Word, it may be clearly seen, that the
union of the Father and Him is like
that of the soul and body ; wherefore
also, in the Old Testament, He is often
flamed Jehovah, Jehovah of hosts, and
Jehovah the Redeemer: see above, n. 83.
99. That that union is reciprocal,
is very evident from these passages in
the Word : Philip, believest thou not
that I am in the Father, and the
Father in Me ? Believe Me, that I am
in the Father, and the Father in Me.
John xiv. 6, 11 ; That ye may know
and believe that the Father is in Me,
and I in the Father, x. 36, 38 ; That
they all may be one, as Thou, Father,
art in Me, andlin Thee, xvii. 21 ; Fa
ther, all mine are thine, and thine are
mine, xvii. 10. That the union is re
ciprocal, is because no union or con
junction between two is given, unless
one mutually accedes to the other : eve
ry conjunction in the universal heaven,
in the universal world, and in the
whole of man, is from no other source
than from the reciprocal accession of
one to another, and then that both
11

will one thing ; thence is effected
something homogeneous, sympathetic,
unanimous and concordant in every
part of each. Such is the reciprocal
conjunction of the soul and body with
every man ; such is the conjunction of
the spirit of man with the organs of
sensation and motion of his body ; such
is the conjunction of the heart and
lungs ; such is the conjunction of the
will and understanding ; such is the
conjunction of all the members and
viscera in and amongst each other in
man ; such is the conjunction of minds, .
amongst all those who inwardly love
each other, for it is inscribed on all
love and friendship, for love wishes to
love, and wishes to be loved. There is
a reciprocal conjunction of all things
in the world, that are fully conjoined
with each other ; similar is the con
junction of the heat of the sun with
the heat pf wood and of stone ; of the
vital heat with the heat of all the ani
mal fibres in animals ; similar is that
of a tree with its root, by the root with
the tree, and by the tree with the fruit;
such is that of the magnet with iron,
&c. Unless conjunction be effected
reciprocally and mutually by the ac
cession of one to another, only an ex
ternal conjunction is effected, and not
an internal one ; and this in time is
spontaneously and mutually dissolved,
and sometimes so that they no longer
know each other.
100. Now, because a conjunction
which is a conjunction, cannot be ef
fected, unless it be done mutually and
reciprocally, therefore the conjunction
ofthe Lord and man is no other, as is
very manifest from these passages :
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh
my blood, abideth in me, and I in him,
John vi. 56. Abide in me, and I in
you : HE THAT ABIDETH IN ME, AND
I in him, beareth much fruit, xv. 4, 5.
Wliosoever openeth the door, I will come
in to him, and will sup with him,
and he with me, Rev. hi. 20 ; be
sides other places. This conjunction
is effected by man's acceding to
the Lord, and the Lord to him ; for it
is a fixed and imputable law, that as far
as man. accedes <© the Lord, so far

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Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

the Lord accedes to man : but more
will be seen concerning this in the chap
ters concerning Charity and Faith.
101. VII. That thus God became
Man, and Man God, in one Person.
That Jehovah God became Man, and
Man God, in one person, follows as a
conclusion from all the preceding arti
cles of this chapter, particularly from
these two ; that Jehovah, the Creator
of the universe, descended and assumed
the Human, that He might redeem and
save men ; of which above, n. 82, 83,
84 ; and that The Lord, by acts of re
demption, united Himself to the Fa
ther, and the Father Himself to Him,
thus reciprocally and mutually ; of
which above, n. 97 to 100. From that
reciprocal union, it is very manifest,
that God became Man, and Man God,
in one person. The same also follows
as a consequence of the union of both,
that it is like that of the soul and
body : that this is according to the
faith ofthe church at this day, accord
ing to the creed of Athanasius, may
be seen above, n. 89 ; also according
to the faith of the evangelical Protes
tants, in their chief book of orthodoxy,
which is called the Formula Concor
dia, where it is strongly confirmed,
both from the Sacred Scripture, and
from the fathers, and also by rational
arguments, that the human nature of
Christ is exalted to divine majesty,
omnipotence and omnipresence ; and
also that, in Christ, Man is God, and
God Man ; concerning this, see there,
p. 607, 765. Besides, in this chapter it
has been proved, that Jehovah God, as
to his Human, in the Word, is called
Jehovah, Jehovah God, Jehovah of
hosts, and also the God of Israel;
wherefore Paul says, that In Jesus
Christ all the fullness of the Godhead
dwelleth bodily, Col. ii. 9 ; and John,
that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is
the true God and eternal life, 1 John
v. 20, 21. That by the Son of God, is
properly meant his Human, may be
seen above, n. 92, and the following.
And, moreover, Jehovah God calls
both Himself and Him Lord; for it is
read, The Lord said unto my Lord,
Sit on my right hand, Psalm ex. 1;

and in Isaiah, A Child is born to us
a Son is given to us, whose name is God,
the Father of eternity, ix. 5, 6. By
Son, also, is meant the Lord, as to the
Human, in David ; I will announce con.
cerning the statute, Jehovah said,
Thou art my Son; to-day I have begot
ten thee. Kiss the Son, lest He be an
gry, and ye perish in the way, Psalm
ii. 7, 12. Here is not meant a Son
from eternity, but the Son born in the
world ; for it is prophetical of the Lord,
who was about to come ; wherefore it
is called the statute concerning which
Jehovah announced to David ; and in
that Psalm it is written before, / have
anointed my King upon Zion, verse 6 ;
and it follows, I will give to Him the
nations for an inheritance, verse 8;
wherefore to-day, there, is not from
eternity, but in time, for with Jehovah
the future is present.
102. It is believed that the Lord, as
to the Human, not only was, but also is
the Son of Mary ; but in this the
Christian world is under a delusion.
That he was the Son of Mary, is true ;
but that He is so still, is not true ; for
by acts of redemption, He put off the
Human from the mother, and put on a
Human from the Father ; thence it is,
that the Human of the Lord is Divine,
and that, in Him, God is Man, and"
Man God. That He put off the Hu
man from the mother, and put on a
Human from the Father, which is the
Divine Human, may be seen from this,
that He never called Mary his mother,
as may be evident from these pas
sages : The mother of Jesus said to Him,
They' have no wine. Jesus said to her,
Woman, what is it to Me and thee?
My hour is not yet come, John ii. 4
And in another place ; Jesus from the
cross, seeing his mother, and the disciple
standing by, whom He loved, saith to
his mother, Woman, behold thy Son!
Then He saith to the disciple, Behold
thy mother ! xix. 26, 27 ; and once
that He did not acknowledge her ; It
was told Jesus by some, saying, Thy
mother and thy brethren are standing
without, and wish to see Thee. Jesus,
answering, said, My mother and my
brethren are those who hear the Word

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

83

of God, and do it, Luke viii. 20, 21 ;
Matt. xii. 46 to 49 ; Mark iii. 31 to 35.
Thus the Lord did not call her mother,
but woman, and gave her to John as a
mother : in other places, she is called
his mother, but not by his own mouth.
This also is confirmed by this, that He
did not acknowledge Himself to be
the Son of David, for it is read in the
Evangelists, Jesus asked the Phari
sees, saying, What think ye of
Christ ? Whose son is He ? They
say to Him, David's. He saith to
them, How, then, doth David, in the
spirit, call Him his Lord, saying, The
Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right
hand, until I make thine enemies thy
footstool. If, then, David calleth
Him Lord, how is He his Son ? And
no one was able to answer Him a word,
Matt. xxii. 39 to 44 ; Mark xii. 35, 36,
37 ; Luke xx. 41 to 44 ; Psalm ex. 1.
To the above I shall add this news.
It was once given me to speak with
Mary the mother. She passed by
some time since, and appeared in
heaven over my head, in white rai
ment, as of silk ; and then, stopping a
little while, she said that she was the
mother of the Lord, because He was
born of her, but that, when He became
God, He put off all the Human which
he had from her, and that therefore she
worships Him as her God, and that she
is not willing that any one should ac
knowledge Him for her son, because
in Him all is divine. From these
things, this truth shines forth, that thus
Jehovah is Man, as in the firsts, also
in the lasts, according to these words ;
lam the Alpha and the Omega, the Be
ginning and the End, He who is, and
who was, and who is to come, the Al
mighty, Rev. i. 8, 1 1 . John, when he
saie the Son cf Man in the midst of
the seven candlesticks, fell at his feet
as dead; but He put his right hand,
upon him, saying, I am the First and
the Last, Rev. i. 13, 17 ; xxi. 6. Be
hold, I come quickly, that I may give to
every one according to his work. I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the Be
ginning and the End, the First and the
Last, xxii. 12, 13. And in Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah, the King of Israel,

and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts,
I am the First and the Last, xliv. 6 ;
xlviii. 12.
103. To the above I shall add this
arcanum, that the soul, which is from
the father, is the very man, and that
the body, which is from the mother, is
not man in itself, but from the soul ;
the body is only a covering of the soul,
composed of such things as are of the
natural world. Every man, after death,
puts off the natural, which he had from
the mother, and retains the spiritual,
which he had from the father, togeth
er with a kind of border 'or circum
ambient accretion] from the purest
things of nature, around it; but this
border, with those who come into
heaven, is below, and the spiritual
above ; but that border with those
who come into hell is above, and the
spiritual below ; thence it is, that a
man-angel speaks from heaven, thus
what is good and true ; but that a
man-devil speaks from hell, while from
his heart, and, as it were, from heaven,
while from his mouth ; he does this
abroad, but that at home. Since the
soul of man is the very man, and is
spiritual from its origin, it is manifest
whence it is that the mind, soul, dis
position, inclination and affection of
the love of the father dwells in his
offspring, and returns and renders itself
conspicuous from generation to gener
ation. Thence it is, that many fami
lies, yea, nations, are known from their
first father; there is a general image
in the face of each descendant, which
manifests itself; and this image is not
changed, except by the spiritual things
of the church. The reason that a
general image of Jacob and Judah still
remains in their posterity, by which
they may be distinguished from others,
is, because they have hitherto adhered
firmly to their religious principles ; for
there is in the seed of every one, from
which he is conceived, a graft or offset
of the father's soul, in its fullness, with
in a certain covering from the ele
ments of nature, by which the body is
formed in the womb of the mother;
which may be made according to the
likeness of the father, or according to

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Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

the likeness of the mother, the image
of the father still remaining within it,
which continually endeavors to bring
itself forth, and if it cannot do it in the
first generation, it effects it the follow
ing. The reason that the image of
the father is in its fullness in the seed,
is, because, as was said, the soul is
spiritual from its origin, and what is
spiritual has nothing in common
with space ; wherefore it is simi
lar to itself in a small, as well as in a
large compass. With respect to the
Lord, He, while He was in the world, by
acts of redemption, put off the human
from the mother, and put on a Human
from the Father, which is the Divine
Human ; thence it is, that in Him, Man
is God, and God Man.
104. VIII. That the Progress
to' Union was the State of his
Exinanition [or Humiliation], and
that the Union itself is the
State of his Glorification.
That the Lord, while He was in the
world, had two states, which are called
states of exinanition and glorifica
tion, is known in the church ; the
former state, which was that of exina
nition, is described in many passages in
the Word, especially in the Psalms of
David, and also in the prophets, and
particularly in Isaiah Iiii., where it is
said, that He poured out his soul unto
death, verse 12. This same state was
the state of his humiliation before the
Father, for in it he prayed to the Fa
ther, and He says that He does his
will, and ascribes all that He did or
said to the Father. That He prayed
to the Father, is evident from these
passages, Matt. xvii. 43 ; Mark i. 35 ;
vi. 46 ; xiv. 32 to 39 ; Luke v. 15 ; vi.
12; xxii. 41 to 44; John xvii. 9, 15,
20. That He did the will of the Fa
ther, John iv. 34; v. 30. That He
ascribed all that He did and said to the
Father, John viii. 26, 27, 28; xii. 49,
50 ; xiv. 10. Yea, upon the croas He
cried out, My God, My God, why hast
Thou forsaken Me ? Matt, xxvii. 47;
Marie xv. 34 ; and, moreover, without
this state, He could not have been
crucified. The state of glorification is
also a state of union. He was in this

state when He was transfigured before
his three disciples, and when He did
miracles, and whenever He said that
the Father and He were one ; that the
Father is in Him, and He in the Fa
ther ; that all things of the Father are
his ; and when the union was fully
completed, that He had power over all
flesh, John xvii. 2 ; and all power in
heaven and in earth, Matt, xxviii. 18;
besides many other things.
105. The reason that the Lord had
those two states of exinanition and glo
rification, was, because there is no oth
er possible way of attaining to union,
since it is according to the divine order,
which is unchangeable. The divine
order is, that man should dispose him
self for the reception of God, and pre
pare himself for a receptacle and hab
itation, into which God may enter and
dwell, as in his temple. Man should
do this from himself, but still he should
acknowledge that it is from God ; he
should acknowledge this, because he
does not perceive the presence and
operation of God, although God, being
most perfectly present, operates in man
all the good of love, and all the true of
faith. According to this order every
man proceeds and must proceed, that
he may, from natural, become spiritual.
In like manner the Lord, that He might
make his Natural Divine; thence it
is, that He prayed to the Father; that
He did his will ; and that all that He
did and said, He attributed to Him ;
and that upon the cross He said, My
God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken
Me? for in this state, God appears ab
sent. But after this state, comes an
other, which is a state of conjunction
with God ; in this man acts in like
manner, but then from God ; nor has
he then need, in like manner as be
fore, to ascribe to God all the good
which he wills and does, and all the
truth which he thinks and speaks, be
cause this is inscribed upon his heart,
and thence it is inwardly in all his
actions and speech. In like manner,
the Lord united Himself to his Father,
and the Father Himself to Him ; in a
word, the Lord glorified his Human,
that is, made it divine, in the same

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

85

manner that the Lord regenerates
man, that is, makes him spiritual.
That every man, who from natural
becomes spiritual, undergoes two states,
and that through the first he enters
into the other, and thus from the
world to heaven, will be fully demon
strated in the chapters concerning
Free-will, concerning Charity and
Faith, and concerning Reformation
and Regeneration ; here only, that in
the first state, which is called the state
of reformation, man is in full liberty of
acting according to the rational of his
understanding ; and that in the second,
which is the state of regeneration, he
is also in similar liberty, but that then
he wdls and acts, and thinks and
speaks, from a new love and a new in
telligence, which are from the Lord ;
for, in the first state, the understanding
acts the first part, and the will the sec
ond ; in the other, the will acts the
first, and the understanding the sec
ond ; but the understanding from the
will, and not the will by the under
standing. The conjunction of the
good and the true, of charity and
faith, and ofthe internal and the exter
nal man, is not otherwise effected.
106. Those two states are repre
sented by various things in the universe ;
the reason is, because they are accord
ing to divine order, and divine order
fills all and every thing, even to the
minutest things in the universe. The
first state is represented with every
man by the state of his infancy and
childhood, even to his youth, adoles
cence and manhood, which is the state
of his humiliation before his parents,
and then of obedience, and also of in
struction from masters and ministers ;
but the other state is represented by
the state of the same person when he
becomes his own master, and freely
exercises his own will and understand
ing, in which he has absolute power in
his own house. The first state is also
represented by the state of a prince, or
the son of a king, or of a duke, before
he becomes a king or a duke ; in like
manner, by the state of every citizen
before he becomes the person of a
magistrate ; of every subject before he

obtains any office ; of every student
who is preparing for the ministry, be
fore he becomes a priest ; and of every
priest before he becomes a pastor ; and
then of every pastor before he becomes
a primate ; also of every virgin before
she becomes a wife ; and of every
maid before she becomes a mistress ;
in general, of every clerk before he
becomes a merchant ; of every soldier
before he becomes an officer ; of every
servant before he becomes a master.
The first of these is a state of servi
tude, the other of one's own will, and
thence understanding. Those two
states are represented also by various
things in the animal kingdom ; the
first, by beasts and birds as long as
they are with their mothers and fathers,
which they then follow constantly, and
are nourished and led by them ; and the
other state, when they leave them, and
look out for themselves : in like man
ner by worms; the first, while they
crawl and are nourished by leaves, the
second, when they cast off their skins,
and become butterflies. Those two
states are represented also in the sub
jects of the vegetable kingdom ; the
first, when the vegetable springs up
from the seed, and is adorned with
branches, buds and leaves : the other,
when it bears fruit, and produces new
seeds ; this may be compared to the
conjunction of the good and the true',
since all things which belong to a tree
correspond to truths, and the fruit to
good. But the man, who stops in the
first state, and does not enter the sec
ond, is like a tree which bears only-
leaves, and not fruit, concerning which
it is said in the Word, that it is to
be pulled up, and cast into the fire.
Matt. xxi. 19; Luke xiii. 6 to 10,
John xv. 5, 6. And he is like a ser
vant, that is not willing to be free,
concerning whom it was commanded,
that He should be brought to the door,
or to the door-post, and his ear should
be bored through with an awl, Exod.
xxi. 6. Servants are those who are
not conjoined to the Lord, but the free
are those who are conjoined to Him ;
for the Lord says, If the Son makes
you free, ye are truly free, John viii. 36

86

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

107. IX. That, hereafter, no
one can come from christians into
Heaven, unless he believes in the
Lord God the Savior, and goes
to Him alone.
It is read in Isaiah, Behold, I create
a new heaven, and a new earth, and
the former shall not be mentioned, nor
come upon the heart ; and behold, I am
about to create Jerusalem an exultation,
and her people a joy, lxv. 17. And in
the Revelation ; / saw a new heaven
and a new earth, and I saw the holy
Jerusalem descending from God out of
heaven, prepared as a bride for her
husband; and one sitting upon the
throne said, Behold, Imake all things
new, xxi. 1, 2, 5. And it is often said,
that No others will enter into heav
en, than those who are written in the
Lamb's book of life, Rev. xiii. 8 ; xvii.
8; xx. 12, 15; xxi. 26. By heaven
there, is not meant the heaven which
is visible to our eyes, but the angelic
heaven ; by Jerusalem, not any city
from heaven, but the church, which
will descend out of that heaven from
the Lord ; and by the Lamb's book of
life, is not meant any book written in
heaven, which will be opened, but the
Word, which is from the Lord and
concerning Him. That Jehovah God,
who is called the Creator and Father,
descended and assumed the Human,
also for the purpose of enabling man
to approach Him, and to be conjoined
to Him, has been proved, confirmed,
and established, in the preceding arti
cles of this chapter. For who, that
comes to a man, goes to his soul ? and
who can do this ? But he goes to the
man himself, whom he sees face to
face, and with whom he speaks mouth
to mouth. The case is similar with
God the Father and the Son, for God
the Father is in the Son, as the soul in
its body. That it is necessary to be
lieve in the Lord God the Savior, is
evident from these passages in the
Word: God so loved the world, that
He gave his only begotten Son, that
every one who believeth in Him may
not perish, but have eternal life, John
iii. 15, 16. He wjw believeth in
the Son is not judged, bat he who

believeth not, is already judged, be
cause he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God,
iii. 18. He who believeth in the
Son hath eternal life, but he who be
lieveth not the Son shall not see life,
but the anger of God shall abide upon
him, iii. 36. The bread of God is He
that descended from heaven, and giv-
eth life to the world; he who cometh to
Me shall never hunger, and he who be
lieveth in Me shall never thirst, vi. 33,
35. This is the will of Him toho sent
Me, that every one who seeth the Son,
and believeth in Him, may have eter
nal life, and I will resuscitate him at
the last day, vi. 40. They said to Je
sus, What shall we do that we may work
the works of God? Jesus answered,
This is the work of God, that ye be
lieve in Him whom the Father hath
sent, vi. 28, 29. Verily I say unto
you, He who believeth in me hath
eternal life, vi. 47. Jesus cried, saying,
If any one thirst, let him come to Me
anddrink; whosoever believeth in me,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of liv
ing water, vii. 37, 38. Unless ye be
lieve that I am, ye shall die in your
sins, viii. 24. Jesus said, I am the res
urrection and the life ; he who believ
eth in Me, although he die, shall live ;
but every one who liveth and believtth
in Me, shall never die, xi. 25, 26. Je
sus said, I am come a light into the
world, that every one who believeth in
Me may not abide in darkness, xii. 46,
viii. 12. As long as ye have light,
believe in the light, that ye may be sons
of the light, xii. 36. That they should
abide in the Lord, and the Lord in
them, xiv. 20, xv. 1 to 5, xvii. 23;
which is done by faith. Paul testi
fied, both to the Jews and to the Greeks,
repentance towards God, and faith in
our Lord Jesus Christ, Acts xx. 21
I am the way, the truth and the life ;
no one cometh to the Father, but by Me,
John xiv. 6. That he who believes in
the Son, believes in the Father (since,
as above said, the Father is in Him,
as the soul in the body), is evident from
these passages : If ye had known Me,
ye would also have known my Father,
John viii. 19; xiv. 7. He who seeth

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

87

Me, seeth Him who sent Me, xii. 45.
He who receiveth Me, receiveth Him who
sent Me, xiii. 20. The reason is, be
cause No one can see the Father and
live, Exod. xxxiii. 20. Wherefore the
Lord says, No one hath ever seen God;
the only begotten Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, He hath mani
fested Him, John i. 18. No one hath
seen the Father, but He who is with the
Father, He hath seen the Father, vi.
46. Ye have never heard the voice of
the Father, nor seen his shape, v. 37.
But those who do not know any thing
concerning the Lord, as most of those
in the two parts of the world, Asia
and Africa, and also in the Indies,
these, if they believe in one God, and
live according to the precepts of their
religion, are saved by means of their
faith and life ; for imputation is to those
who know, and not to those who know
not, as it is not to the blind, when they
stumble ; for the Lord says, If ye
were blind, ye would not have sin; but
note ye say that ye see, therefore your
sin rtmaineth, John ix. 41.
108. To confirm this further, I will
relate what I know, because I have
seen, and therefore I can testify what
follows ; that the Lord, at this day, is
forming a new angelic heaven, and
that it is formed of those who believe
in the Lord God the Savior, and go
immediately to Him ; and that the
rest are rejected. Wherefore, if any
hereafter comes from Christendom into
the spiritual world, into which every
man does come after death, and does
not believe in the Lord, and go to
Him alone, and then is not able to re
ceive this, because he has lived wick
edly, or has confirmed himself in falses,
he is repelled at his first approach
towards heaven, and his face is thence
averted, and turned towards the lower
earth, whither he also goes, and con
joins himself with those there, who
are meant in the Revelation by the
dragon and the false prophet. Every
man also in Christian countries, who
does not believe in the Lord, is not
hereafter heard with acceptance ; his
prayers, in heaven, are like ill-scented
odors, and like eructations from ulcer
ated lungs; and if he thinks that

his prayer is like the perfume of in
cense, still it does not ascend to the
angelic heaven, otherwise than as the
smoke of a fire, which is driven back,
by a violent tempest, into his eyes, or
as the perfume from a censer under a
monk's cloak : thus, after this time, it
is with all piety which is determined to a
divided trinity, and not to one conjoin
ed. That the divine trinity is con
joined in the Lord, is the principal ob
ject of this work. Here I will add this
news; that some months since, the
twelve apostles were called together by
the Lord, and sent forth into all the
spiritual world, as before they were
into the natural world, with the com
mand, that they should preach this
gospel: and then every apostle had his
province assigned to him ; which com
mand, also, they are executing with all
zeal and industry. But concerning
this subject, we shall treat particularly
in the last chapter of this work, where
we shall speak concerning The Con
summation of the Age, concerning
The Coming of the Lord, and con
cerning the New Church.
109. A Corollary. All the church
es which had been before the coming
of the Lord, were representative
churches, which could not see divine
truths, but as in the shade ; but, after
the coining ofthe Lord into the world,
a church was instituted by Him, which
saw, or rather was able to see, divine
truths in the light. The difference is
like that between evening and morn
ing ; the state of the churcli before the
coming of the Lord is also in the
Word called evening, and the state of
the church after his coining, is called
morning. The Lord, before his com
ing into the world, was indeed present
with the men of the church, but me
diately through angels, who represent
ed Him ; but since his coming, He is
present with the men of the church
immediately ; for, in the world, He put
on also the Natural Divine, in which
He is present with men. The glorifi
cation of the Lord is the glorification
of his Human, which He assumed in
the world, and the glorified Human of
the Lord is the Natural Divine.
That it is so, is evident from this, thai

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Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

the Lord rose from the sepulchre with
his whole body, which He had in the
world ; nor did He leave any thing in
the sepulchre ; consequently, that He
took thence with Him, the natural hu
man itself, from the firsts to the lasts
of it ; wherefore He said to the disci
ples, after the resurrection, when they
supposed that they saw a spirit, See my
hands and, my feet, that it is I myself ;
feel of Me, and see ; for a spirit hath
not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have,
Luke xxiv. 37, 39. Whence it is
manifest, that his natural body, by glo
rification, was made divine. Where
fore Paul says, that In Christ divelleth
all the fullness of the God-head bodily,
Coloss. ii. 9; and John, that The Son
of God, Jesus Christ, is the true God,
1 Epist. v. 20, 21. Hence the an
gels know, that the Lord alone, in the
whole spiritual world, is fully man. It
is known in the church, that all the
worship amongst the Israelitish and
Jewish nation was merely external,
and that it shadowed forth the internal
worship which the Lord opened, and
that thus worship, before the com
ing of the Lord, consisted in types and
figures, which represented true wor
ship in its just effigy. The Lord him
self, indeed, appeared amongst the an
cients ; for He said to the Jews, Abra
ham, your father, exulted that he might
see my day, and he saw and rejoiced;
I say unto you, before Abraham ivas,
I am, John viii. 56, 58. But because
the Lord then was only represented,
which was done by means of angels,
therefore all the things ofthe church with
them were made representative ; but
after He came into the world, those
representations vanished ; the interior
reason of which was, because the Lord,
in the world, put on also the Natural
Divine, and from this He illustrates
not only the internal spiritual man, but
also the external natural ; which two,
unless they are at the same time illus
trated, man is, as it were, in the shade ;
but while both are at the same time
illustrated, he is, as it were, in the
day ; for while the internal man alone
is illustrated, and not the external at
the same time ; or while only the ex
ternal, and not, at the same time, the

internal, he is like one that sleeps and
dreams, and presently, when he awakes,
he recollects the dream, and from it
he concludes various things, which
nevertheless, are imaginary. And he
is also like one walking in sleep, who
thinks the objects which he sees are
seen in day-light. The difference be
tween the state of the church before
the coming of the Lord, and after his
coming, is like the difference between
reading a writing in the night by the
light of the moon and stars, and read
ing it by the light of the sun ; that the
eye, in the former light, which is only
pale, is liable to mistake, and in the
latter, which is also flammeous, is not lia
ble to mistake, is well known. Where
fore it is read concerning the Lord,
The God of Israel said, the Rock of Is
rael spoke to me, He is as the light of
the morning while the sun arises, of a
morning ivithout clouds, 2 Sam. xxiii.
3, 4. The God of Israel and the Rock
of Israel is the Lord. And in anoth
er place, The light of the moon shall be
as the light of the sun, and the light of
the sun shall be seven-fold, as the light oj
seven days, in the clay when Jehovah
shall bind up the breach of his people,
Isaiah xxx. 25, 26. These things are
said concerning the state ofthe church,
after the coming of the Lord. In a
word, the state of the church before
the coming of the Lord, may be com
pared to an old woman, whose face has
been painted, and who, from the bright
color ofthe paint, has appeared to her
self beautiful ; but the state of the
church after the coming of the Lord,
may be compared to a virgin, beauti
ful from the native brightness of her
complexion. And also the state of the
church, before the coming of the Lord,
may be compared to the rind of any
sort of fruit, as of an orange, an apple,
a pear, or a grape, and to its flavor;
but the state of the church after his
coming, may be compared to the innei
parts of those fruits, and to their flavor ,
besides with other similar things. The
reason of this difference is, because
the Lord, since He put on also the
Natural Divine, illustrates the internal
spiritual man, and the external natural,
at the same time ; for while only the

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

89

internal man is illustrated, and not at
the same time the external, there is
made a shade ; in like manner, while
only the external, and not at the same
time the internal.

110. Here the following Relations
will be adduced. First. Once, in the
spiritual world, I saw an ignis fatuus
in the air, falling to the earth, and a
lucid circumference around it ; it was
a meteor, which the vulgar call a dra
gon. I observed the place where it
fell ; but this disappeared in the morn
ing twilight, before sunrise, as is the
case with every ignis fatuus. In the
morning, I went to the place where I
saw it fall in the night, and behold !
the ground there was a mixture of sul
phur, iron-filings and clay ; and sud
denly there appeared two tents, one di
rectly over the place, and the other at
the side towards the south : and I
looked up, and saw a spirit falling down
from heaven, like lightning, and cast
into the tent which stood directly over
the place where the meteor fell ; and I
in the other, which was near it to
wards the south : in the door of this I
stood, and saw the spirit in the other
also standing in the door of his tent ;
and then I asked him why he thus
fell down from heaven ; to which he
replied, that he was cast down, as an
angel of the dragon, by the angels of
Michael, " because I spoke some things
concerning my faith, in which I con
firmed myself in the world; amongst
which was this, that God the Father
and God the Son are two, and not one ;
for all in the heavens at this day be
lieve that they are one, like the soul
and body ; and every word spoken
against that, is like a sting in their nos
trils, and like an awl boring through
their ears, whence they have emotion
and pain ; and, therefore, whoever con
tradicts their belief, is commanded to
go out, and, if he is backward, he is
cast down headlong." On hearing
this, I said to him, " Why did you
not believe as they did ?" He answer
ed, that, " After departure out of the
world, no one can believe any thing
12

else, than what he had by confirmation
impressed upon himself; this remains
fixed in him, and cannot be torn away
especially that which any one has
confirmed in himself concerning God,
since every one in the heavens has a
place according to his idea of God."
Then I asked, " By what he had con
firmed the idea, that the Father and
the Son were two." He said, " By
these things in the Word ; that the
Son prayed to the Father, not only be
fore the passion of the cross, but also
upon the cross; as also that He hum
bled Himself before his Father ; how,
then, can they be one, as the soul and
body are one in man ? Who prays, as
to another, and humbles himself as
before another, while he himself is that
other ? No one does so, much less
the Son of God ; and, besides, the
whole Christian church, in my time, di
vided the God-head into persons, and
each person is one by himself, and is
defined to be what subsists in itself."
When I had heard these things from
him, I replied, " I have perceived
from your discourse, that you know
nothing at all how God the Father and
the Son are one; and because you
know not how, you had confirmed
yourself in the falses, in which the
church as yet is concerning God. Do
you not know that the Lord, when He
was in the world, had a soul, as
every other man has? Whence had
He this soul, but from God the Father?
That it is so, appears abundantly from
the Word of the Evangelists. What,
then, is that which is called the Son,
but the Human, which was conceived
from the Divine of the Father, and
born of the virgin Mary ? A mother
cannot conceive a soul ; this is totally
repugnant to the order, according to
which every man is born ; nor can
God the Father impart a soul from
Himself, and then recede from it, as
every father in the world can, since
God is his own divine essence, and
this is one and individual ; and be
cause it is individud, it is Himself.
Thence it is, that the Lord siys, that
The Father and II are one ; nii.l that
the Father is in Him and He in the

90

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

Father; besides many similar things.
The composers of the Athanasian
creed also saw this at a distance ;
wherefore, after they divided God into
three persons, still they say, that In
Christ, God and Man, that is, the Di
vine and the Human, are not two, but
one, like the soul and body in man.
That the Lord, in the world, prayed to
the Father as to another, and that he
humbled Himself before the Father, as
before another, was according to the
order established from creation, which
is immutable, according to which every
one must proceed to conjunction with
God. That order is, that as man, by
a life according to the laws of order,
which are the commandments of God,
conjoins himself to God, so God con
joins Himself to man, and from natural
makes him spiritual. In like manner,
the Lord united Himself to his Father,
and God the Father Himself to Him.
Was not the Lord, while an infant, like
an infant, and while a boy, like a boy ?
Is it not read, that He increased in
wisdom and favor ; and afterwards, that
He asked the Father that He would
glorify his name, that is, his Human ?
To glorify is to make divine by union
with Himself. Thence it is manifest,
that the Lord, in the state of his ex-
inanition, which was the state of his
progress to union, prayed to the Fa
ther. That same order, from creation,
is inscribed on every man ; that is, as
man, by means of truths from the Word,
prepares his understanding, so he
adapts it to the reception of faith from
God ; and as, by works of charity, he
prepares his will, so he accommodates
it to the reception of love from God ;
for as an artist cuts a diamond, so he
applies it to receive and emit the splen
dor of light, &c. To prepare one's
self for the reception of God and con
junction, is to live according to divine
order ; and the laws of order are all the
commandments of God ; these the Lord
fulfilled to every tittle, and thus made
himself a receptacle ofthe God-head in
all fullness. Wherefore Paul says, that
In Jesus Christ all the fullness of the
God-head dwelleth bodily ; and the Lord
himself, that All things of the Father

are His. It is further to be held, that
the Lord alone is active with every man,
and that man of himself is merely pas
sive ; but that, by an influx of life from
the Lord, he is also active ; from this per
petual influx from the Lord, it appears
to man as if he were active from him
self; and because it is so, he also has
free will, and this is given him, that he
may prepare himself for receiving the
Lord, and thus for conjunction, which
is not practicable, unless it he recipro
cal, and it becomes reciprocal, while
man acts from his liberty, and yet from
faith attributes all activity to the
Lord." After this, I asked whether he, like
others his companions, confessed that
God is one. He replied that he did ;
and then I said, " But I am afraid that
the confession of your heart is, that
there is no God. Does not all the
speech of the mouth proceed from the
thought ofthe mind? Wherefore it
cannot be otherwise, than that the con
fession of the mouth that God is one
should expel from the mind the thought
that there are three ; and reciprocally,
that the thought of the mind should
expel from the mouth the confession
that He is one. What else thence re
sults, than that there is no God ? Is
not all the intermediate region, which
is from the thought to the mouth, and
from the mouth back to the thought,
thus rendered an empty void ? And
what else is then concluded by the
mind concerning God, but that nature
is God, and concerning the Lord ,but that
his soul was either from the mother, or
from Joseph ; from which two things,
as horrid and abominable, all the an
gels of heaven turn themselves away."
When these things were said, that
spirit was sent away into the abyss,
mentioned in the Revelation, ix. 2, and
the following, where the angels of the
dragon discuss the mysteries of their
faith. The next day, when I looked
towards the same place, I saw, instead
ofthe tents, two statues in the likeness
of human beings, made of the dust of
the earth, which was a mixture of sul
phur, iron and chy; and one statue
seemed to have a sceptre in the lell

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

91

hand, a crown on the head, and a book
in the right hand, and also a stomacher
obliquely tied across, and set with pre
cious stones, and behind, a robe flow
ing to the other statue ; but these things
were induced upon that statue by
fantasy ; and then a voice was heard
thence, from a certain dragonist : —
" This statue represents our faith as a
queen ; and the other behind it, charity
as her maid-servant." This was com
posed of a similar mixture of dust, and
placed at the extremity of the robe
flowing down from the back of the
queen; and she held in her hand a
paper, upon which it was written, "Be
ware lest you approach nearer and
touch the robe." But then, on a sud
den, a shower fell from heaven, and
penetrated both the statues, which,
because they were composed of a mix
ture of sulphur, iron and clay, began
to bubble, as is the case with a mixture
of those ingredients while water is
poured upon it ; and being thus in
flamed by an intestine fire, they
were reduced to ashes, and became
heaps, which afterwards lay upon
the ground there like sepulchral
mounds. 111. Second Relation. In the
natural world, the speech of man is
two-fold, because his thought is two
fold, external and internal; for man
can speak from internal thought, and
at the same time from external thought,
and he can speak from external thought
and not from the internal, yea, contra
ry to the internal ; thence originate
dissimulation, flattery and hypocrisy.
But, in the spiritual world, the speech
of man is not two-fold, but single ; he
speaks there as he thinks ; or else the
sound grates, and hurts the ear ; but
still he can be silent, and so not divulge
the thoughts of his mind. Wherefore
a hypocrite, when he comes among the
wise, either goes away, or gets him
self into a corner of the room, and
makes himself unobserved, and sits in
silence. Once there were many as
sembled in the world of spirits, and
were conversing together upon this
subject, saying, that " Not to be able
to ->peak, except as one thinks, is hard
foi those in company with the good,

who have not thought justly concerning
God and concerning the Lord." In
the middle of the assembly were the
reformed, and many of the clergy ;
and next to them, the papists, with the
monks ; and the former and the latter
at first said, that " This is not hard ;
what necessity is there for one to speak
otherwise than he thinks? and, if by
chance he does not think justly, can
he not close his lips, and keep silence 1"
And one of the clergy said, " Who
does not think justly concerning God
and concerning the Lord ?" But some
of the congregation said, " Let us try
them." And they said to those who had
confirmed themselves in a trinity of
persons concerning God, that they from
thought should say, One God; but they
could not. They twisted and folded
their lips into many . folds, and could
not articulate sound into other words
than such as were consonant to the
ideas of their thought, which were
those of three persons, and thence of
three Gods. Then it was said to those
who confirmed faith separate from char
ity, that they should name Jesus ; but
they could not, although they all could
say Christ, and also God the Father.
They wondered at this, and inquired the
reason, and found it to be this ; that
they had prayed to God the Father, for
the sake of the Son, and had not pray
ed to the Savior himself; and Jesus sig
nifies Savior. Moreover, it was said
to them, that they should, from their
thought concerning the Human of the
Lord, say Divine Human ; but no one
of the clergy who was present there
could do it, although some of the laity
could ; wherefore this was submitted
to a serious discussion ; and then, I.
These passages in the evangelists were
read to them : The Father hath given
all things into the hand of the Son,
John iii. 35. The Father hath given fo
the Son power over all flesh, xvii. 2.
All things are delivered to Me by the
Father, Matt. xi. 7. All power is given
to Me in heaven and in earth, xxviii.
18. And it was said to them, " Keep
thence jn your thought, that Christ, as
to his Human, as well as to his Divine,
is the God of heaven and earth, and
thus pronounce Divine Human ;" but

92

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

still they could not ; and they said, that,
indeed, they held thence something
of thought from the understanding
concerning it, but still not any thing of
acknowledgment, and that therefore
they could not. II. Afterwards it was
read to them from Luke i. 32, 34, 35,
that the Lord, as to the Human, was
the Son of Jehovah God, and that he
is there called the Son of the Most
High, and, in various other places, the
Son of God, and also the Only-begot
ten; and they requested that they
would keep this in their thought, and
also that the Only-begotten Son of God
born in the world, could not but be
God, as the Father is God, and speak
out Divine Human. But they said,
" We cannot, because our spiritual
thought, which is interior, does not
admit into the thought next to the
speech other than similar ideas, and
that thence they perceived, that now
it was not allowable for them to divide
their thoughts, as in the natural world."
III. Then were read to them these
words of the Lord to Philip — Philip
said, Lord, show us the Father ; and
the Lord said, He who seeth Me seeth
the Father; believest thou not that I
am in the Father, and the Father in
Me, John xiv. 8 to 11 ; and also other
passages, That the Father and He are
one, as John x. 30. And it was said
to them, that they should keep that in
their thought, and thus say, Divine
Human ; but, because that thought was
not rooted in the acknowledgment,
that the Lord was God even as to the
Human, they twisted their lips into
folds, even to indignation, and wished
to force their mouth to speak out, but
they could not do it : the reason was,
because the ideas of thought, which
flow from acknowledgment, make one
with the words of the tongue, with
those who are in the spiritual world ;
and where those ideas are not, words
ire not given, for ideas become words
.n speech. IV. Moreover, there were
read to them, from the doctrine receiv
ed in all the Christian world, these
words ; that The. Divine and the Hu
man in the Lord are not two, but one;
yea, one Person, united as the soul and
body in man. These words are from

the Confession of Faith, named from
Athanasius, and acknowledged by coun
cils. And it was said to them, " You
can from this, certainly, have an idea
from acknowledgment, that the Human
of the Lord is divine, because His
soul is divine ; for it is from the doc
trine of your church, which you ac
knowledged in the world ; besides, the
soul is the very essence of man, and
the body is its form, and essence and
form make one, as esse and existere,
and as the cause producing an effect,
and the effect itself." They retained
that idea, and wished, from it, to pro
nounce Divine Human ; but they could
not ; for their interior idea concerning
the Human of the Lord exterminated
and expunged this new adscititious
idea, as they called it. V. Then this
passage from John was read to them ;
The Word was with God, and the
Word was God, and the Word be
came flesh, i. 1, 14; and also this ; Jesus
Christ is the true God, and eternal
Life, v. .21; and from Paul; In Je
sus Christ dwelleth all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily, Col. ii. 9 : and it
was said to them, that they should think
in like manner ; that is, that God, who
was the Word, became Man, that He
was the true God, and that all the full
ness of the Godhead dwelt in Him
bodily. And they did so, but only
in external thought ; wherefore they
could not, on account of the resistance
of the internal, speak out Divine Hu
man, saying openly that they could not
have an idea of Divine Human, be
cause God is God, and man is man ;
and God is a Spirit, and concerning
spirit we have thought no otherwise
than as concerning wind or ether. VI.
At length it was said to them, " You
know that the Lord said, Abide in Me,
and I in you ; he who abideth in Me,
and I in him, beareth much fruit ; be
cause without Me, ye cannot do any
thing," John xv. 4, 5 ; and because some
of the clergy of England were present,
it was read to them, from one of their
exhortations at the Holy Communion,
" For, when we spiritually rat the flesh
of Christ, and drink the blood, then we
dwell in Christ and Christ in us."
" If now you think that this cannot be

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

93

given, unless the Human ofthe Lord be
Divine, say therefore Divine Human
from acknowledgment in thought ;"
but still they could not ; for the idea
was so deeply impressed on them, that
the Divine could not be Human, and
the Human could not be Divine, and
that his Divine was from the Divine of
a Son from eternity, and his Human
similar to the human of another man.
But it was said to them, " How can you
think so? Can a rational mind ever
think that any Son was born of God
from eternity ?" VII. Afterwards they
turned themselves to the evangelical,
saying, that the Augsburg Confes
sion and Luther taught, that the Son
of God and the Son of Man, in Christ,
is one Person, and that He, even" as to
the human nature, is omnipotent and
omnipresent ; and that as to this,
He sits at the right hand of God the
Father, and governs all things in the
heavens and in the earths, fills all things,
is with us, dwells and operates in us ;
and that there is no difference of ado
ration ; because, through the nature
which is discerned, the Divinity which
is not discerned is adored ; and that,
in Christ, God is Man and. Man God.
On hearing these things, they replied,
" Is it so 1" And they looked around,
and presently said, " We did not know
this before ; wherefore we cannot say,
Divine Human." But one and another
said, " We have read it, and we have
written it, but still, when we thought
about it in ourselves, they were only
words, of which we had no interior
idea." VIII. At last, turning about to
the papists, they said, " Perhaps you
can say Divine Human, because you
believe that, in your eucharist, Christ is
entire in the bread and wine, and in
every part of them ; and also you adore
Him, when you show and carry about
the host, as the most holy God ; also
because you call Mary Deipara, or the
Mother of God ; consequently you ac
knowledge that she brought forth God,
that is, the Divine Human." And
they then wished to speak it, but be
cause there arose then a material idea
concerning the body and blood of
Christ, and also the faith, that his Hu

man is separable from the Divine, and
that it is actually separated with the
pope, to whom only his human, and
not his divine power was transferred,
they could not speak it. And then a
monk arose and said, that he could
think of a Divine Human in respect
to the most holy virgin Mary, and also
in respect to a saint of his monastery.
And another monk came up, saying,
" I can, from the idea of my thought
which I now entertain, say Divine Hu
man, in respect to the most holy pope,
rather than in respect to Christ." But
then some of the papists pulled him
back, and said, " For shame on you !"
After this, heaven appeared open, and
there appeared tongues like little flames,
descending and flowing in with some ;
and then they celebrated the Divine
Human of the Lord, saying, " Re
move the idea of three Gods, and be
lieve that in the Lord dwells all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily, and
that the Father and He are one, as the
soul and body are one, and that God is
not wind and ether, but that He is Man,
and then you will be conjoined to
heaven, and, from the Lord, will be able
to speak the name Jesus, and to say
Divine Human."
112. Third Relation. Once, hav
ing awaked just after the dawn, 1 went
out into the garden before the house,
and saw the sun arising in his splendor,
and round about him a girdle, at first
faint, and afterwards more conspicu
ous, shining as if from gold, and un
der its edge a cloud ascending, which
glittered like a carbuncle, from the
flame of the sun ; and then I fell into
a meditation respecting the fables of
the ancients, that they feigned Aurora
with wings of silver feathers, and in
her face displaying the lustre of gold.
When my mind was delighted in these
things, I became in the spirit, and
heard some talking among themselves,
and saying, " O ! that we might be al
lowed to speak with the innovator, who
has thrown the apple of contention
amongst the rulers of the church,
which many of the laity have run after ;
and, having picked it up, they have
presented it to our .eyes." By that ap-

94

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

pie, they meant a little pamphlet, enti
tled, A brief Exposition of the
Doctrine of the New Church.
And they said, " It is indeed a schis-
matical thing, which no one ever be
fore conceived." And I heard then one
of them exclaiming, " What ! schismati-
cal ? it is heretical." But some at his
side replied, " Hush, hold your tongue ;
it is not heretical ; he quotes a great
many passages of the Word, to which
our strangers, by whom we mean the
laity, attend and assent." When I
heard these things, because I was in
the spirit, I went to them, and said,
"Here I am; what is the subject?"
And presently one of them, who, as I
afterwards heard, was a German, a
native of Saxony, speaking in a tone
of authority, said, "Whence had you
the audacity to change the worship in
the Christian world, established for so
many ages, which was, that God the
Father should be invoked as the Crea
tor of the universe, and his Son as the
Mediator, and the Holy Ghost as the
Operator ? And you separate the first
and last God from our personality, when
yet the Lord himself says, When ye
jiray, pray thus ; Our Father, who art
in the heavens, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come' Thus is it not
commanded, that we should invoke
God the Father?" These things being
said, silence was made, and all who fa
vored him , stood like brave soldiers upon
ships of war when they see a hostile
fleet, ready to cry, Let us fight now ; the
victory is certain. And then I began
to speak, and said, " Which of you does
not know, that God descended from
heaven, and became man? for it is
read, The Word was with God, and
the Word ivas God; and. the Word
became flesh : also, which of you does
not know (and I looked at the evan
gelical, amongst whom was that dicta
tor who had just addressed me) that in
Christ, who was born of the virgin
Mary, God is Man, and Man God ?"
But at these words, the assembly made
a great noise; wherefore I said, "Do
you not know this ? It is according to
the doctrine of your confession, which
is called the Formula Concopdie,

where this is said and corroborated'
by many things." Then that dictator
turned himself towards the assembly,
and asked whether they knew this.
And they replied, " We have studied
very little in that book concerning the
Person of Christ, but we have sweat
upon the article there concerning Jus
tification by faith alone. But still,
if that is read there, we acquiesce."
And then one of them, recollecting,
said, " It is read ; and what is still
more, that the human nature of Christ
is exalted to divine majesty, and to all
its attributes, and also that in it Christ
sits at the right hand of the Father."
Having heard these words, they were
silent ; and after this consent, I spoke
again, saying, " Since it is so, what
then is the Father, but the Son, and
what the Son, but the Father also?"
But because this again made an un
pleasant noise in their ears, I contin
ued, saying, " Hear the very words
of the Lord, to which, if you have
not attended before, attend now; for
He said, The Father and I are one;
the Father is in Me, and I in the Fa
ther ; Father, all mine are thine, and
all thine mine ; he who seeth Me, seeth
the Father. What else do those words
mean, than that the Father is in the
Son, and the Son in the Father, and
that they are one, 'as the soul and body
in man, and thus that they are one
person ? This also will be of your faith,
if you believe the Athanasian creed,
where similar things are said. But
take from the words adduced only this
declaration of the Lord ; Father, alt
mine are thine, and all thine are mine;
what else is this than that the Divine
of the Father belongs to the Human
ofthe Son, and the Human ofthe Son
to the Divine of the Father ? conse
quently that, in Christ, God is man,
and man God ? and thus that they are
one, as the soul and body are one.
Every man also may say the like con
cerning his soul and his body, viz. 'All
thine are mine, and all mine thine ;
thou in me, and I in thee; he who
sees me, sees thee ; we are one as to
person and as to life ;' the reason is,
because the soul is in the whole and

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

95

<ii >.vety part of man; for the life of
the soul is the life of the body, and
there is a mutuality between them.
Hence it is manifest, that the Divine
of the Father is the soul of the Son,
and that the Human of the Son is the
body of the Father. Whence is the
soul of a son but from the father ? and
whence is his body, but from the moth
er ? It is said, the Divine of the Fa
ther, and the Father himself is meant,
since He and his Divine are the same ;
this also is one and individual. That
it is so, is evident also from these words
ofthe angel Gabriel to Mary ; The vir
tue of the Most High shall overshadow
thee, and the Holy Spirit come upon
thee, andthe holy Thing that shallbe born
of thee, shall be called the Son of God, ;
and just above He is called the Son ofthe
Most High, and elsewhere, the only-be
gotten Son. But you, who only call Him
the Son of Mary, lose the idea of his
divinity ; but no others lose it, except
the learned ofthe clergy, and scholars'
among the laity, who, while they elevate
their thoughts above the sensual things
of the body, look at the glory of their
own fame, which not only overshadows,
but. also extinguishes the light, by
which the glory of God enters. But
let us return to the Lord's prayer,
where it is said, Our Father who art
in the heavens, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come. You who are here
understand, by those words, the Father
in his Divine alone ; but I, Him in his
Human, and this also is the- name of
the Father ; for the Lord said, Father,
glorify thy Name ; that is, thy Human ;
and when this is done, the kingdom of
God comes ; and this prayer was com
manded for this time, in order that
God the Father may be approached
through his Human. The Lord also
said, No one cometh to the Father but
by me ; and in the prophet, A Child,
is born to us, a Son is given to us,
whose name is God, Hero, the Father
of eternity; and in another place,
Thou Jehovah, our Father, our Re
deemer from an age is thy name ; and
in a thousand other places, where the
Lord our Savior is called Jehovah
This is the true explanation of the

words of that prayer." After these
things were said, I looked at them,
and observed the changes of their
countenances, according to the changes
of the state of their minds ; some fa
voring and looking at me, and some
not favoring, and turning themselves
away from me ; and then, on the right,
I saw a cloud of an opal color, and on
the left, a dusky cloud, and under
each, as it were, a shower, and under
the latter, as it were, a shower of rain
in the end of autumn, and under the
former, as it were, a shower of dew at
the beginning of spring ; and suddenly
then I came from the spirit into the
body, and thus returned from the spir
itual world into the natural world.
113. Fourth Relation. I looked
into the spiritual world, and saw an
army upon red and black horses
Those who sat upon them appeared
like apes, turned, as to the face and
breast, towards the loins and tails of
the horses, and as to the back of the
head and the back towards their necks
and heads, and the bridles were hang
ing about the necks of the riders, and
they were crying against those who
rode upon white horses, and shaking
the bridles with both their hands, and
thus were pulling the horses back from
the battle, and this continually. Then
two angels descended from heaven,
and came to me, and said, " What do
you see 1" And I replied, that I saw
so ludicrous a company of horsemen ;
and I asked, " What is this, and who
are they 1" And the angels answered,
"They are from the place which is
called Armageddon {Rev. xii. 16), in
which are gathered several thousands
to fight against those who are of the
Lord's New Church, which is called
the New Jerusalem. They were talk
ing in that place about the church and
religion ; and yet with them there was
not any thing of the church, because
not any spiritual truth ; nor any thing
of religion, because not any spiritual
good. They were talking there with
the mouth and lips about the former
and the latter, but to the end that they
might, by means of them, have domin
ion. They learnt, in their youth, tn

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Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

confirm faith alone, and something
concerning God ; but when they were
promoted to higher offices in the
church, for a while they retained those
things ; but because then they began
to think no more concerning God and
concerning heaven, but about them
selves and about the world, thus not
concerning eternal blessedness and fe
licity, but about temporal eminence
and opulence, they rejected the doc-
trinals, which they learnt in their
youth, from the interiors of the rational
mind, which communicate with heav
en, and thence are in the light of heav
en, to the exteriors of the rational
mind, which communicate with the
world, and thence are in the light of
the world ; and at length they thrust
them down into the sensual natural re
gion ; whence the doctrinals of the
church, with them, became things of
the mouth only, and no longer of
thought from reason, and still less of
affection from love ; and because they
have made themselves such, they do
not admit any divine truth, which is
of the church, nor any genuine good,
which is of religion ; the interiors of
their mind are become comparatively
like bottles filled with iron filings, mix
ed with the flour of sulphur, into which
if water is poured, there is at first a
heat and afterwards a flame, by which
those bottles are burst ; in like man
ner they, when they hear any thing
concerning living water, which is the
genuine truth of the Word, and this
enters through their ears, are violently
heated and inflamed, and reject it, as
something that would burst their heads.
These are they who appeared to you like
apes, riding backwards upon red and
black horses, with the bridles about
their necks ; since those who do not
love the truth and good of the church
from the Word, do not wish to look at
the fore-parts of a horse, but at his
back-parts ; for horse signifies the un
derstanding of the Word ; a red horse,
the understanding ofthe Word, lost as
to good ; and a black horse, the under
standing ofthe Word, lost as to truth.
That they cried to battle against those
who were riding upon white horses,

is because a white horse signifies the
understanding of the Word as to truth
and good ; that they seemed, by their
neck, to pull back their horses, was,
because they feared the battle, lest the
truth of the Word should come to
many, and thus into the light. This
is the interpretation."
The angels further said, " We are
from the society of heaven, which is
called Michael, and we were com
manded by the Lord to descend into
the place called Armageddon, whence
issued that company of horsemen,
which you saw. By Armageddon,
amongst us in heaven, is signified the
state and disposition of fighting from
falsified truths, arising from the love of
dominion and eminence over all ; and
because we perceive in you a desire of
knowing about that battle, we will re
late something. After our descent
from heaven, we came to the place
called Armageddon, and saw there
several thousands assembled ; we did
not, indeed, enter into their assembly,
but there were some houses on the
southern side of that place, where were
boys, with their masters ; we entered
into them, and were courteously re
ceived. We were delighted with their
company ; they were all, as to the face,
beautiful from the life in their eyes,
and from the zeal in their discourse ;
the life in their eyes was from the per
ception of truth, and the zeal in their
discourse from the affection of good;
wherefore, also, we gave them caps, the
borders of which were adorned with
bands of golden threads interwoven
with pearls ; and also we gave them
garments variegated with white and
blue." We asked them whether they
ever looked into the neighboring place,
which is called Armageddon : they
said that they had looked through a
window, which is under the roof of the
house, and that they saw there an
assembly, but under various figures;
sometimes as tall men, and sometimes
not as men, but as statues and carved
idols, and around them a multitude of
people bending their knees : these
also appeared to us under various
forms ; some like men, some like leop-

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

97

ards, and some like goats, and these
with horns pointing downwards, with
which they dug up the ground. We in
terpreted those metamorphoses, whom
they represented, and what they signi
fied. But to the point : — Those who
were assembled, when they heard that
we had entered into those houses, said
amongst themselves, " What business
have they amongst those boys ? Let us
send some of our company to turn
them out." So they sent ; and when
they came, they said to us, " Why
have ybu entered into these houses?
Whence are you? We, by authority,
command you to depart." But we re
plied, " You cannot command that by
authority. You are, indeed) in your
own eyes, like the Anakim, and those
who are here are like dwarfs ; but still
you have no power and authority here,
except by means of cunning, which
yet will not avail ; wherefore go and
tell your companions, that we were
sent hither from heaven, to see whether
there is any religion with you or not ;
if there is not, you will be cast out
from this place. Wherefore, propose
to them this, in which is the very es
sential of the church and of religion —
how they understand these words in
the Lord's prayer, Our Father, who
ART IN THE HEAVENS, HALLOWED BE
THY NAME,- THY KINGDOM COME."
When they had heard these words,
they said at first, " What is this?" and
afterwards, that they would propose
it. And they went away, and told
those things to their companions, who
replied, "What and of what quality
is that proposition ?" But they under
stood the secret which they wished to
know, whether those words confirm the
way of our faith to God .the Father;
wherefore they said, " The words are
clear, that we ought to pray to God the
Father ; and because Christ is our Me
diator, that we ought to pray to God
the Father for the sake of the Son."
And then, in indignation, they determin
ed that they would go to us, and dic
tate that, face to face, saying also that
they would pull our ears. So they
went out of that place, and entered into
a grove near those houses in which the
13

boys were with their masters, in the
middle of which grove there was a
plain, elevated like a place of exer
cise ; and they held each other by their
hands, and entered into that place of
exercise where we were, and we wait
ed for them. There were there green
sods raised from the ground like little
hillocks : upon them they seated them
selves, for they said one to another,
" We will not stand in their presence,
but we will sit down." And then one
of them, who could speak so that he
would appear as an angel of light, and
who was appointed, by the rest, to
speak with us, said, " You have pro
posed to us that we should open our
minds concerning the first words of the
Lord's prayer, as we understand them.
I say, therefore, to you, that we under
stand them thus ; that we should pray to
God the Father ; and because Christ
is our Mediator, and we are saved by
his merit, that we should pray to God
the Father from faith in his merit."
But then we said to them, " We are
from a society of heaven which is
called Michael, and we were sent to
visit and to inquire whether you, who
are assembled in this place, have any
religion or not ; for the idea of God
enters into every thing of religion, and
by it conjunction is effected, and by con
junction salvation. We in heaven read
that prayer daily, as men do on earth ;
and then we do not think concerning
God the Father, because He is invisi
ble, but concerning Him in his Divine
Human, because in this He is visible;
and He in this is called by you Christ,
but by us the Lord; and thus to us the
Lord is the Father in the heavens.
The Lord also taught, that He and the
Father are one ; that the Father is in
Him, and He in the Father ; and that
he who sees Him, sees the Father;
also, that no one comes to the Father,
except through Him ; and, also, that it
is the will of the Father, that men
should believe in the Son ; and that he
who does not believe in the Son , does not
see life ; yea, that the anger of God
abideth on him; from which it is man
ifest, that the Father should be ap
proached through Him and in Him;

98

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

and because it is so, He also taught
that all power is given to Hiin in heav
en and in earth. It is said in that
prayer, hallowed be thy name, thy
kingdom come. We have demonstrat
ed from the Word, that his Divine Hu
man is the name of the Father, and
that the kingdom of the Father then is,
when the Lord is approached immedi
ately, and not when God the Father is
approached immediately. Wherefore,
also, the Lord commanded the dis
ciples, that they should preach the
kingdom of God ; and this is the king
dom of God." Having heard these
words, the antagonists said, " You re
cite many things from the Word, and
we, perhaps, have read such things
there, but we do not remember;
wherefore open the Word before us,
and read them from it, especially this,
That the kingdom of the Father then
comes when the kingdom of the Lord
does." And then they said to the
boys, " Bring hither the Word." And
they brought it ; and we read from it
the following passages : John, preach
ing the gospel of the kingdom, said,
The time is fulfilled; the kingdom of
God has come near, Mark i. 14, 15.
Matt. iii. 2. Jesus himself preached
the gospel of the kingdom, and that the
kingdom of God was approaching, Matt.
v. 17, 23 ; ix. 35. Jesus commanded
the disciples, that they should preach
and tell the good news of the kingdom
of God, Mark xvi. 15; Luke viii. 1, ix.
6; in like manner the seventy whom
He sent forth, x. 9, 11; besides other
places, as Matt. xi. 5; xvi. 27, 28.
Mark viii. 35; ix. 1, 27; x. 29, 30; xi.
10. Lukei. 19 ; ii. 10, 11; iv. 43; vii.
22; xxi. 30, 31 ; xxii. 18. The king
dom of God, which was proclaimed,
was the kingdom ofthe Lord, and thus
the kingdom of the Father : that it is
so, is manifest from these passages :
The Father hath given all things into
the hand of the Son, John iii. 35. The
Father hath given to the Son power
over all flesh, John xvii. 2. All things
are delivered to Me by the Father, Matt.
xi. 27. All power is given to Me in
heaven and, in earth, xxviii. 18. And
moreover from these: Jehovah of hosts

is his name ; and the Redeemer, the Holy
One of Israel, shall be called the God of
the whole earth, Isaiah liv. 5. / saw,
and, behold, one like the Son of man, to
whom was given dominion, glory, and
a kingdom, and all people and nations
shall worship Him; his dominion is the
dominion of an age which shall not
pass away, and his kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed, Dan. vii. 13, 14.
When the seventh angel sounded, great
voices were uttered in the heavens, say
ing, The kingdoms of the world have
become the kingdom of our Lord and of
his Christ, and He shall reign to ages
of ages, Rev. xi. 15 ; xii. 10. And, be
sides, we instructed them from the
Word, that the Lord came into the
world not only that He might redeem
angels and men, but also that they
might be united to God the Father by
Him and in Him ; for He taught that
He is in those who believe in Him,
and that they are in Him, John vi.
56 ; xiv. 20 ; xv. 4, 5. Having heard
these things, they asked, " How, then,
can your Lord be called Father ?" We
said, " From those passages which
have been read, and also from these :
A Child is born to us, a Son is given to
us, whose name is God, Hero, the Fa
ther of eternity, Isaiah ix. 6. Thou
art our Father; Abraham doth not
know us, and Israel doth not acknowl
edge us ; Iliou, Jehovah, art our Father,
our Redeemer from an age is thy name,
Isaiah lxiii. 16. Did He not say to
Philip, who wished to see the Father,
Philip, hast thou not known Me ? He
who seeth Me, seeth the Father, John
xiv. 9, xii. 45. Who else, then, is the
Father, but He whom Philip saw with
his eyes?" To which we added this :
" It is said in the whole Christian
world, that those who are ofthe church,
make the body of Christ, and are in
his body : how, then, can the man of
the church go to God the Father, ex
cept through Him in whose body He
is? If otherwise, he must go entirely
out ofthe body, and go to Him." At
last we informed them, that the Lord
is at this day instituting a New
Church, which is meant by the New
Jerusalem in the Revelation, in which

Concerning Redemption.

99

will be the worship of the Lord alone,
as in heaven, and that thus every thing
will be fulfilled, which is contained in
the Lord's prayer from the beginning
to the end. We confirmed all from
the Word, in the evangelists, and in the
prophets, and from the Revelation, in
which that church is treated of from
the beginning to the end, in so great
abundance that they were tired of
hearing. While hearing these things with in
dignation, the Armageddons desired, at
every turn, to interrupt our discourse ;
and at length they broke it, and ex
claimed, " You have spoken contrary
to the doctrine of our church, which
is, that we should go to God the Father
immediately, and believe in Him : thus
vou have made yourselves guilty of a

violation of our faith ; wherefore, go
out from this place ; and if not, you
shall be cast out." And, their minds
being inflamed, they came from threat
ening to attempting violence : but then,
by a power given to us, we struck
them with blindness, in consequence
of which, not seeing us, they rushed
forth, and, in their wandering, they ran
in different directions, and some fell
into the abyss, which is mentioned in
the Rev. ix. 2, which is now in the
southern region towards the east, whe*e
those are who confirm justification
by faith alone ; and those there who
confirm it from the Word, are sent
forth into a desert, in which they are
brought even to the extremity of the
Christian world, and mixed with
pagans.

CONCERNING REDEMPTION.

114. That there are in the Lord
two offices, the office of priest and the
office of king, is known in the church;
but few know in what the one and in
what the other consists ; wherefore it
shall be told. The Lord, from the of
fice of priest, is called Jesus ; and from
the office of king, Christ: and also,
from the office of priest, He is called
in the Word, Jehovah and Lord; and
from the office of king, God, and the
Holy One of Israel, as also King. These
two offices are distinguished from each
other, as love and wisdom, or, what is
the same, as good and truth, are dis
tinguished from each other ; where
fore, whatever the Lord did and oper
ated from divine love or divine good,
He did and operated from his priestly
office ; but whatever from divine wis
dom or divine truth, from his kingly
office. In the Word, also, priest and
priesthood signify divine good; and
king and royalty signify divine truth :
those two things the priests and kings
in the Israelitish church represented.
As to what concerns redemption, that
pertains to both offices ; but what part
of it to the one, and what part of it to

the other, will be shown in what fol
lows. But, that every thing may be
distinctly perceived, the exposition of
it will be divided into canons or arti
cles, which will be, I. That redemption
itself was a suWugation of the hells,
and an establishment of order in the
heavens, and thereby a preparation for
a New Spiritual Church. II. That
without that redemption no man could
have been saved, nor could the angels
have subsisted in a state of integrity.
III. That the Lord thus redeemed not
only men, but also angels. IV. That
redemption was a work purely divine.
V. That this redemption itself could
not have been effected but by God in
carnate. VI. That the passion of the
cross was the last temptation which He,
as the greatest Prophet, sustained ; and
that it was the means of the glorifica
tion of his Human, that is, of union
with the Divine of his Father, and not
redemption. VII. That the passion of
the cross is believed to have been re
demption itself, is a fundamental error
of the church; and that that error, to
gether with the error concerning three
divine persons from eternity has per-

100

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

verted the whole' church, so that not any
thing spiritual is left remaining in it.
These things will now be unfolded one
by one.
115. I. That Redemption itself
was a Subjugation of the Hells,
and an Establishment of Order
in the Heavens, and thereby a
Preparation for a New Spiritual
Church. That these three things are redemp
tion, I can say in all certainty, since
the Lord also at this day is performing
a redemption, which He commenced in
the year 1757, together with the Last
Judgment, which was then performed.
This redemption has continued from
that time even to this : the reason is,
because at this time is the Second
Coming of the Lord ; and a New
Church is to be instituted which can
not be instituted unless there be first
a subjugation of the hells, and an
establishment of order in the heavens ;
and because it was given to me to see
all, I can describe how the hells were
subjugated, and how the new heaven
was ordered and established ; but this
would be the subject of a whole work.
But how the last judgment was per
formed I have made known in a small
volume, published at London in the
year 1758. That the' subjugation of
the hells, the establishment of order
in the heavens, and the institution of
a New Church, were redemption, is
because without these no man could
have been saved : they follow, also, in
order ; for first the hells are to be subju
gated before a new angelic heaven can
be formed ; and this is to be formed be
fore a New Church upon earth can be
instituted ; for men in the world are so
conjoined with the angels of heaven
and the spirits of hell, that, in the inte
riors of the mind on both sides, they
make one : but concerning this we
shall speak in the last chapter of this
work, where we shall treat, specifically,
of the Consummation of the Age,
of the Coming of the Lord, and
of the New Church.
116. That the Lord, while he was in
the world, fought against the hells, and
conquered and subjugated them, and

thus reduced them under obedience to
Him, is evident from many passages in
the Word, of which I shall select these
few in Isaiah : Who is this that cometh
from Edam, sprinkled as to his gar
ments from Bozrah, who is honorable
in his apparel, marching in the multi
tude of his strength ? I who speak in
righteousness, great to save. Where
fore art Thou red as to thy garment,
and thy garment as of one treading in
the wine-press ? I have trodden the wine
press alone, and of the people not a
man with Me; therefore I trod them in
my anger, and trampled them in my
wrath; thence their victory teas sprin
kled upon my garments ; for the day
of vengeance is in my heart, and the.
year of my redeemed is come ; my arm
brought salvation to me ; I made their.
victory descend to the earth. He said,
Behold my people, they are children ;
therefore He became to them for a Sa
vior ; for his love and for his pity He
redeemed them; lxiii. 1 to 9. These
things are concerning the battle of the
Lord against the hells ; by the garment
in which He was honorable, and which
was red, is meant the Word,, to which
violence was offered by the Jewish peo
ple. The battle itself against the hells,
and the victory over them, is described
by this, that He trod them in his anger,
and trampled them in his icrath. That
He fought alone, and from his own
power, is described by these words :
Of the people not a man with me ; my
arm brought salvation to me ; I made
their victory descend to the earth. That
thereby He saved and redeemed, by
these : Therefore He became to them
for a Savior ; for his love and for his
pity He redeemed them. That this wag
the cause of his coming, is meant by
these : The day of vengeance is in my
heart, and the year of my redeemed is
come. Again in Isaiah : He saw that
there was not any one, and was aston
ished that there was none interceding ;
therefore his arm brought salvation to
Him, and righteousness rousedHimup;
thence He put on righteousness as a
breastplate, and the helmet of salvation
upon his head, and He put on garments
of vengeance, and covered himself with

Concerning Redemption.

101

zeal as toith a cloak ; then He came to
Zion a Redeemer, lix. 16, 17, 20. In
Jeremiah : They were dismayed, their
strong ones were knocked down; they
fid apace, neither did they look back;
that day is to the Lord Jehovah of hosts
a day of revenge, that he may take
vengeance on his enemies, that the sword
may devour and be satiated, xlvi. 5, 10.
The latter and the former are concern
ing the battle of the Lord against the
hells, and concerning the victory over
them. In David : Gird thy sword upon
thy thigh, O Mighty ; thy arrows are
sharp, the people shall fall under Thee,
from the heart enemies of the King.
Thy throne is for an age and forever.
Thou hast loved righteousness, there
fore God hath anointed Thee, Psalm
xiv. 4 to 7; besides in many other
places. Since the Lord alone con
quered the hells, without help from any
angel, therefore He is called a Hero,
and a Man of wars, Isaiah xliv. 15 ;
ix. 6 ; the King of glory, Jehovah
the Mighty, the Hero of war,
Psalm xiv. 8, 10 ; The Mighty One
of Jacob, exxxii. 2 ; and in many
places, Jehovah Sabaoth, that is, Je
hovah of hosts. And also his ad
vent is called the day of Jehovah,
terrible, cruel, of indignation, of wrath,
of anger, of vengeance, of ruin, of
war, of a trumpet, of a loud noise, of
tumult, &c. In the evangelists these
things are read : Now is the judgment
of this icorld; the prince of this world
shall be cast out, John xii. 31. The
prince of this world is judged, xvi. 11.
Have confidence; I have overcome the
world, xvii. 33. / saw Satan as light
ning falling from heaven, Luke x. 18.
By the world, the prince of the world,
Satan and the devil, is meant hell.
Besides these things, it is described in
the Revelation, from the beginning to
the end, what the Christian church is
at this day, and also that the Lord is
about to come again, and subjugate the
hells, and make a new angelic heaven,
and then to establish a New Church
upon earth. All these things are there
predicted, but they have not been dis
covered till the present time : the reason
is, because the Revelation, as also all

the prophetical parts of the Word, was
written by mere correspondences ; and
unless these had been made known by
the Lord, scarcely any one would have
been able rightly to understand a single
verse there : but now, for the sake ofthe
New Church, all the things which are
there, are made known in the Apoca
lypse Revealed, published at Amster
dam, in the year 1766 ; and those will
see them who believe the Word of the
Lord in Matt. xxiv. concerning the state
of the church at the present time, and
concerning his coming. But this belief
is, as yet, only wavering with those who
have so deeply impressed on their hearts
the faith of the present church, con
cerning a trinity of divine persons from
eternity, and concerning the passion
of Christ, that it was redemption itself,
that it cannot be eradicated. But these
(as was said in the Relation above,
n. 1 13) are like bottles filled with iron-
filings and flour of sulphur, into which
if water be poured, there is first pro
duced a heat, and afterwards a flame,
by which those bottles are burst : they
also, in like manner, when they hear any
thing concerning living water, which is
the genuine truth ofthe Word, and this
enters through their eyes or ears, are vi
olently heated and inflamed, and reject
it, as that which would burst their heads.
117. The subjugation of the hells,
the establishment of order in the heav
ens, and afterwards the institution of a
church, may be illustrated by various
similitudes. The hells may be illus
trated by a comparison with an army
of robbers or rebels, who invade a-
kingdom or a city, and then set fire to
the houses, plunder the goods ofthe in
habitants, and divide the spoil amongst
themselves, and then exult and triumph ;
but redemption itself may be illustrat
ed by a comparison with a just king,
who marches against them with his ar
my, puts a part of them to the sword,
shuts a part up in prisons, takes away
their spoil, apd restores it to his sub
jects, and establishes order in the king
dom, and renders it safe from similar
invasions. It may also be illustrated
by a comparison with a herd of wild
beasts, issuing out together from a for-

102

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

est, which attacks flocks and herds,
and also men ; on account of which,
no man dares go out from the walls of
his city to till the ground ; whence the
fields will be deserted, and the inhabit
ants of the city will perish by famine:
and redemption may be illustrated by
the destruction and dispersion of those
wild beasts, and the protection of the
fields and plains from further invasion
of such animals. It may also be illus
trated by locusts consuming every green
thing on the surface ofthe ground ; and
by the means of preventing their fur
ther progress : also, by the little worms
in the first part of summer, which de
prive the trees of leaves, and thus, also,
of fruits, so that they stand naked as in
the midst of winter ; and by shaking
them off, and thus restoring the garden
to the state of its bloom and fruitfulness.
The case would be similar with the
church, unless the Lord, by redemption,
had separated the good from the evil,
and cast the latter into hell, and raised
the former into heaven. What would
become of an empire or a kingdom, if
there were no justice nor judgment, by
which the evil might be taken away
from the midst of the good, and the
good protected from violence, so that
every one might live securely in his
own house, and, as it is said in the
Word, might sit under his own fig-tree
and vine in tranquillity?
118. II. That without that Re
demption, no Man could have been
SAVED, NOR COULD THE AnGELS HAVE
subsisted in a State of Integrity.
In the first place, it shall be told
what redemption is. To redeem sig
nifies to liberate from damnation, to de
liver from eternal death, to rescue from
hell, and take away captives and pris
oners out of the hand of the devil.
This was done by the Lord, in that He
subjugated the hells, and formed a new
heaven. That man could not other
wise have been saved, is because the
spiritual world has such a connection
with the natural world that they can
not be separated. This connection is
principally with the interiors of men,
which are called their souls and minds :
those of the good are connected with

the souls and minds of angels, and
those of the evil, with the souls and
minds of infernal spirits. They have
such union, that, if they were removed
from man, he would fall down dead as a
stock ; in like manner, angels and spir
its could not subsist, if men were with
drawn from them. Thence it is mani
fest why redemption was performed
in the spiritual world, and why heaven
and hell were first to be restored to or
der before the church on earth could be
established. That it is so, is very m ani-
fest from what is said in the Revela
tion, that, after the new heaven was
made, the New Jerusalem, which is
the New Church, came down out of
that heaven ; xxi. 1, 2.
119. The reason that angels could
not have subsisted in a state of integ
rity unless redemption had been per
formed by the Lord, is because the
whole angelic heaven, together with
the church on earth, is before the
Lord as one man, whose intprnal is
the angelic heaven, and whose exter
nal is the church ; or, more particular
ly, the highest heaven constitutes the
head ; the second and the last consti
tute the breast and middle region of
the body ; and the church on earth, the
loins and feet ; and the Lord Himself
is the sou] and life of the whole of this
man: wherefore, unless the Lord had
performed redemption, this man would
have been destroyed, as to the feet and
loins, by the seceding of the church on
earth ; as to the gastric region, by the
seceding of the lowest heaven ; as to
the breast, by the seceding of the sec
ond heaven; and then the head, hav
ing no correspondence with the body,
would fall into a swoon. But this shall
be illustrated by similitudes. It is as
when a mortification attacks the feet,
and, in its ravages, gradually ascends,
and infects first the loins, then the vis
cera of the abdomen, and at length it
invades the vicinity of the heart ; and
it is known, that man then falls a vic
tim to death. It may also be illustrat
ed by a comparison with diseases of
the viscera, which are below the dia
phragm, that when they have any
breach or rupture, the heart begins to

Concerning Redemption.

103

palpitate, and the lungs to pant heaviiy,
and at length they both cease. It may
also be illustrated by a comparison
with the internal and external man, in
that the internal man is well, as long
as the external man obediently per
forms its functions ; but if the external
does not obey, but resists the internal,
and still more if it assaults it, at length
the internal is weakened and finally
carried away by the delights of the ex
ternal, until it even favors and assents
to it.
It may also be illustrated by a com
parison with a man standing upon a
mountain, who sees below him the
country inundated, and that the waters
are rising higher and higher ; and when
they reach the summit on which he
stands, he also is inundated, unless he
can secure his safety by a boat which
comes to him through the flood : in
like manner, if any one from a moun
tain sees a thick cloud rising higher
and higher from the earth, and hiding
the fields, villages, and cities ; and af
terwards, when that cloud reaches even
to him, he does not see any thing, not
even himself where he is. The case
is similar with the angels when the
church on earth perishes ; that then
the inferior heavens also pass away.
The reason is, because the heavens
consist of mon from the earth ; and
when there no longer remains any good
of the heart and truth of the Word, the
heavens are inundated with the evils
which rise up, and are suffocated by
them as by Stygian waters ; but still
the) J.re concealed by the Lord some
where, and are reserved to the day of
the last judgment, and are then raised
up into a new heaven. These are
they who are meant in the Revelation
by these : J saw under the altar the
souls of those who were slain for the
Word of God, and for the testimony
which they had; and they cried with a
loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord,
who art holy and true, dost thou not
judge and, avenge our blood upon those
who dwell upon the earth ? And white
robes were given to every one of them ;
and it was said to them, that they should
rest yet for a little time, until their fel

low servants also, and their brethren,
who were to be killed as they had been,
should be fulfilled, vi. 9, 10, 11.
120. That without redemption by
the Lord, iniquity and wickedness
would spread through the whole Chris
tian orb, in both worlds, the natural
and the spiritual, is, amongst several
other reasons, because every man, after
death, comes into the world of spirits,
and then is altogether similar to him
self, such as he was before ; and at his
entrance, he cannot be restrained from
conversing with deceased parents,
brothers, relations and friends; every
husband, then, first seeks his wife, and
every wife her husband ; and by the
former and the latter they are introduc
ed into various companies of such as
outwardly appear like sheep, and in
wardly are like wolves; and by these
even those are perverted, who have
been devoted to piety : from this cause,
and from abominable arts, unknown
in the natural world, the spiritual
world is so full of the wicked and cun
ning, that it is like a pond green with
the spawn of frogs. That intercourse
with the wicked there also effects this,
may be rendered manifest from these
considerations, that whoever associates
with robbers or pirates, at length be
comes like them; and whoever lives
with adulterers and harlots, at length
regards adulteries as nothing ; and, also,
whoever connects himself with rebel
lious persons, at length does not scru
ple to do violence to any one. For all
evils are contagious, and may be com
pared to the plague, which an infected
person communicates by breath or per
spiration ; and also to a cancer or gan
grene, which spreads, and putrefies the
parts near it, and successively those
more distant, until the whole body per
ishes. The delights of evil, into which
every one is born, cause wickedness
to be contagious. From these things
it may appear evident, that without re
demption by the Lord, no one could be
saved, nor could the angels subsist in
a state of integrity. The only refuge
from destruction, for any one, is in the
Lord ; for He says, Abide in Me, and J
in you ; as the branch cannot bear fruit

104

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so
ye, unless ye abide in Me. I am the
vine, ye are the branches: he who abid-
eth in Me, and I in him, bearcth much
fruit; because without Me ye cannot do
any thing. If any one abide not in
Me, he is cast away, and, being dried,
is thrown into the fire and burned, John
xv. 4, 5, 6.
121. III. That the Lord thus
REDEEMED NOT ONLY Men, BUT
also Angels.
This follows from what was said in
the preceding article, That without re
demption by the Lord, the angels could
not have subsisted. To the reasons
above mentioned, these may be added :
I. That, at the time of the first coming
ofthe Lord, the hells had grown up to
such a height, that they filled all the
world of spirits, which is in the middle,
between heaven and hell, and thus not
only confused the heaven which is
called the last or lowest, but also as
saulted the middle heaven, which they
infested in a thousand ways, and which
would have gone to destruction, unless
the Lord had protected it. Such in
surrection of the hells is meant by the
tower built in the land of Shinar, the
head of which should reach even to
heaven ; but the design of the builders
was frustrated by the confusion of lan
guages, and they were dispersed, and
the city was called Babel, Gen. xi, 1 to
9. What is there meant by the tower
and by the confusion of languages, is
explained in the Arcana Coslestia,
published at London. The reason that
the hells had grown up to such a height,
was, that at the time when the Lord
came into the world, the whole world
nad entirely alienated itself from God,
by idolatries and magic ; and the church
which had been amongst the sons of
Israel, and at length amongst the Jews,
by falsification and adulteration of the
Word, was utterly destroyed ; and both
the former and the latter after death
flocked into the world of spirits, where
at length they so increased and multi
plied, that they could not be expelled
thence, but by the descent of God Him
self, and then by the strength of his
divine arm. How this was done is

described in a little treatise concerning
the Last Judgment, published at Lon
don in the year 1 758. This was accom
plished by the Lord when He was in
the world. The like, also, at this day,
has been done by the Lord, since, as
was said above, at this day is his sec
ond coming, which was predicted in
the Revelation in various places ; and
in Matt. xxiv. 3, 30; in Mark xiii. 26;
in Luke xxi. 27 ; and in the Acts of
the Apostles, i. 1 1 ; and in other places.
The difference is, that, at his first com
ing, the hells had grown tn such a
degree from the multitude of idolaters,
magicians, and falsifiers of the Word ;
but at this second coming, from Chris
tians so called, both such as are imbued
with naturalism, and also such as have
falsified the Word, by confirmations of
their fabulous faith concerning three
Divine Persons from eternity, and con
cerning the passion of the Lord, that it
was redemption itself; for these are
they who are meant by the dragon and
his two beasts in the Revelation, xii.
and xiii. II. The second reason why
the Lord also redeemed angels, is,
that not only every man, but also every
angel, is withheld by the Lord from
evil, and held in good ; for no one,
whether angel or man, is in good from
himself, but all good is from the Lord :
when, therefore, the footstool of the
angels, which is in the world of spirits,
was taken away from them, it was then
with them, as with one sitting upon a
throne, when its pedestals are removed.
That the angels are not pure in the
sight of God, is evident from the pro
phetical parts of the Word, and also
from Job ; and likewise from this, that
there is not any angel who had not
previously been a man. Hereby are
confirmed those things which are said
in the Faith of the New Heaven
and the New Church in a univer
sal and a particular Form, prefixed
to this work, viz. : " That the Lord
came into the world that He might re
move hell from man, and that He did
remove it by combats against it and
by victories over it ; thus He subjugat
ed it, and reduced it under obedience
to Himself." And also by these things

Concerning Redemption.

105

there, " That Jehovah God descended
and assumed the Human, to the end
that He might reduce into order all
things whicli were in heaven, and all
things which were in the church ;
since, at that time, the power of the
devil, that is, of hell, prevailed over the
power of heaven, and upon earth the
power of evil over the power of good,
and thence a total damnation stood be
fore the door and threatened. This
impending damnation Jehovah God
removed by means of his Human, and
thus redeemed men and angels : from
which it is manifest, that without the
coming of the Lord, no one could have
been saved. It is similar at this day ;
wherefore, unless the Lord again come
into the world, no one can be saved."
See above, n. 2, 3.
122. That the Lord has delivered
the spiritual world, and, by this, is
about to deliver the church, from uni
versal damnation, may be illustrated
by comparison with a king, who, by
victories over the enemy, liberates the
princes, his sons, who had been taken
by the enemy, confined in prisons, and
bound with chains, and brings them
back to his palace ; also by compari
son with a shepherd, who, like Sam
son and David, rescues his sheep from
the jaws of a lion or a bear, or drives
away those wild beasts when they come
out of the forest into the pastures, and
pursues them even to the utmost limits,
and at last forces them into ponds or
deserts, and afterwards returns to the
sheep, and feeds them in safety, and
gives them drink from fountains of
pure water. It may also be illustrated
by comparison with one who sees a
serpent coiled up, lying in the way
and intending to inflict a wound upon
the heel of a traveller, and seizes its
head, and, although it twists itself
about his hand, he carries it home,
and there cuts off its head, and throws
the rest into the fire. It may also be
illustrated by comparison with a bride
groom or a husband, who, when he
sees an adulterer attempting to do vio
lence to his bride, or wife, attacks him,
and either wounds his hand with a
sword, or covers his legs and loins with
14

blows, or casts him into the streets by
means of his servants, who with clubs
pursue him even to his house ; and
having thus liberated his beloved, he
leads her away into his chamber. By
a bride and wife, also, in the Word, is
meant the church of the Lord ; and by
adulterers are meant the violators of it,
who are those who adulterate hisi
Word ; and because the Jews did this,
they were called by the Lord an adul
terous generation.
123. IV. That Redemption was
a Work purely Divine.
He who knows what hell is, and
what was its height and inundation
over all the world of spirits, at the time
ofthe Lord's coming, and also with what
power the Lord cast down and dis
persed hell, and afterwards reduced it,
together with heaven, into order, can
not but be astonished, and exclaim, that
all those things were a work purely
divine. First, as to what hell is : it
consists of myriads of myriads, since it
consists of all those who, from the cre
ation of the world, by evils of life and
falses of faith, have alienated them
selves from God. Secondly, as to the
height and inundation of hell over all
the world of spirits, at the time of the
LorcFs coming, something has been
stated in the preceding articles. What
it was at the time of the first coming,
was not made known to any one, be
cause it is not revealed in the sense of
the letter of the Word. But what it
was at the time of his second coming,
it was given to see with my eyes ; from
which it may be concluded concerning
the former ; and this is described in a
little treatise concerning the Last Judg
ment, published at London in the year
1758. There also it is described, with
what power the Lord cast down and
dispersed hell; but to transfer hither
those things which are described from
personal observation in that little trea
tise, is a needless work, because that is
extant, and there are yet copies in
abundance at the booksellers' in Lon
don. Every one who reads that trea
tise may clearly see, that this was the
work of God Almighty. Fourthly, how
the Lord afterwards reduced all things,

100

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

both in heaven and in hell, into order,
has not yet been described by me,
since the establishment of order in the
heavens and the hells, has continued
in progress from the day of the last
judgment to the present time, and still
continues ; but after this book is pub
lished, if it be desired, it shall be given
to the public. As to myself, I have
seen, and do see every day, the divine
omnipotence of the Lord in this thing,
as in the face. This last properly be
longs to redemption, but the former
properly belongs to the last judgment ;
those who view these two things dis
tinctly, may see many things which, in
the prophetical parts of the Word, are
concealed under figures ; and yet they
are described, when, by an explana
tion of the correspondences, they are
brought forth into the light of the un
derstanding. The former and the lat
ter divine work cannot be illustrated
otherwise than by comparisons, and so
but imperfectly. They may be illus
trated by comparison with a battle
against the armies of all the nations in
the whole world, armed with spears,
shields, swords, muskets and cannon,
having skilful and cunning generals
and other officers : this is said, because
many in hell are skilled in arts un
known in our world, in which they ex
ercise themselves with each other, how
they may attack, ensnare, beset, and
assault those who are from heaven.
The battle of the Lord with hell may
also be compared, but yet imperfectly,
with a battle with the wild beasts of
the whole world, and with the slaugh
ter and subjugation of them, until not
one of them dares to come forth and
make an assault upon any man who is
in the Lord ; whence, if any one shows
a threatening aspect, he suddenly
shrinks back, as if he felt a vulture in
his bosom, endeavoring to eat through
even to the heart. By wild beasts,
also, in the Word, are described infer
nal spirits : these also are meant in
Mark i. 13, by the wild beasts with
which the Lord was forty days. It
may also be compared with resistance
to the whole ocean, rushing with its
bilious into countries and cities, when

the dikes are demolished. The sub.
jugation of hell by the Lord is also
meant by his calming the sea, by say
ing, Peace, be still, Mark iv. 38, 39 ;
Matt. viii. 26 ; Luke viii. 23, 24. For
by the sea there, as in many other
places, is signified hell. The Lord,
with similar divine power, at this day
fights against hell in every man who is
being regenerated ; for hell assaults all
those with diabolical fury ; and unless
the Lord resisted and subdued it, man
could not but yield. For hell is like
one monstrous man, and like a huge
hon, with which also it is compared
in the Word. Wherefore, unless the
Lord should keep that lion, or that
monster, bound with manacles and fet
ters, it could not be otherwise than
that man, when rescued from one evil,
would of himself fall into another, and
then into many more.
124. V. That this Redemption
itself could not have been per
formed, but by God incarnate.
In the preceding article it was shown,
that redemption was a work purely di
vine ; consequently, that it could not
have been performed but by an omnip
otent God. The reason that it could
not have been performed but by God
incarnate, that is, made Man, is be
cause Jehovah God, such as He is, in
his infinite essence, cannot approach
to hell, much less enter into it; for He
is in the purest and first things.
Wherefore, Jehovah God, being in
himself such, if He should only blow
upon those who are in hell, He would
kill them in a moment; for He said to
Moses, when He wished to see Him,
Thou wilt not be able to see my face,
because no man will see Me and live,
Exod. xxxiii. 20. Since, therefore,
Moses could not, still less could those
who are in hell, where all are in the
last and grossest things, and thus in
those most remote ; for they are in the
lowest degree natural. Wherefore,
unless Jehovah God had assumed the
Human, and thus clothed himself with
a body which is in the lowest things,
He might have undertaken any re
demption in vain. For who can at
tack any enemy, unless he approach

Concerning Redemption.

101

and be furnished with arms for the bat
tle ? Or who can drive away and de
stroy dragons, hydras and basilisks in
any desert, unless he surround his
body with a coat of mail and his head
with a helmet, and have a spear in his
hand ? Or who can catch whales in
the sea, without a ship and the proper
implements for catching . them ? By
these and similar things may be illus
trated, though not justly compared, the
battle of the omnipotent God with the
hells, which battle He could not have
entered, unless He had before put on
the Human. But it should be known,
that the battle of the Lord with the
hells, was not an oral battle, as between
reasoners and wranglers; such a bat
tle would have effected nothing at all
there : but it was a spiritual battle,
which is of divine truth from divine
good, which was the very vital princi
ple of the Lord : the influx of this, by
means of sight, no one in hell can re
sist. There is in it such power, that
the infernal genii, only at the percep
tion of it, fly away and cast themselves
down into the deep and creep into
caverns, that they may hide themselves.
This is the same that is described in
Isaiah ; They shall enter into caverns
ofthe rocks, and into clefts ofthe dust,
for fear of Jehovah, when He shall
arise to terrify the earth, ii. 19 ; and
in the Revelation ; All shall hide them
selves in the caves of the rocks, and in
the rocks of the mountains, and shall
say to the mountains and to the rocks,
Fall upon us, and hide us from the face
of Him who sitteth upon the throne,
and from the anger of the Lamb, vi.
15, 16, 17. What the power of the
Lord, which He has from the divine
good was, when He performed the
last judgment in the year 1757, may
be evident from those things which are
described in a little treatise concerning
that judgment ; as that He tore up from
their places the hills and mountains,
which the infernals in the spiritual
world occupied, and removed them
to distant places, and made some sink
down ; and that He deluged their cit
ies, villages and fields with a flood,
and tore up their lands, and cast them,

together with the inhabitants, into
whirlpools, bogs and fens ; besides
many other things ; and all these were
done by the Lord alone, through the
power of divine truth from divine
good. 125. That Jehovah God could not
have operated and effected these things,
except by his Human, may be illus
trated by various comparisons ; as that
those who are invisible to each other,
cannot shake hands, or converse to
gether ; an angel or a spirit cannot
with a man, although he should stand
close to his body and before his face
Neither can the soul of any one speak
and act with any one, except through
his body. The sun cannot with its
light and heat enter into any man,
beast or tree, unless it first enter
the air, and act through this ; nor can
it enter into fishes, except through the
water ; for it must act by means of the
element in which the subject is. No
one can scale a fish without a knife,
nor pick the feathers from a crow with
out fingers, nor descend to the bottom
of a lake without a diving-bell. In a
word, one thing must be accommodated
to another, before there can be effect
ed any communication and operation
against it or with it.
126. VI. That the Passion of
the Cross was the last Tempta
tion which the Lord, as the great
est Prophet, sustained ; and that
it was the Means of the Glorifi
cation of his Human, that is, of
uniting it with the Divine of his
Father, and not Redemption.
There are two things for which the
Lord came into the world, and by
which He saved men and angels, viz.
redemption and the glorification of his
Human. These two are distinct from
each other, but yet they make one
with respect to salvation. What Re
demption is, has been shown in the
preceding articles, as that it was a
battle with the hells, a subjugation of
them, and afterwards an establishment
of order in the heavens. But glorifi
cation is the unition of the Human of
the Lord with the Divine of his Fa
ther. This was done successively, and

!08

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

wis fully completed by the passion of
the cross ; for every man ought, on his
pi rt, to approach to God, and as far as
ro m approaches, so far God, on his part,
ei I eis. This is the same as with a
ten pie; it is first to be built, and this
is oone by the hands of men; and after-
w u-ds it is to be consecrated, and
fii idly prayer offered that God may be
prsent, and unite himself with the
ch'iich there. The reason why the
urn m itself was fully effected by the
pas non of the cross, is, because that
wae the last temptation, which the
Lori underwent in the world, and con-
junr tion is effected by temptations ; for
in them man, to appearance, is left to
himself alone, although he is not left,
for God is then most really present in
the inmost of him, and supports him ;
wherefore, when any one conquers in
temptation, he is most intimately con
joined to God ; and the Lord then was
most intimately united to God his Fa
ther. That the Lord in the passion
of the cross was left to himself, is evi
dent from this his exclamation upon
the cross; O God, why hast thou for
saken Me ? and also from these words
of the Lord ; No one taketh life from
Me, but I lay it down of myself; I
have the power of laying it down, and
I have the power of taking it again ;
this commandment I have received from
my Father, John x. IS. From these
passages, now, it may be evident, that
the Lord did not suffer as to the
Divine, but as to the Human; and
that then an inmost and thus a com
plete union was effected. This may
be illustrated by this, that while a man
suffers as to the body, his soul does not
suffer, but only grieves ; and God takes
away this grief after the victory, and
wipes it away as one wipes away tears
from the eyes.
127. These two things, redemption
and the passion of the cross, should be
distinctly perceived, otherwise the hu
man mind, like a ship, falls into quick
sands, or upon rocks, and is lost, to
gether with the pilot, captain and sail
ors ; that is, it errs in all those things
which are of salvation by the Lord;
for a man without a distinct idea con

cerning those two things, is as one
who dreams, and sees imaginary things,
and draws conclusions from those
things which he thinks to be real,
when, nevertheless, they are ludicrous ;
or he is as one who walks in the night,
and, while he takes hold of the leaves
of some tree, he thinks them to be the
hair of a man, and comes nearer, and
entangles his own hair in the branches.
But although redemption and the pas
sion ofthe cross are two distinct things,
yet they make one with respect to sal
vation ; since the Lord, by union with
his Father, which was completed by
the passion of the cross, became Re
deemer to eternity.
128. Concerning the Glorification,
by which is meant the unition of the
Divine Human of the Lord with the
Divine of the Father, that it was fully
completed by the passion of the cross,
the Lord thus speaks; After Judas
went out, Jesus said, Now the Son of
Man is glorified, and God is glorified
in Him ; if God be glorified in Him,
God will also glorify Him in himself,
and will presently glorify Him, John
xiii. 31, 32. Here glorification is said
both of God the Father and of the Son,
for it is said, God is glorified in Him,
and God will glorify Him in Himself:
that this is to be united is manifest. Fa
ther, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also
may glorify Thee, xvii. 1,5. It is thus
said, because the unition was recipro
cal, and as it is said, The Father in
Him, and He in the Father. Noio my
soul is troubled ; and He said, Father,
glorify thy name; and a voice came
out from heaven, I have both glorified,
and will glorify again, xii. 27, 28.
This was said because the unition
was effected successively. Ought not
Christ to suffer this, and enter into his
glory ? Luke xxiv. 26. Glory, in the
Word, when it is used concerning the
Lord, signifies divine truth united to
divine good. From these it is very
manifest, that the Human of the Lord
is Divine.
129. The reason why the Lord was
willing to be tempted even to the pas
sion of the cross, was, because He was
The Prophet ; and prophets formerly

Concerning Redemption.

109

Bignified the doctriftt. J the church
from the Word, and thence they rep
resented the church, such as it was, by
various things, and also by things un
just, grievous, and even wicked, which
were enjoined on them by God. But
the Lord, because He was the Word
itself, by the passion of the cross, as
The Prophet, represented the Jewish
church, how it had profaned the Word
itself. To this reason this other may
be added, that thus He might be ac
knowledged in the heavens as the Sa
vior of both worlds ; for all the things
of his passion signified such things as
are of the profanation of the Word,
and the angels understand them spirit
ually, while the men of the church un
derstand them naturally. That the
Lord was The Prophet, is evident
from these passages : The Lord said,
A prophet is not less honored than in
his own country and in his own house,
Matt. xiii. 57 ; Mark vi. 4 ; Luke iv.
24. Jesus said, It is not fitting that a
prophet should perish out of Jerusa
lem, Luke xiii. 33. Fear seized them
all, praising God, and saying, that a
Great Prophet was raised up amongst
them, Luke vii. 16. They said con
cerning Jesus, This is that Prophet
of Nazareth, Matt. xxi. 11; John vii.
40, 41. That a Prophet should be
raised up from the midst of the breth
ren, whose words they should obey,
Deut. xviii. 15 to 19.
130. That prophets represented the
state of their church as to doctrine
from the Word, and as to a life ac
cording to it, is evident from these pas
sages : — It was commanded the proph
et Isaiah, that he should loose the
sackcloth from off his loins, and the shoe
from off his foot, and should go nak4d
and barefoot three years, for a sign and
a prodigy, Isaiah xx. 2, 3. It was
commanded the prophet Ezekiel, that
he should represent the state of the
church by making vessels for removing,
and that he should remove to another
place, in the eyes of the sons of Israel,
and should bring fort/j the vessels by
day, and should go otit in the evening
through a hole dug in the wall, and
should cover his face khat he might not

see the earth, and that thus he should
be a prodigy to the house of hrael, and
shtuld say, Behold, I am your prodi
gy ; as I have done, so shall it be done
to you, Ezek. xii. 3 to 7, 11. It was
conmanded the prophet Hosea, that
he should represent the state of the
church, by taking to himself a harlot
to wife ; and also he took her, and she
brovght forth to him three sons, one qf
whon he called Jezreel, another Not-to-
be-p!,ticd, and the third Not-a-people.
And again it was commanded him that
he should go and love a woman be
loved by her companion, and an adul
teress, whom also he bought for himself,
Hosea i. 2 to 9 ; iii. 2, 3. It was also
enjoined upon a certain prophet, that
he should put ashes upon his eyes, and
suffer himself to be smitten and beaten,
1 Kings xx. 35, 37. It was enjoined
upon the prophet Ezekiel, that he
should represent the state ofthe church
by taking a tile, and that he should
engrave upon it Jerusalem, lay siege,
and cast a trench and mound against
it, should put a frying pan of iron be
tween himself and the city, and should
lie upon the left side and upon the right
side. Also, that he should take wheat,
barley, lentiles, millet and fitches, and
make bread of them, and also a cake
with man's dung; and because he
prayed that this might not be, it was
permitted that he should make it with
cow's dung. It was said to him, Lie
thou upon the left side, and lay the ini
quity OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL Upon
it : the number of days that thou shalt
lie upon it, thou shalt bear their
iniquity ; for I will give thee the years
of their iniquity according to the num
ber of the days, three hundred and
ninety days, that thou mayest bear
the iniquity of the house of Isra
el ; and when thou shalt have accom
plished them, thou shalt lie upon thy
right side, that thou mayest bear the ini
quity of the house of Judah, Ezek. iv.
1 to 15. That the prophet by these
things bore the iniquities of the house
of Israel, and of the house of Judah,
and did not take them away, and thus
expiate them, but only represented and
pointed them out, is manifest from

no

Concerning the Lord, the Redeemer.

what follows there. Tims saith Jeho
vah, The sons of Israel shall eat their
unclean bread; behold, I will break the
staff of bread, that they may wakt
bread and water, and be desolated,: a
man and his brother, and consume owelty
for their iniquity, iv. 13, 16, 17. The
like, therefore, is meant concerning
the Lord, where it is said, He haith
carried our sicknesses and borne our
sorrows; Jehovah hath made She ini
quities of us all to fall upon Hin . By
his knowledge He hath justified many,
because He hath borne their iNiaui-
ties, Isaiah Iiii. ] , where, in the wiiole
chapter, the passion ofthe Lord is treat
ed of. That the Lord, as The Pro
phet, represented the state of the Jew
ish church, as to the Word, is matai-
fest from the particulars of his passion ;
as that He was betrayed by Judds;
that He was taken and condemned by
the chief priests and by the elderf ;
that they buffeted Him; that thley
smote his head with a reed; that they
put on him a crown of thorns ; that they
divided his garments, and cast the lot
for Him

falsified ; wherefore He did not drink
it: their piercing his side, signified
that they had totally extinguished all
the truth of the Word and all the good
of it : his being buried, signified the
rejection of what remained from the
mother : his rising again on the third
day, signified the glorification or the
union of his Human with the Divine of
the Father. Hence, now, it is manifest,
that to bear iniquities,does not mean to
take them away, but to represent the
profanation of the truths of the Word.
131. These things, also, may be il
lustrated by comparisons, which is
done for the sake of the simple, who
see better by means of comparisons
than by deductions formed analytically
from the Word, and at the same time
from reason. Every citizen or sub
ject is united to the king by doing his
commands and precepts, and more
so if he suffers hardships for him,
and still more if he undergoes death
for him, which is done in skirmishes
and battles. In like manner, a friend

united to a friend, a son to his fa-
his vesture; that they crucified ther, and a servant to his master, by
that they gave Him vinegar to\ doing those things which are agreeable

drink; that they pierced his side ; that \to their will, and more so if they de-
Hc was buried; and that on the third fend them against their enemies, and
day He rose again. His being be- Istill more if they fight for their honor.
trayed by Judas, signified that He was (Who is not united to the virgin whom
betrayed by the Jewish nation, with (he is courting for a bride, when he

whom the Word then was, for Judas
represented that nation : his being
taken and condemned by the chief
priests and elders, signified that he
was so by all that church : their buffet
ing Him, spitting in his face, scourging
Him, and smiting his head with a reed,
signified that they did in like manner
to the Word, as to its divine truths :
their putting on Him a crown of thorns,
signified that they had falsified and

fights with those who defame her, and
j contends with his rival even to wounds?
That they should be united by such
xmeans, is according to the law inscribed
upon nature. The Lord says, J am
the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd
tayeth down his life for the sheep, for
ufjiich reason the Father loveth Me,
John x. 11, 17.
1132. VII. That the Passion of the
Cross is believed to have been Re-

adulterated those truths : their dividing dfJmption itself, is a fundamental
his garments, and casting the lot upon
his vesture, signified that they had dis
persed all the truths of the Word, but
not its spiritual sense ; this the vesture
of the Lord signified : their crucifying
Him, signified that they had destroyed
and profaned the whole Word : their
offering Him vinegar to drink, signified
that the truths of the Word were all

Error of the Church ; and that
that Error, together with the
Err>o»-~-CP_ncerning three Divine
Persons from Eternity, has per
verted the wJiole Church, so that
not any Thing-spiritual is left re
maining in it. v
What at this ' day more fills and
crams the books of the orthodox, or

Concerning Redemption.

Ill

what is more zealously taught and in
culcated in the schools, and more fre
quently preached and proclaimed from
the pulpits, than that God the Father,
being enraged against the human race,
not only removed it from himself, but
also concluded it under a universal
damnation, and thus excommunicated
it ; but, because He is gracious, that
He persuaded or excited his Son to de
scend, and take upon himself the deter
mined damnation, and thus appease
the anger of his Father ; and that thus,
and not otherwise, He could look upon
man with some favor ? Then that this,
also, was done by the Son, who, in
taking upon himself the damnation of
the human race, suffered himself to be
scourged by the Jews, to be spit upon
in the face, and then to be crucified as
the accursed of God, Deut. xxi. 23 ;
and that the Father, after this was done,
became propitious, and from love to
wards his Son, cancelled the sentence
of damnation, but only in respect to
those for whom He should intercede ;
and that He thus became a Mediator
in the presence of his Father forever.
These and similar things, at this day,
sound in temples, and are reverberated
from the walls, like an echo from the
woods, and fill the ears of all there.
But cannot any one, whose reason is
enlightened and made sound by the
Word, see that God is mercy and pity
itself, because He is love itself and good
itself, and that those are his essence ;
and that hence it is a contradiction to
say, that mercy itself, or goodness it
self, can look upon man with anger,
and decree his damnation, and still
continue to be his own divine essence?
Such things are scarcely ever ascribed
to a good man or an angel of heaven,
but only to a wicked man or to a spir
it of hell; wherefore it is abominable
to ascribe them to God. But, if the
cause be investigated, it is this, that
they have taken the passion of the
cross for redemption itself: thence
have flowed those opinions, as, from
one falsity, falses flow in a continued se
ries, or as from a cask of vinegar, noth
ing comes but vinegar, or from an in
sane mind, nothing but what is insane ;

for from one established principle, the
orems of the same sort are deduced :
they are included in it, and proceed
from it one after another ; and from
this, concerning the passion of the
cross, that it is redemption, still many
more things, scandalous and dishonora
ble to God, may be derived, until it
comes to pass, as Isaiah says : The
priest and the prophet err through
strong drink; they stumble in judgment;
all the tables are full of things vomited,
xxviii. 7, 8.
133. From this idea concerning
God and concerning redemption, all
theology has, from spiritual, become to
the lowest degree natural; which is the
case, because merely natural proper
ties are attributed to God ; and yet on
the idea of God, and on the idea of re
demption, which makes one with sal
vation, every thing of the church de
pends. For that idea is like the head,
from which all parts of the body are
derived ; wherefore, when that is spir
itual, all things of the church become
spiritual, and when that is natural, all
things of the church become natural ;
hence, because the idea concerning
God and concerning redemption has
become merely natural, that is, sensual
and corporeal, therefore all things,
which the heads and members of the
church have delivered and still deliver,
in their dogmatical theology, are mere
ly natural. The reason why nothing
but falses can be derived thence, is,
because the natural man continually
acts against the spiritual, and thence
he regards spiritual things as ghosts
and phantoms in the air. Wherefore
it may be said, that on account of tha
sensual idea concerning redemption,
and thence concerning God, the ways
to heaven, which are ways to the Lord
God the Savior, are beset with thieves
and robbers, John x. 1, 8, 9 ; and that,
in the temples, the doors are thrown
down, so that dragons and owls, the
tzjim and the jiim, have entered, and
sing together in horrible discord. That
this idea concerning redemption, and
concerning God, pervades the faith of
the present age, is known ; for that
faith is, that men should pray to God

112

Concc ning the Lord the Redeemer.

the Father, that He would remit their
sins for the sake of the cross and blood
of his Son; and to God the Son, that
He would pray and intercede for them ;
and to God the Holy Ghost, that He
would justify and sanctify them. And
what else is this, than to make supplica
tion to three Gods in their order ? And
how, then, is the thought concerning
the divine government different from
that Concerning an aristocratical or
hierarchical government, or from that
concerning a triumvirate such as there
was once at Rome? But instead of a
triumvirate, it may be called a triper-
sonate. And what, then, is easier for
the devil than to do, as is said, di
vide and rule ; that is, to distract the
minds of men, and excite rebellious
motions, now against one God, now
against another, as has been done from
the time of Arius to the present day ;
and thus to cast down from the throne
the Lord God the Savior, who has all
power in heaven and earth, Matt, xxviii.
18, and to set upon it some one of his
minions, and to ascribe worship to
him ; or, because it is taken away from
him, to take it away also from the Lord
himself?

134. To the above will be added these
Relations — First. I once entered
into a temple in the world of spirits,
where many were assembled ; and, be
fore the sermon, they reasoned among
themselves concerning Redemption.
The temple was square, and there
were not windows in the walls, but a
large opening above in the middle of
the roof, through which light from
heaven entered, and illuminated it better
than if there had been windows at the
sides. And behold, suddenly, while
they were talking about redemption, a
black cloud, coming from the north,
covered the opening ; whence it became
so dark, that one could not see another,
and scarcely any one could see the
palm of his hand. While they stood
amazed on account of this, lo, that
black cloud was divided in the middle,
and through the iperture were seen
angels descending from heaven ; and

they dispersed the cloud on each side,
whence it became again light in the
temple ; and then the angels sent down
one of their number, who, in the name
of the rest, asked the congregation
what they were contending about, since
so thick a cloud came over them, and
took away the light, and brought on
darkness. They replied, that it was
about redemption, and that this was
made by the Son of God, by the passion
ofthe cross, and that by this He made
expiation, and delivered the human
race from damnation and eternal death.
But to this the deputed angel said,
" How by the passion of the cross?
Explain why it was effected by that."
And then a priest came and said, " 1
will explain, in order, what we know and
believe, which is, that God the Fa
ther, being enraged against the human
race, condemned it, and excluded it
from his clemency, and declared them
accursed and reprobate, and doomed
them to hell ; and that He wished that
his Son would take upon himself that
condemnation, and that the Son con
sented, and, for that purpose, descended,
and assumed the Human, and suffered
himself to be crucified, and thus the
condemnation of the human race to be
transferred to himself; for it is written,
Cursed is every one who hangeth on the
wood of a cross ; and that the Son thus
appeased the Father by interceding
and mediating ; and that then the Fa
ther, from love towards the Son, and
moved with the misery seen in Him
upon the cross, determined that He
would forgive ; ' but only those to whom
I impute thy righteousness ; these I will
make, from sons of wrath and curse,
sons of grace and blessing, and will jus
tify and save ; but the rest may remain,
as was before determined, sons of wrath :'
this is our faith, and these things are
the righteousness which God the Fa
ther inserts into our faith, which alone
justifies and saves." The angel, hav
ing heard these words, was silent for a
long time, for he was fixed in astonish
ment : and afterwards he broke silence,
and spoke these words : " Can the
Christian world be so infatuated, and
wander from sound reason into such

Concerning Redemption.

113

de.iriums, and conclude the fundamen
tal article of salvation from such para
doxes? Who cannot see that those
things are diametrically contrary to
the very divine essence, that is, contra
ry to its divine love and its divine wis
dom, and, at the same time, contrary
to its omnipotence and omnipresence?
No good master can deal thus with his
servants and maids ; nay, a wild beast
is not so cruel to its cubs, or a bird of
prey to its young. Is it not contrary
to the divine essence to annul the call
which has been made to all and every
one of the human race ? Is it not con
trary to the divine essence to change
the order established from eternity,
which is, that every one should be
judged according to his life ? Is it not
contrary to the divine essence to with
draw love and mercy from any man,
and much more from the whole human
race ? Is it not contrary to the divine
essence to be brought back to mercy
from the misery seen in the Son ; and
because mercy is the very essence of
God, to be brought back to his own es
sence? And is it not abominable to
think that He ever went out of it ? for
it is Himself from eternity to eternity.
Is it not also impossible to insert, in
any thing such as your faith is, the
righteousness of redemption, which, in
itself, is ofthe divine omnipotence, and
to impute and ascribe it to man, and
to declare him righteous, pure and ho
ly without any other means ? Is it not
impossible to remit sins to any one, and
to renew, regenerate and save any
one by imputation alone, and thus to
turn unrighteousness into righteous
ness, and the curse into a blessing ? Is
it not, in such a case, possible to turn
hell into heaven and heaven into hell,
and the dragon into Michael and Mi
chael into the dragon, and thus to end
the battle between them? What is ne
cessary but to take away the imputa
tion of your faith from one, and put it
into the other? thus we who are in
heaven shall be in trepidation forever.
It is not according to justice and judg
ment that one should take upon him
self the wickedness of another, and
the wicked should become innocent,
15

and that wickedness should thus be
washed away. Is not this contrary to
justice, both divine and human? The
Christian world is yet ignorant that
there is order, and still more what the
order is which God introduced into the
world, when He created it, and that
God cannot act contrary to it, since, in
that case, He would act contrary to
Himself; for God is Order itself." The
priest understood the things said by the
angel, because the angels who were
above, infused light from heaven ; and
then he groaned, and said, " What is
to be done? All, at this day, thus
preach, and pray, and believe. This is
in the mouth of all ; ' Good Father, have
mercy on us, and remit to us our sins
for the sake of thy Son's blood, which
He shed for us on the cross ;' and tc
Christ, ' Lord, intercede for us ;' to
which we priests add, ' Send to us the
Holy Spirit.' " And then the angel
said, " I have observed that the priests
prepare eye-salve from the Word not
interiorly understood, which they put
upon the eyes which are blinded by
their faith, or they make of it a sort of
plaster for themselves, which they put
upon the wounds inflicted by their dog
mas, but still they do not beal them,
because they are inveterate ; wherefore
go to him who stands there (and he
pointed with the finger to me), he will
teach you from the Lord, that the pas
sion of the cross was not redemption,
but that it was the unition of the Hu
man of the Lord with the Divine of
the Father ; but that redemption was
the subjugation of the hells, and the
establishment of order in the heavens ;
and that, unless those things had been
performed by the Lord, when He was
in the world, there would have been
no salvation for anv r,n earth, nor for
any in the heaven? *<"<( he will teach
you also the order introduced at the
creation, according to which men
should live, that they may be saved,
and that those who do live according
to it are numbered among the redeemed,
and are called the elect." These things
being said, windows were made in the
temple at the sides, through which light
flowed in from the four quarters of the

114

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

world, and cherubs appeared flying in
the splendor of the light ; and the an
gel was taken up to his companions
above the aperture, and we retired full
of joy. 135. Second Relation. One morn
ing, as I awaked from sleep, the sun,
of the spiritual world appeared to me
in its splendor, and under it I saw the
heavens, distant as the earth is from its
sun ; ;and then were heard from the
heavens unspeakable words, which, be
ing collected together, were articulated
into this expression, that " There is
one God, who is Man, whose habitation
is in that sun." This articulate sen
tence descended through the middle
heavens to the lowest, and from this
into the world of spirits, where I was ;
and I perceived that the idea of one
God, which the angels had, was chang
ed, according to the degrees of descent,
into an idea of three Gods. When I
observed this, I began to speak with
those who thought of three Gods, say
ing, "Oh, what an enormity! Whence
did you get that?" And they replied,
" We think of three, from the idea
which we entertain concerning the tri
une God ; but still this does not fall in
to our mouth; when we speak, we al
ways say roundly, that ' God is one ;'
if in our minds there is another idea, let
it be so, provided it do not flow down
and divide the unity of God in the
mouth ; but still, from time to time, it
does flow down, because it is within ;
and then, if we should speak out, we
should say ' three Gods ;' but we cau
tiously avoid this, lest we should be
exposed to the ridicule of those who
hear us." And then they spoke openly
from their thought, saying, " Are
there not three Gods, because there
are three divine persons, each one of
whom is God ? We cannot think other
wise, since the leader of our church,
from the desk of his holy dogmas,
ascribes creation to one, redemption to
another, and sanctification to the third ;
and, especially, since he attributes to
each of them his peculiar properties,
which, he asserts, are incommunicable,
and which are not only creation, re
demption and sanctifieation, but also im

putation, mediation and operation. Is
there not, then, one who created us
and he also imputes? another who re
deemed us, and he also mediates ? and
a third who operates the mediated im
putation, and he also sanctifies? Who
does not know that the Son of God was
sent by the Father into the world, that
he might redeem the human race, and
thus become an Expiator, Mediator,
Propitiator and Intercessor ? And, be
cause he is one with the Son of God
from eternity, are there not two per
sons distinct from each other ? and be
cause these two are in heaven, one sit
ting at the right hand of the other,
should there not be a third person, who
may execute in the world what is de
creed in heaven 1" Having heard this,
I was silent, but thought with myself,
Oh, what infatuation ! They do not
know any thing at all what is meant in
the Word by mediation. And then,
by the command of the Lord, three an
gels descended from heaven and were
associated with me, in order that from
an interior perception, I might speak
with those who were in the idea of
three Gods ; and particularly concern
ing mediation, intercession, propitiation
and expiation, which are attributed by
them to the second person, or the Son,
but not until after He became man,
many ages since the creation, when
those four means of salvation were not
before in existence : and thus God the
Father was not propitiated, the human
race not expiated, nor was any one
sent from heaven, who interceded and
mediated. Then, from the inspira
tion afforded me, I spoke with them,
saying, " Come here as many of you
as can, and hear what is meant in the
Word by mediation, intercession, ex
piation and propitiation. Those are
four predications of the grace of the
one God in his Human. God the Fa
ther can never be approached, nor can
He come to any man, because He is
infinite, and in his esse, which is Je
hovah ; from which esse, if He should
come to man, He would consume him,
as fire consumes wood, and reduces it to
ashes. This is manifest from these
considerations : that He said to Moses

Concerning Redemption.

115

who wished to ^ee Him, that No one
can see Him a id live, Exod. xxxiii. 20.
And the Lord said, No one hath ever
seen God, except the Son. who is in
the bosom of the Father, John i. 18;
Matt. xi. 27 ; also that No one hath
heard the voice of the Father, nor seen
his shape, John v. 37. It is read, in
deed, that Moses saw Jehovah face to
face, and spoke with Him mouth to
mouth ; but this was done through an
angel; in like manner, with Abraham
and Gideon. Now, because God the
Father, in himself, is such, He was
pleased to assume the Human, and, in
this, to admit men to Himself, and thus
to hear them, and to speak with them ;
and this Human is what is called the
Son of God; and this is what medi
ates, intercedes, propitiates, and expi
ates. I will tell, therefore, what those
four things, predicated of the Human
of God the Father, signify. Media
tion signifies that the Human is the
medium through which man may come
to God the Father, and God the Father
to man, and thus teach and lead him,
that he may be saved; wherefore the
Son of God, by whom is meant the
Human of God the Father, is called
Savior; and in the world, Jesus, that
is, salvation. Intercession signifies
perpetual mediation ; for love itself,
the properties of which are mercy,
clemency and grace, perpetually inter
cedes, that is, mediates for those who
do his commandments, whom He loves.
Expiation signifies the removal of
sins, into which man would rush if he
should approach the naked Jehovah.
Propitiation signifies the operation
of clemency and grace, lest man, by
means of sins, should bring himself in
to condemnation ; likewise protection,
lest he should profane holiness ; this
was signified by the propitiatory over
the ark in the tabernacle. It is known
that God spoke in the Word according
to appearances, as that He is angry,
avenges, tempts, punishes, casts into
hell, condemns, yea, that He does evil ;
when yet He is angry with no one,
He does not avenge, tempt, punish,
cast into hell, or condemn : these
things are as far from God as heaven

is from hell, and infinitely farther,
wherefore they are forms of speech, ac
cording to appearance ; such, also, in
another sense, are expiation, propitia
tion, intercession and mediation, by
which are meant the ways and means
of access to God, and of receiving
grace from God through his Human ;
which not being understood, men have
divided God into three, and upon these
three have founded every doctrine of
the church, and thus have falsified the
Word : hence the abomination of
desolation, foretold by the Lord in
Daniel, and again in Matt, xxiv."
When I had said this, the company of
spirits retired from around me, and I
observed that those who actually enter
tained an idea of three Gods, looked
towards hell, and those who entertained
an idea of one God, in whom is a di
vine Trinity, and that this is in the
Lord God the Savior, looked towards
heaven ; and to these appeared the
sun of heaven, in which Jehovah is in
his Human.
136. Third Relation. I saw, at a
distance, five gymnasiums, each of
which was surrounded with light from
heaven. The first gymnasium was
surrounded with purple light, such as
is in the clouds in the morning, before
sunrise, on earth ; the second gymna
sium was surrounded with a yellow
light, like that of the morning after
sunrise ; the third gymnasium was
surrounded with a bright light like that
of noonday in the world ; the fourth
gymnasium was surrounded with a
middle kind of light, such as there is
when it begins to be mixed with the
shade of the evening; and the fifth
gymnasium stood in the very shade of
the evening. The gymnasiums in the
world of spirits are spacious halls,
where the learned assemble, and dis
cuss various arcana, which serve for
their science, intelligence and wisdom.
On seeing them, I felt a strong desire
of going to one of them, and I went in
the spirit to that which was surround
ed with a middle kind of light ; and I
entered, and there was seen a company
of learned men assembled, who were
together investigating what that in-

116

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

volves. which is said concerning the
Lord, that, being taken up into heaven,
He sitteth cd the right hand of God,
Mark xvi. 19. Most of the company
assembled, said that those things should
be understood exactly according to the
words, that the Son thus sits beside the
Father. But it was asked, " Why so ?"
Some said, that the Son was placed
by the Father at the right hand, on ac
count of the redemption which He
accomplished ; some, that He sits thus
out of love ; some, that it was in order
that He might be his counsellor, and
because He is so, that He may receive
honor from the angels ; and some that
it was for this reason, that it was given
to Him by the Father to reign in his
stead, for it is read, that All power is
given to Him in heaven and, in earth ;
but a great part, that He may hear
those on the right hand, for whom He
intercedes; for all in the church, at
this day, go to God the Father, and
pray that He would have mercy for the
sake of the Son ; and this causes the
Father to turn himself to Him, that
He may receive his mediation. But
some said, that only the Son of God
from eternity sits at the right hand of
the Father, that He may communicate
his divinity to the Son of man, born in
the world. On hearing these words,
I wondered exceedingly, that learned
men, although they had been some time
in the spiritual world, should still be so
ignorant of heavenly things; but I
perceived the cause, that, by reason
of confidence in their own intelligence,
they did not suffer themselves to be in
structed by the wise. But that they
might not continue any longer in igno
rance concerning the sitting of the Son
on the right hand ofthe Father, I raised
my hand, requesting that they would
listen to a few words, which I wished
to speak on that subject. And be
cause they assented, I said, " Do you
not know from the Word, that the Fa
ther and the Son are one, and that
the Father is in the Son and the Son
in the Father ? This the Lord openly
says in John x. 30, and xiv. 10, 11. If
you do not believe these words, you
divide God into two, which being done,

you cannot think otherwise than nil
urally, sensually, yea, materially, con
cerning God, which has also been done
in the world, ever since the Nicene
council, which introduced three divine
persons from eternity, and thereby
turned the church into a theatre, orna
mented with painted scenery, within
which the actors represented new
scenes. Who does not know and ac
knowledge that God is one ? If you ac
knowledge this in heart and spirit, all
that you have said is dissipated of it
self, and rebounds into the air, like
idle words from the ear of a wise man."
At these words, many were enraged,
and longed to pull my ears, and tc
command silence ; but the president
ofthe assembly, in a fit of indignation,
said, " The discussion here is not con
cerning the unity and the plurality of
God, because we believe both ; but
concerning this — What does it involve
that the Son sits at the right hand of
the Father ? If you know any thing
concerning this, speak." And I re
plied, "I will speak; but, I beseech
you, stop the noise." And I said,
" By sitting on the right hand, is not
meant sitting on the right hand ; but
by that expression is meant the omnip
otence of God by means of the Hu
man, which He assumed in the world;
by this He is in the lasts, as well as in
the firsts ; by this He entered, destroyed
and subjugated the hells ; by this He
established order in the heavens ; thus
by this He redeemed both angels and
men, and continues to redeem forever.
"If you consult the Word, and are
such that you can be illuminated, you
will perceive, that, by the right hand
there, is meant omnipotence, as in
Isaiah; My hand founded the earth,
and my right hand spanned the heav
ens, xlviii. 13; and in David, God hath
sworn by his right hand, and by the
strength of his arm, Psalm lxii. 8.
Thy right hand holdeth me up, xviii.
35. Look to the Son, whom Thou hast
strengthened for Tli.ee ; let thy hand be
for the man of the right hand, for the
Son of Man whom Thou hast strength
ened for thee, lxxx. 17. Thence it is
evident, how this is to be understood .

Concerning Redemption.

117

The saying of Jehovah to my Lord;
Sit Thou at my right hand, until I
shall have made thine enemies thy foot
stool. Jehovah will send the sceptre of
thy strength out of Zion ; rule Thou in
the midst of thine enemies, Psalm ex.
1, 2. That whole psahn treats con
cerning. the battle ofthe Lord with the
hells, and concerning their subjuga
tion. Since the right hand of God
signifies omnipotence, therefore the
Lord says, that He is about to sit at
the right hand of power, Matt. xxvi.
63, 64, and at the right hand of the
power of God, Luke xxii. 69." But
at these words the company became
tumultuous; audi said, " Take heed
to yourselves ; perhaps a hand may ap
pear from heaven, which, when it ap
pears, as it once did to me, strikes an
incredible terror of power; which was
to me a confirmation, that the right
hand of God signifies omnipotence."
Scarcely was this said, when a hand
was stretched out under heaven, at the
sight of which, so great a terror seized
them, that they rushed in crowds to the
gates, and some to the windows, that
they might cast themselves out, and
some, losing their breath, fainted away.
But I remained not terrified, and, after
them, slowly went away ; and, at some
distance thence, I turned about, and
saw that gymnasium covered over with
a dark cloud ; and it was told me from
heaven, that it was so covered, because
they spoke from the belief of three
Gods, and that the former light would
return when those of a sounder mind
should assemble there.
137. Fourth Relation. I heard
that a council was convened of those
who were celebrated for their writings
and learning, concerning the faith of
the present time, and concerning the
justification of the elect by it. This
was in the world of spirits ; and it was
given me to be present in the spirit ;
and I saw convened some of the clergy
who were of the established churches,
and some dissenters ; on the right
side stood those, who, in the world,
were called Apostolic Fathers, and lived
in the ages before the Nicene council ;
and on the left side stood men, who,

since those ages, have been renowned
for their books, printed or written.
Many of these had their faces shaved,
and their heads covered with wigs
made of women's hair, and some of
them had collars of twisted intestines,
and some had collars of other stuff;
but the former had long beards, and
wore their natural hair. Before both
parties there stood a man, a judge and
critic ofthe writings of this age, with a
staff in his hand, who struck the
ground, and commanded silence ; he
ascended to the highest step of the
pulpit, and breathed out a groan ; and
from that he wished to raise his voice
aloud, but the groaning breath drew
his voice back into his throat ; but at
length, speaking, he said, " Oh ! my
brethren, what an age ! There has risen
up one from the herd of the laity, hav
ing neither gown, cap, nor laurel, who
has pulled down our faith from heaven,
and cast it into the Styx. Oh, horrible 1
and yet that alone is our star, which
shines like Orion in the night, and like
Lucifer in the morning. That man,
although advanced in years, is entire
ly blind in respect to the mysteries of
our faith, because he has not opened
it, and seen in it the righteousness of
the Lord the Savior, and his media
tion and atonement ; and since he has
not seen those, he has neither seen the
wonders of his justification, whicli are
the remission of sins, regeneration,
sanctification and salvation. This man,
instead of our faith, which is in the
highest degree saving, because it is in
three divine persons, thus in the whole
Deity, has transferred faith to the sec
ond person ; and not to him, but to his
Human, which, indeed, we call Di
vine from the incarnation of the Son
from eternity ; but who thinks of it as
any thing more than merely human ?
And what else can thence result, but a
faith from which, as from a fountain,
naturalism flows? And such a faith,
because it is not spiritual, differs but
little from faith in a pope or a saint.
You know what Calvin said in his time,
concerning worship from this faith ,
and I beseech you, tell,me, one of you,
whence is faith ? Is it not immediately

118

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

from God, and thus does it not contain
all things belonging to salvation?" At
these words, his companions on the
left side, whose faces were shaven, and
who wore wigs and collars, clapped
their hands, and exclaimed, " You have
spoken most wisely ! We know that
we cannot take any thing which is not
given us from heaven. Let that proph
et tell us whence faith is, and what
it is, if that be not faith. It is impos
sible that there should be any other,
or from any other source ; and to pro
duce any other faith, which is faith,
than this, is as impossible as it is for a
man to ride on horseback to a constel
lation in heaven, and take thence a
star, and put it in his pocket, and bring
it down." This he said, that his com
panions might laugh at every new faith.
On hearing these words, the men on
the right side, who had long beards,
and wore their natural hair, were filled
with indignation ; and one of them rose
up (an old man, but still he seemed like
a young man afterwards, for he was
an angel from heaven, where every age
becomes youthful), and spoke, saying,
" I have heard what your faith is,
which the man in the pulpit has so
magnified. But what is that faith but
the sepulchre of our Lord, after the
resurrection, again closed by the sol
diers of Pilate ? I have opened it, and
have seen nothing there but the rods of
jugglers, with which the magicians in
Egypt did miracles. Truly your faith,
externally, in your eyes, is like a chest
made of gold, and set with precious
stones, which, when it is opened, is
empty, except, perhaps, in the corners
of it there may be dust from the relics
of Roman Catholics ; for these, also,
have the same faith, only at this day it is
covered over by them with external sanc
tities. It is also (that I may use compari
sons) like the vestal virgin amongst the
ancients, buried under the ground, be
cause she let the sacred fire go out ; and
I can solemnly declare, that to my eyes it
is like the golden calf, around which the
children of Israel danced, after Moses
departed and ascended into mount Si
nai to Jehovah. Do not wonder that
1 should speak of your faith by such

comparisons, because we speak so of
it in heaven. But our faith is, was, and
will be forever, in the Lord God the
Savior, whose Human is Divine, and
whose Divine is Human, thus accom
modated to reception, and by means
of which the spiritual Divine is united
to the natural of man, and faith be
comes spiritual in the natural, whence
the natural becomes, as it were, trans
parent, from the spiritual light in
which our faith is. The truths of
which it consists are as many as the
verses in the sacred volume ; those
truths are all like stars which manifest
and form that faith. Man takes it
from the Word by means of his natural
light, in which it is science, thought
and persuasion ; but the Lord causes
it to become, in such as believe in Him,
conviction, trust and confidence; thus
natural faith becomes spiritual, and by
meansof charity, it becomes living. This
faith, with us, is like a queen, adorned
with as many precious stones as the
wall of the holy Jerusalem, Rev. xxi.
17 to 20. But lest you should suppose
that these things which I have said, are
only words of exaltation, which may
therefore be despised, I will read to
you some things from the holy Word,
from which it will be manifest, that our
faith is not in a man, as you suppose,
but in the true God, in whom is all the
Divine. John says, Jesus Christ is
the true God and eternal life, 1 John
v. 20; Paul, In Christ dwelleth all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily, Col.
ii. 9; and in the Acts ofthe Apostles,
that he preached, both to the Jews and
to the Greeks, repentance towards God,
and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ,
xx. 21 ; and the Lord himself, that All
power is given to Him in heaven and in
earth, Matt, xxviii. 18; but these are a
few." After this, the angel looked at
me, and said, " You know what the
Evangelical believe, or are about to be
lieve, concerning the Lord the Savior :
recite, therefore, some things, that we
may know whether they are in such
infatuation as to believe that his Hu
man is merely human, or Whether
they ascribe to it something of the Di
vine, or how they do believe." Then,

Concerning Redemption.

119

in the presence of all the assembly, I
read the following passages from those
which I had collected from their book
of orthodoxy, called Formula Concor-
due, and printed at Leipzic in the
year 1756: That in Christ the divine
and human natures are so united, that
they make one person, p. 606, 762.
That Christ is truly God and Man, in
an undivided person, and continues to
be so forever, p. 609, 673, 762. That
in Christ God is Man, and Man God,
pp. 607, 765. That the human nature
of Christ is exalted to all divine majes
ty ; this also from many of the fathers,
p. 844 to 852, 860 to 865, 869 to 878.
That Christ, as to the human nature,
is omnipresent, and fills all things, p.
768, 783, 784, 785. That Christ, as
to the human nature, has all power
in heaven and in earth, p. 775, 776,
780. That Christ, as to the human
nature, sits at the right hand of the
Father, p. 608, 764. That Christ, as
to the human nature, is to be invoked,
confirmed by quotations from the Scrip
ture there, p. 226. That the Augs
burg confession very highly approves
of that worship, p. 19." After these
passages were read, I turned myself to
the president, and said, " I know that
all here are consociated with their like
in the natural world ; tell me, I pray,
whether you know with whom you are
consociated." He replied in a grave
tone, "I do know; I am consociated
with a famous man, a leader of illustri
ous bands from the army ofthe church."
And because he answered in so grave
a tone, I said, " Allow me to ask
whether you know where that famous
leader lives." And he said, " Yes, I
do ; he lives not far from Luther's
tomb." At this I smiled, and said,
" Why do you speak of his tomb ? Do
you not know that Luther has risen
again, and that he has now renounced
his erroneous opinions concerning jus
tification by faith in three divine per
sons from eternity, and is therefore
transferred to a place amongst the hap
py of the new heaven, and that he sees
and laughs at those who are running
mad after him." And he rejoined, "I
do know it ; but what is that to me ?"

And then I addressed him in a tone
similar to his own, saying, " Please to
inform your famous companion with
whom you are consociated, that I am
afraid, that, contrary to the orthodoxy
of his church, he robbed the Lord of
his divinity, or suffered his pen to
make a furrow, in which he thought
lessly sowed naturalism, at the very
time when he wrote against the wor
ship of the Lord our Savior." To-
this he replied, " I cannot do this, be
cause I and he, as to this thing, make
almost one mind. But he does not un
derstand the things that I say ; but I
understand clearly all that he says ;
for the spiritual world enters Into the
natural world, and perceives the
thoughts of men there ; but not vice
versa : this is the state of the consoci
ation of spirits and men." Now, be
cause I had begun to speak with the
president, I said, "I will ask, if you
please, another question. Do you
know that the orthodoxy of the Evan
gelical, in the manual of their church,
called the Formula Concordia, teach
es, that in Christ God is Man, and
Man God, and that his Divine and
Human are, and continue to be forever,
in an undivided person ? How, then,
could he, and how can you, defile the
worship of the Lord with naturalism ?"
To which he replied, " I know that, and
yet I do not know it." Wherefore I
continued, by saying, " I ask him,
although he is absent, or you in his
stead, Whence was the soul of our
Lord ? If you answer, that it was
from the mother, you talk insanely ;
if from Joseph, you profane the Word;
but if from the Holy Spirit, you say
rightly, if only by the Holy Spirit, you
mean the Divine, proceeding and
operating, so that He is the Son of
Jehovah God. Again, I ask, What is.
the hypostatic union ? If you answer
that it is a union as between two, one
above and the other below you talk
insanely ; for, in that case, you might
have made God me Savior two, as you
have made God three: but if you say
that it is a personal union, like that of
the soul and body, you say rightly :
this also is according to your doctrine

120

Concerning the Lord the Redeemer.

and also to that of the fathers. Con
sult the Formula Concordia, p. 765
to 768 ; also the creed oT Athanasius,
where are these words ; The right
faith is, that we believe and confess
that our Lord Jesus Christ is God and
Man; who, although He is God and
Man, yet is not two, but one Christ;
one altogether, not by confusion of sub
stance, but unity of person ; for, as
the rational soul and flesh is one man,
so God and Man is one Christ. I ask,
moreover, What else was the damnable
heresy of Arius (on account of whom
the Nicene council was convened by
the emperor Constantine the Great)
than that he denied the divinity of the
Lord's Human. Again, tell me whom
you understand by these words in Jer
emiah, Behold the days will come, when
I will raise up unto David a righteous
branch, who shall reign a king; and
this shall be his name, Jehovah our
Righteousness, xxiii. 5, 6 ; xxxiii.
15, 16. If you say, the Son from eter
nity, you talk insanely ; that was not
the Redeemer ; but if you say, the Son
born in time, who was the only-begot
ten Son of God, John i. 18, iii. 16,
you say rightly ; this by redemption
became righteousness, 'of which you
make your faith. Read also Isaiah
ix. 6 ; besides other passages, in which
it is foretold, that Jehovah himself was
about to come into the world." At
these words, the president was silent,
and turned himself away.
After these things were done, the
president wished to close the council
with prayer ; but suddenly a man then
started up from the company on the
left, who had a tiara on his head, and
a cap over that ; and he touched the
cap with his finger, and spoke, saying,
"I am also consociated with a man in
your world, who is there placed in
high honor : this I know, because I
speak from him, as he does from me."
And I asked, " Where does that emi
nent person stay?" He replied, " At
Gottenburg ; and I once thought from
him, that your new doctrine savored
of Mahometanism." On hearing which,

I saw all on the right hand, where the
apostolic fathers stood, were astonished,
and changed their color ; and I heard
exclamations from their minds through
their mouths, "Oh, horrible! Oh,
what an age !" But to appease their
just resentment, I put forth my hands,
and requested a hearing ; which being
granted, I said, " I know that a man
of that eminence wrote some such
thing in a letter, which he afterwards
printed ; but if he had at that time
known what a blasphemy that is, he
would have torn it in pieces with his
fingers, or committed it to the flames.
It is such contumely as that which is
meant by these words of the Lord to
the Jews, who said that Christ did
miracles by other power than the di
vine, Matt. xii. 22 to 32 : besides this,
He also says in the same place, Who
soever is not with Me, is against Me ;
and whosoever gathereth not with Me,
scatlereth abroad, verse 30." At these
words, the consociated spirit hung
down his head ; but presently he raised
it up, and said, " I have heard se
verer things from you than ever." But
I rejoined, " The cause of it is the
two charges, naturalism and Mahome
tanism, which are wicked lies, invent
ed by craft, and two deadly stigmas,
designed to avert and deter the minds
of men from the holy worship of the
Lord." And I turned myself to the
latter consociated spirit, and said,
"Tell him at Gottenburg, if you can,
to read what was said by the Lord in
the Revelation, iii. 18; and also ii
16." At these words, a noise was
made, but it was stilled by light de
scending from heaven ; in consequence
of which many of those on the left
side went over to those on the right,
those only remaining who think only
vain things, and therefore depend on
the authority of some master, and also
those who believe that the Lord was
only a mere man ; from these and
those the light which descended from
heaven seemed to be reflected, and to
flow into those who had passed from
the left to the right side.

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

121

CHAPTER III.

CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND CONCERNING THE DIVINE
OPERATION.

138. All of the sacred order, who
have entertained any just idea con
cerning the Lord our Savior, on their
entrance into the spiritual world, which
is generally on the third day after their
decease, are first instructed concern
ing the Divine Trinity ; and particular
ly concerning the Holy Spirit, that it
is not a God by itself, but that by it,
in the Word, is meant the Divine Op
eration, proceeding from one omni
present God. The reason why they
are particularly instructed concerning
the Holy Spirit, is, because most en
thusiasts, after death, fall into the wild
fancy, that they themselves are the
Holy Spirit ; and also because many
of the church, who, in the world, be
lieved that the Holy Spirit spoke
through them, terrify others, by the
words of the Lord in Matthew, that
to speak against those things which
the Holy Spirit inspired into them, is
the unpardonable sin, xii. 31, 32.
Those who, after instruction, recede
from the faith that the Holy Spirit is
a God by itself, are informed after
wards, concerning the unity of God,
that it is not divided into three persons,
each one of whom, singly, is God and
Lord, according to the Athanasian
creed ; but that the Divine Trinity is in
the Lord the Savior, as the soul, the
body and the proceeding virtue, with
every man. These are then prepared
for receiving the faith of the new
heavens ; and, after they are prepared,
a way is opened for them to a society
in heaven, where there is the like
faith ; and a mansion is given them
amongst their brethren, with whom
they live in blessedness forever. Now,
because we have treated concerning
God the Creator, and concerning the
Lord the Redeemer, it is necessary
that we should also treat concerning
16

the Holy Spirit; and this subject, like
the rest, is to be divided into its arti
cles, which are the following : I. That
the Holy Spirit is the Divine Truth,
and also the Divine Virtue and Oper
ation, proceeding from the One God,
in whom is a Divine Trinity, thus
from the Lord God the Savior. II.
That the Divine Virtue and Opera
tion, which are meant by the Holy Spir
it, are, in general, Reformation and
Regeneration, and, according to these,
Renovation, Vivification, Sanctifica
tion and Justification ; and according
to these, Purification from evils, and
Remission of sins, and finally Salva
tion. III. That that Divine Virtue
and Operation, which are meant by the
sending of the Holy Spirit, are, with
the clergy in particular, Illustration
and Instruction. IV. That the Lord
operates those virtues in those who be
lieve in Him. V. That the Lord oper
ates of Himself from the Father, and
not vice versa. VI. That the spirit
of a man is his mind, and lohatsoever
proceeds from it.
139. I. That the Holy Spirit is
the Divine Truth, and also the
Divine Virtue and Operation, pro
ceeding from the One God, in
whom is a Divine Trinity, thus
from the Lord God the Savior.
By the Holy Spirit is properly sig
nified the Divine Truth, thus also the
Word ; and in this sense the Lord
himself is also the Holy Spirit ; but
because in the church, at this day, the
divine operation, which is actual justi
fication, is described by the Holy Spir
it, therefore this is here taken for the
Holy Spirit; and of this chiefly we
speak, because the divine operation is
effected by the divine truth, which pro
ceeds from the Lord; and that which
proceeds is of one and the same es-

Iii

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

sence with Him from whom it pro
ceeds, like these three, the soul, the
Dody, and the proceeding virtue, which
together make one essence; with man,
merely human, but with the Lord, di
vine and human also; these being, af
ter the glorification, united together,
like the prior with its posterior, and
like essence with its form. Thus the
three essentials, which are called the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
in the Lord are one. That the Lord
is the Divine True itself, or the Divine
Truth, was shown above ; and that the
Holy Spirit is also the same, is man
ifest from these passages : — A Rod
shall go forth out of the trunk of Jesse,
the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon
Him, the Spirit of wisdom and intelli
gence, the Spirit of counsel and virtue ;
He shall smite the earth with the rod
of his mouth, and He shall slay the
wicked with the breath of his lips ;
righteousness shall be the girdle of his
loins, and truth the girdle of his reins,
Isaiah xi. 1, 4, 5. Affliction shall
come like a flood, the Spirit of Jehovah
shall bear the standard against it; then
the Redeemer shall come to Zion, lix.
19, 20. The Spirit of the Lord Jeho
vah is upon Me, Jehovah hath anointed
Me, He hath sent Me to announce good
news to the poor, lxi. 1; Luke iv. 18.
This is my covenant ; my Spirit ichich
is upon thee, and my words shall not
depart out of thy mouth, from this time
and forever, Isaiah lix. 21. Since the
Lord is the Truth itself, therefore all
that which proceeds from Him is truth ;
and this is meant by the Paraclete,
which is also called the Spirit of Truth,
and the Holy Spirit; this is manifest
from these passages : — I tell you the
truth ; it is expedient for you that I
go away ; for, if I go not away, the
Paraclete will not come to you ; but if
Igo, I will send Him toyou, John xvi. 7.
When the Spirit of Truth shall have
come, it shall lead you into all the
truth ; it shall not speak from itself,
but whatsoever it shall hear it shall speak,
xvi. 13. It shall glorify Me, because
it shall receive of mine, and shall an
nounce to you : all things, whatsoever the
Father hath, are mine; on this account

I said, it shall receiv- of mine, and shall
announce to you, xvi. 14, ]5. 1 will
ask the Father to give you . another
Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, which
the world cannot receive, because it seeth
it not, neither knoweth it ; but ye know
it, because it abideth with you, and
shall be in you. I will not leave you
orphans ; I am, coming to you, and ye
shall see Me, John xiv. 16, 17. When
the Paraclete shall have tome, which 1
shall send to you from the Father, the
Spirit of Truth, it shall testify of Me,
xv. 26. It is called the Holy Spirt,
xiv. 26. That the Lord meant him
self by the Paraclete or the Holy Spir
it, is manifest from those words of the
Lord, that the world did not yet know
Him, but ye know Him; I will not
leave you orphans ; I come to you ; ye
shall see Me. And in another place,
Lo, I am, with you all the days, even to
the consummation of the age, Matt.
xxviii. 20 ; also from these words, It
shall not speak from itself, but that it
shall receive of mine.
140. Now, because the Divine Truth
is meant by the Holy Spirit, and this
was in the Lord, and was the Lord
himself, John xiv. 6, and thus be
cause it could not proceed from any
other source, therefore he said, Tin
Holy Spirit was not yet, because. Je
sus was not yit glorified, vii. 39; and
after the glorification, He breathed into
the disciples, and said, Receive ye the
Holy Spirit, xx. 22. The reason why
the Lord breathed upon the disciples,
and said that, was, because aspiration
[or breathing upon] was an external
representative sign of divine inspira
tion ; but inspiration is an insertion in
to angelic societies. From these things,
the understanding may comprehend
this, which was said by the angel Ga
briel, concerning the conception ofthe
Lord ; The Holy Spirit shall come up
on thee, and the virtue of the Must
High shall overshadow thee ; wherefore
the Holy Thing which is born of thee
shall be called the Son of God, Luke i.
35. Also, The angel of the Lord in
a dream said to Joseph, Do not fear to
take Mary for thy wife, for that which
is born in her is of the Holy Spirit

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

123

And Joseph did not touch her until
she had brought forth her first-born
son, Matt. i. 20, 25. The Holy Spirit
there is the Divine Truth proceeding
from Jehovah the Father ; and this
proceeding is the virtue of the Most
High, which then overshadowed the
mother. This, therefore, coincides
with this in John ; The Word was
with God, and the Word was God;
and the Word became flesh, i. 1, 14.
That by the Word there is meant the
Divine Truth, see in The Faith of
the New Church, above, n. 3.
141. That the Divine Trinity is in
the Lord was demonstrated above, and
will be demonstrated more fully in the
sequel, when we come to treat profess
edly concerning it. Here, only some
absurdities, following from that trinity
divided into persons, will be adduced.
This would be as if some minister
of the church should teach from the
pulpit what should be believed, and
what should be done, and beside him
another minister should stand and
whisper in his ear, " You say this right
ly ; add also something more ;" and
they should say to a third, who stands
upon the stairs, " Descend into the
temple, and open their ears, and pour
those things into their hearts, and, at
the same time, cause them to be puri
ties, sanctities, and pledges of right
eousness." A Divine Trinity divided
into persons, each of whom, singly, is
God and Lord, is also similar to three
suns in one world ; one on high, near
another, and the third beneath, which
pours its rays around angels and men,
and introduces the heat and light ofthe
two into their minds, hearts and bodies,
and subtilizes, clarifies and sublimates
them, as fire does the matter in retorts.
Who does not see, that, if it should be
done so, man would be burnt even in
to ashes ? The government of three
divine persons in heaven, also, would
be similar to the government of three
kings in one kingdom, or to the gov
ernment of three generals, ofthe same
power, over one army ; or rather to the
Roman government before the times
of the Cesars, when there were a con
sul, senate, and tribune of the people ;

among whom, indeed, the power was
divided, but still the sovereignty was
in them all together. Who does not
see, that it is absurd, ludicrous and
foolish, to introduce such a government
into heaven ; and it is introduced, when
a power like that of a chief consul is
ascribed to God the Father, a power
like that of the senate to the Son, and
a power like that of the tribune of the
people-to the Holy Spirit ; which is
the case, when a peculiar office is at
tributed to each one, and especially if
it is added that those properties are not
communicable.
142. II. That the Divine Vir
tue and Operation, which are
meant by the holy spirit, are, in
general, reformation and regen
eration j and, according to these,
Renovation, Vivification, Sancti
fication, and Justification ; and,
according to these, Purification
from Evils, and Remission of Sins,
and finally Salvation.
These are, in their order, the virtues
which the Lord operates in those who
believe in Him, and accommodate and
dispose themselves for his reception
and habitation ; and this is done by
means of divine truth, and with Chris
tians by means of the Word ; for this
is the only medium through which
man approaches to the Lord, and into
which the Lord enters ; for, as was
said above, the Lord is the Divine
Truth itself, and whatsoever proceeds
from Him is divine truth. But the
divine truth from good is to be under
stood, which is the same with faith
from charity ; for faith is no other than
truth, and charity is no other than
goodness. By means of divine truth
from good, that is, by means of faith
from charity, man is reformed and re
generated ; also renovated, vivified,
sanctified, justified ; and, according to
the progress and increase of these, is
purified from evils ; and purification
from these is remission of sins. But
all these operations ofthe Lord cannot
be explained here, one by one, becausa
each requires its analysis, confirmed
from the Word, and illustrated by rea
son ; and this does not belong to this

124

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

place ; wherefore the reader is refer
red to those things which follow in or
der in this work, which are concerning
Charity, Faith, Free Agency Repent
ance, and also Reformation and Re
generation. It should be known, that
the Lord is continually operating those
saving graces with every man, for they
are steps to heaven, for the Lord wills
the salvation of all ; wherefore the sal
vation of all is his end, and he who
wills an end wills the means. His com
ing, redemption, and the passion ofthe
cross, were for the sake ofthe salvation
of men, Matt, xviii. 11 ; Luke xix. 10;
and because the salvation of men was,
and forever is his end, it follows that the
above-mentioned operations are medi
ate ends, and salvation the ultimate end.
143. The operation of these virtues
is the Holy Spirit, which the Lord
sends to those who believe in Him, and
dispose themselves to receive Him ;
and it is meant by the spirit in these
passages : / will give a new heart and
a new spirit ; my Spirit i~ will give
in the midst of you, and I will cause you
to walk in the way of salvation, Isaiah
xxxvi. 26, 27 ; Ezek. xi. 19. Create
in me a clean heart, O God, and renew
a firm spirit in the midst of me: re
store to me the joy of thy salvation,
and let a free spirit sustain me,
Psalm li. 12. Jehovah formeth the
spirit of man in the midst of him,
Zech. xii. 11. In my soul I have
waited for Thee in the night, and in
my spirit in the midst of me I have
waited for Thee in the morning, Isaiah
xxxvi. 9. Make for you a new heart,
and a new spirit : why will ye die ?
Ezek. xviii. 31 : besides other passages.
In those passages, by a new heart is
meant the will of good, and by a new
spirit, the understanding of truth. That
the Lord operates these, in those who
do what is good, and believe what is
true, consequently in those who are in
the faith of charity, is very manifest from
these things there, God gives a soul to
those who walk in it ; and from this, that
it is called a free spirit : and that man is
to operate on his part, from these ; Make
for you a new heart, and a new spirit ;
why will ye die, O house of Israel?

144. It is read that, when Jesus wa.
baptized, the heavens were opened, ana
John saw the Holy Spirit descending
like a dove, Matt. iii. 16; Mark i. 10;
Luke iii. 11; John i. 32,33. This
was done because baptism signifies re
generation and purification, as also
does a dove. Who cannot perceive,
that the dove was not the Holy Spirit,
and that the Holy Spirit was not in the
dove ? Doves often appear in heaven,
and as often as they appear, the angels
know that they are correspondences
of the affections, and thence the
thoughts, concerning regeneration and
purification, with some who stand in
the vicinity ; wherefore, as soon as
they come up to them, and speak with
them concerning any other thing than
what was in their thoughts, when that
appearance was presented, the doves
instantly vanish. This is similar to
many things which appeared to the
prophets ; as that a lamb appeared to
John on Mount Zion, Rev. xiv. 1 ;
and in other places. Who does not
know, that the Lord was not that
lamb, nor in the lamb, but that the
lamb was a representation of his
innocence? Thence appears man
ifest the error of those who, from the
dove seen upon the Lord, when he was
baptized, and from the voice then
heard from heaven, This is my beloved
Son, deduce the three persons of the
trinity. That the Lord regenerates
man by faith and charity, is meant by
this, which John the Baptist said : I
baptize you with water unto repentance,
but He who is to come after me will
baptize with the Holy Spirit and with
fire, Matt. iii. 15; Mark i. 8; Luke
iii. 16. To baptize with the Holy
Spirit and with fire, is to regenerate by
the divine truth, which is of faith, and
by the divine good, which is of chari
ty. The like is signified by these
words ofthe Lord : Except a man be
born of water and of the spirit, he can
not enter into the kingdom of God,
John iii. 5. By water here, as else
where in the Word, is signified truth,
in the natural or external man, and by
the ipirit, truth from good, in the spir
itual or internal man.

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

125

145. Now, because the Lord is Di
vine Truth itself from the Divine Good,
and this is his very essence, and every
one acts what he acts from his essence,
it is evident that the Lord continually
wills, nor can He will otherwise than
to implant truth and good, or faith and
charity, in every man. This may be
illustrated by many things in the world,
as by these : that every man wills and
thinks, and, as far as it is allowable,
speaks and acts, from his essence ; as,
for example, a faithful man thinks and
intends faithful things ; an honest, up
right, pious and religious man, honest,
upright, pious and religious things ;
and, on the contrary, a haughty, cun
ning, treacherous and covetous man,
such things as make one with his es
sence. A fortune-teller wishes only
to tell fortunes, and a fool only to prate
against the things which are of wis
dom ; in a word, an angel meditates
and practises only heavenly things, and
a devil only infernal things. The case
is similar with every subject of inferior
rank in the animal kingdom, as with a
bird, a beast, a fish, an insect, winged
and not winged ; every one is known
by its essence or nature, from which
and according to which is the instinct
of each. In like manner, in the veg
etable kingdom, every tree, every shrub
and every herb, is known by its fruit
and seed, in which its essence is in
nate ; nor can any thing else be pro
duced from thence, but what is similar
to itself and its own ; yea, every kind
of ground, clay and stone, noble and
ignoble, and every mineral and metal,
is estimated according to its essence.
146. III. That that Divine Vir
tue and Operation, which is
meant by the sending of the holy
Spirit, with the Clergy in partic
ular, is Illustration and Instruc
tion. The operations of the Lord, enu
merated in the preceding article, which
are reformation, regeneration, renova
tion, vivification, sanctification, justifi
cation, purification, remission of sins,
and finally salvation, flow in from the
Lord, as well with the clergy as with
the laity, and are received by those

who are in the Lord, and the Lord ir
them, John vi. 56 ; xiv. 20 ; xv. 4, 5
But the reasons why illustration and
instruction are for the clergy, in par
ticular, are, because those belong to
their office, and inauguration into the
ministry brings them along with it ; and
also they believe that, while they are
preaching from zeal, they are inspired,
like the disciples ofthe Lord into whom
the Lord breathed, saying, Receive ye
the Holy Spirit, John xx. 22 ; and al
so Mark xiii. 11. Some also affirm
that they have felt the influx. But
they should be very cautious how they
persuade themselves, that the zeal, by
which many are actuated while they
are preaching, is the divine operation
in their hearts ; for a similar and even
a warmer zeal, is excited in the breasts
of enthusiasts, and also in those who are
in extreme falses of doctrine ; yea, in
those who despise the Word, and wor
ship nature instead of God, and cast
faith and charity, as it were, into a bag
behind their back ; and whilst they are
preaching and teaching, they hang it
before them, as a kind of ruminatory
stomach, from which they select and
disgorge such things as they know will
serve for food to the hearers. For
zeal, viewed in itself, is a violent heat
ing of the natural man ; if there is
within it the love of truth, then it is
like the sacred fire which flowed into
the apostles, concerning which it is
thus written in the Acts : There ap
peared to them cloven tongues, as of
fire, and sat upon every one of them,
whence they all were filled with the Ho
ly Spirit, ii. 3, 4. But if the love of
the false lies inwardly concealed in
that zeal or heat, it is then like fire
imprisoned in wood, which bursts forth
and burns the house. You, who deny
the sanctity of the Word and the di
vinity of the Lord, take off, I beseech
you, your bag from your back, and open
it, which you do freely at home, and you
will see. I know that those who are
meant by Lucifer in Isaiah, and who
are of Babel, when they enter the tem
ple, and especially when they ascend
the pulpit, particularly those who call
themselves of the society of Jesus are

126

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

hurried away by a zeal which, in many
cases, is from infernal love ; and thence
they scream more vehemently, and
fetch deeper sighs from their breasts,
than those who are in zeal from heav
enly love. That there are two other
spiritual operations with the clergy
may be seen below, n. 155.
147. The church is yet almost igno
rant, that in all the will and thought,
and thence in all the action and speech
of man, there is an internal and an ex
ternal, and that man, from infancy, is
taught to speak from the external,
however the internal dissents; thence
proceed dissimulation, flattery, and hy
pocrisy ; consequently that he has du
plicity ; and he only has simplicity
whose external thinks, and speaks, and
wills, and acts, from the internal : these
also are meant by the simple in the
Word, as Luke viii. 15; xi. 34; and
in other places ; although they are
wiser than persons of duplicity. That
there is duplicity and triplicity in eve
ry created thing is evident from these
things in the human body : every nerve
there consists of fibres, and every fibre
of fibrils ; every muscle of little bun
dles of fibres, and these of moving
fibres ; every artery of coats in a triple
series. It is similar in the human
mind, whose spiritual organism is such ;
this is according to what was said
above, that the human mind is distin
guished into three regions, the highest
of which, which is also the inmost, is
called celestial, the middle spiritual,
and the lowest natural. The minds
of all men, who deny the sanctity of
the Word and the divinity of the Lord,
think in the lowest region ; but, be
cause from infancy they have learned
clso the spiritual things which are of
the church, »nd receive them, but put
them below >atural things, which are
various so'^tific, political, civil and
moral thing) : because they sit lowest
in the mind, and nearest to the speech,
they speak from them in tempjes and
in companies ; and, what is wonderful,
they then know no otherwise than that
they speak and teach from the belief
of them; when, nevertheless, as soon
as they are at liberty, which is the case

at home, the door is opened, which
shuts up the internal of their mind, and
then sometimes they laugh at those
things which they have preached in
public, saying in heart, that theological
things are specious snares for catching
doves. 148. The internal and external of
such persons may be likened to poisons
covered over with crusts of sugar ; and
also to the wild gourds which the boys
of the prophets gathered and cast into
the pottage, which while they were
eating, they cried out, Tlterc is death
in the pot, 2 Kings iv. 38 to 43.
They may also be compared to the
beast arising out of the sea, which had
two horns as of a lamb, and spoke as
a dragon, Rev. xiii. 11. In what fol
lows, that beast is called the false
prophet. And they are like robbers
in a city where the citizens are moral,
who in the city act morally and speak
rationally, but when they return into
the woods they are wild beasts; or
they are also like pirates, who upon
the land are men, but at sea croco
diles. The latter and the former walk
about, while upon the land or in a city,
like panthers clothed in sheep-skins,
or like apes dressed in men's clothes,
before whose face a mask is placed.
They may also be likened to a harlot,
who anoints herself with balsam, and
paints her face with carmine, and
clothes herself with white silk, orna
mented with flowers; who, when she
returns to her house, undresses herself
in the presence of her paramours, and
infects them with her loathsome disease.
That those, who detract from the sancti
ty of the Word and the divinity of the
Lord, are such, has been given me to
know, by the experience of years in the
spiritual world ; for there all, at first, are
kept in their externals, but afterwards,
when these are removed, they are let
into internals, and then their comedy
becomes a tragedy.
149. IV. That the Lord oper
ates those Virtues in those who
believe in Him.
That the Lord operates those virtues,
which are meant by the sending ofthe
Holy Spirit, in those who believe in

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

127

Him, that is, that he reforms, regener
ates, renovates, vivifies, sanctifies, jus
tifies, purifies from evils, and finally
saves them, is evident from all those
passages in the Word, which may be
seen adduced above, n. 108, to' prove
that those have salvation and eternal
life, who believe in the Lord ; and,
moreover, from this ; Jesus said, W/w-
soever believeth in Me, as the Scrip
ture saith, out of his belly shall flow
rivers of living water; this He said
concerning the Spirit which those who
believe in Him were about to receive,
John vii. 38, 39 ; and also from this ;
The testimony of Jesus is the
Spirit of prophecy, Rev. xix. 10.
By the spirit of prophecy is meant the
truth of doctrine from the Word ; proph
ecy signifies no other than doctrine,
and to prophesy, to teach it; and by
the testimony of Jesus is meant con
fession from faith in Him. The like
is meant by his testimony in this pas
sage : The angels of Michael overcame
the dragon, by the blood of the Lamb,
and by the Word of his testimony ;
and the dragon went away to make
war with the rest of her seed, who kept
the commandments of God, and have
the testimony of Jesus Christ, Rev. xii.
11, 17.
150. The reason why those who
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are
about to receive those spiritual virtues,
is, because He is salvation and eternal
life; salvation, because he is the Sa
vior ; this also is his name, Jesus : eter
nal life, because those in whom He is,
and who are in Him, have eternal life ;
wherefore also He is called eternal
Life, in 1 John v. 20. Now, because He
is salvation and eternal life, it follows
that He is all that by which salvation
and eternal life are obtained ; conse
quently, that he is the all of reforma
tion, regeneration, renovation, vivifica-
tion, sanctification, justification, purifi
cation from evils, and at length salva
tion. The Lord operates those virtues
in every man ; that is, He strives to in
troduce them ; and when man accom
modates and disposes himself for the
reception, He does introduce them.
The active power of accommodation

and disposition is also from the Lord ;
but if man does not receive them with
a free spirit, then, notwithstanding the
effort of the Lord, which constantly
continues, He cannot introduce them,
151. To believe in the Lord is not
only to acknowledge him, but also to
do his commandments ; for only to
acknowledge him is only ofthe thought,
from some understanding ; but to do
his commandments is also of acknowl
edgment from the will. The mind
of man consists of understanding and
will, and it is the part of the under
standing to think, and of the will to
do ; wherefore, while man only ac
knowledges from the thought of the
understanding, he goes to the Lord on
ly with half of the mind; but when he
does his commandments, then with the
whole ; and this is to believe. Other
wise, a man may divide his heart, and
compel its surface to raise itself up
wards, while its flesh turns itself down
wards ; and thus he flies, like an ea
gle, between heaven and hell ; and yet
man does not follow his sight, but the
delights of his flesh ; and because this
is in hell, therefore he flies down thith
er ; and, after he has there sacrificed
to his sensual pleasures, and poured
out libations of wine to demons, he puts
on a countenance of gayety, and causes
his eyes to sparkle with fire, and thus
counterfeits an angel of light. Such
satans those become, after death, who
acknowledge the Lord and do not obey
his commandments.
152. It was shown, in the foregoing
article, that the salvation and eternal
life of men are the first and the last
ends of the Lord ; and, because the
first and the last ends contain in them
the mediate ends, it follows that the
above-mentioned spiritual virtues are
together in the Lprd, and also from the
Lord in man, but still they come forth
successively ; for the mind of man
grows like his body ; the body in stat
ure, but the mind in wisdom. Thus,
also, the latter is exalted from region
to region ; that is, from the natui al to
the spiritual, and from this to the ce
lestial ; and in this region man is cull
ed wise, in that intelligent, and in tho

128

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

lowest scientific; but this exaltation
of the mind is not effected except from
time to time ; and it is effected as man
procures for himself truths, and con
joins them to good. This is similar
to the case of one who is building a
house; he first procures for himself
the materials for it, as bricks, tiles,
beams and rafters; and thus he lays
the foundation, raises the walls, divides
it into rooms, makes doors for them,
and windows in the walls, and stairs
from one story to another; all these
things are together in the end, which
is a commodious and elegant habita
tion, which he foresees and provides.
It is similar with a temple ; all things
requisite for the building of this exist
together in the end, which is the wor
ship of God. It is similar with all oth
er things, as with gardens and fields,
and also with offices and employments,
for which the end procures for itself
the requisite means.
153. V. That the Lord operates
of Himself from the Father, and
not vice versa.
By operating is here meant the same
thing as by sending the Holy Spirit,
since the above-mentioned operations,
which are, in general, reformation, re
generation, renovation, vivification,
sanctification, justification, purification
from evils, and remission of sins, which
are at this day attributed to the Holy
Spirit, as to a God by Himself, are the
operations of the Lord. That these
are of the Lord from the Father, and
not vice versa, shall be first confirmed
from the Word, and afterwards illus
trated by many things which are of
reason. From the Word by these :
When the Paraclete shall have come,
WHOM I AM ABOUT TO SEND FROM THE
Father, the Spirit of truth which pro-
ceedcth from the Father, He shall
testify of Me, John xv. 26. If I
go not away, the Paraclete will not
come to you; but if I go, I will send
Him to you, xvi. 7. The Paraclete,
the Spirit of truth, will not speak from
Himself, but He will receive of mine,
and announce to you ; all things, what
soever the Father hath, are mine ; on
account of this I said, that He shall re

ceive of mine, and announce to you,
xvi. 13, 14, 15. The Holy Spirit was
not yet, because Jesus was not yet glo
rified, vii. 39. Jesus breathed into the
disciples, and said, Receive ye the
Holy Spirit, xx. 22. Whatsoever ye
shall ask in my name, this I will do,
that the Father may be glorified in the
Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my
name, I will do it, xiv. 13, 14. From ¦
thes6 passages, it is very manifest that
the Lord sends the Holy Spirit, that is,
operates those things, which at this
day are ascribed to the Holy Spirit, as
to a God by himself; for He said that
He was about to send him from the
Father ; that He was about to send
him to you ; that the Holy Spirit was
not yet, because Jesus was not yet glo
rified ; that after the glorification He
breathed into the disciples, and said,
Receive ye the Holy Spirit ; and also
that He said, Whatsoever ye shall ask
the Father in my name, I will do ; as
also that the Paraclete is about to re
ceive of mine, what He will announce.
That the Paraclete is the same with
the Holy Spirit, may be seen, John
xiv. 26. That God the Father does
not operate those virtues of Himself
through the Son, but that the Son of
Himself operates them from the Fa
ther, is evident from these words : No
one hath ever seen God; the only-be
gotten Son, who is in the bosom of the
Father, He hath manifested Him, John
i. 18 ; and in another place, Ye have
not heard the voice ofthe Father at any
time, nor seen his shape, v. 37. From
these, therefore, it follows, that God
the Father operates in the Son, and
into the Son, but not by the Son;
but that the Lord operates of Himself
from the Father ; for He says, All
things of the Father are mine, John
xvi. 14 ; that the Father hath given all
things into the hand of the Son, iii. 35 ;
and also that, As the Father hath life
in Himself, so He hath given to the
Son to have life in Himself, v. 26 ; as
also, The words which I speak are
spirit and life, vi. 63. The reason
why the Lord says that the Spirit of
truth proceeds from the Father, John
xv. 26, is, because it proceeds from God

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

129

'^ne Father into the Son, and out of the
Son from, the Father ; wherefore also
He says, In that 'day ye shall know
that the Father is in Me, and I in the
Father, and ye in Me, and I in you, xiv.
11, 20. From these plain declarations
of the Lord, an error in the Christian
world is very manifest, which is, that
God the Father sends the Holy Spirit
to man ; and the error of the Greek
church, that the Holy Spirit proceeds
immediately from God the Father.
This, that the Lord of Himself sends
Him from the Father, and not vice ver
sa, is from heaven ; and the angels call
it an arcanum, because it was never
before made known in the world.
154. These things may be illustrat
ed by many things which are of reason,
as by these : It is known that the
apostles, after they had received the
gift of the Holy Spirit from the Lord,
preached the Gospel through a great
part of the world, and that they pro
mulgated it by speaking and writings ;
and they did this of themselves from
the Lord ; for Peter taught and wrote
in one manner, James in another, John
in another, and Paul in another; each
according to his own intelligence ;
the Lord filled them all with his Spirit,
but each took of it a portion according
to the quality of his perception, and
they exercised it according to the qual
ity of their ability. All the angels in
the heavens are filled by the Lord, for
they are in the Lord and the Lord in
them ; but still each speaks and acts
according to the state of his mind,
some in simplicity, some in wisdom, so
with an infinite variety; and yet every
one speaks of himself from the Lord.
It is similar with every minister of the
church, whether he be in truths or in
falsities ; each has his own mouth
and his own intelligence, and each
speaks from his own mind, that is,
from his spirit which he possesses. All
the Protestants, whether they are called
Evangelical or Reformed, after they
have been instructed in the tenets de
livered by Luther, Melancthon, or Cal
vin, — these leaders or their tenets do not
of themselves speak through their fol
lowers, but their followers of themselves
17

from them ; every single tenet also may
be explained in a thousand ways, for
it is like a cornucopia, from which eve
ry one takes out what is favorable and
adapted to his own genius, and ex
plains it according to his own talent.
This may be illustrated by the action
ofthe heart in the lungs and into them,
and by the re-action of the lungs of
themselves from the heart; these are
two distinct things, but still reciprocal
ly united ; the lungs respire of them
selves from the heart, but not the
heart by the lungs; if this should be
done, both would stop. It is similar
also with the action of the heart in the
viscera and into the viscera of the
whole body ; the heart sends forth the
blood in ah directions, but the viscera
receive it thence, each one its proper
share, according to the kind of use
whicli it performs, and also acts ac
cording to it ; thus each acts different
ly. The same thing may be illustrat
ed by these : Evil from parents, whioh
is called hereditary, acts in man and
into man ; in like manner, good from
the Lord ; the latter from above or from
within, the former from below or from
without ; if evil should act by man,
he would not be capable of being
reformed, nor would he be a subject of
blame ; in like manner, if good from
the Lord should act by man, he
would not be capable of being reform
ed ; but because each depends on the
free choice of man, he becomes guilty
when he acts of himself from evil, and
guiltless when he acts of himself from
good. Now, because evil is the devil,
and good is the Lord, he becomes guilty
if he acts from the devil, and guiltless if
he acts from the Lord. It is from that
free choice, which every man has, that
man is capable of being reformed. It
is similar with all the internal and ex
ternal of man ; these are two distinct
things, but still reciprocally united ;
the internal acts in the external and
into it, but it does not act by the
external ; for the internal involves a
thousand things, of which the external
takes only such as are accommodated
to use; for in the internal of man, by
wiiich is meant his mind, voluntary

130

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

and perceptive, there are great accu
mulations of ideas in a volume, which,
if they should flow out through the
mouth of man, would be like the rush
ing of wind from a pair of bellows.
The internal, because it involves uni-
( versals, may be compared to an ocean,
a flower-bed, or a garden, from which
the external takes out as much as is
sufficient for use. The Word of the
Lord is like an ocean, a flower-bed, or
a garden ; when the Word is in any
degree of fullness in the internal of
man, then man speaks and acts of
himself from the Word, and not
the Word through him. It is similar
with the Lord, because He is the
Word, that is, the Divine Truth and
the Divine Good therein ; the Lord of
Himself, or from the Word, acts in
man and into him, but not by
him, because man acts and speaks
freely from the Lord, while he acts and
speaks from the Word. But this may
be more familiarly illustrated by the
mutual intercourse between the soul
and body, which two are distinct, but
reciprocally united ; the soul acts in
the body and into the body, but not
by the body, but the body acts of
itself from the soul. That the soul
does not act by the body, is be
cause they do not consult and deliber
ate with each other ; nor does the soul
command or request the body to do
this or that, or to speak from its mouth ;
nor do*s the body require or ask the
soul to give or supply any thing, for
every thing of the soul is of the body,
mutually and reciprocally. It is simi
lar with the Divine and Human of the
Lord ; for the Divine of the Father is
the soul of his Human, and the Hu
man is his body ; and the Human does
not ask of its Divine to tell what it
shall speak or do ; wherefore the Lord
says, In that day ye shall ask in my
name, and I do not tell you that I will
ask the Father for you ; for the Father
himself loveth you, because ye have loved
Me, John xvi. 26, 27; in that day, is after
the glorification, that is, after perfect and
absolute union with the Father. This
arcanum is from the Lord himself, for
those who will be of his New Church

155. It was shown above, in the
third article, that that divine virtue,
which is meant by the operation of the
Holy Spirit, with the clergy in partic
ular, is illustration and instruction.
But, in addition to these two, there are
two intermediate ones, which are per
ception and disposition ; wherefore
there are four, which with the clergy
follow in order — Illustration, Percep
tion, Disposition, and Instruction. Il
lustration is from the Lord. Per
ception is with man according to the
state of his mind, formed by doctrinals;
if these are true, the perception be
comes clear from the light which illus
trates ; but if they are false, the per
ception becomes obscure, which, how
ever, may appear as if it were cle-ar
from confirmations ; but this is from
the light of infatuation, which to mere
ly natural sight is like clearness. Bu.
Disposition is from the affection <.'
the love of the will ; the delight of th.'
love disposes ; if this be a delight o
the love of evil and the false thence, ;
excites a zeal which outwardly is fierce
rough, burning, and flaming, and in
wardly it is anger, rage, and unmerci
fulness ; but if it be of good, and
thence of truth, it is outwardly mild,
smooth, thundering and glowing, and
inwardly it is charity, grace and mer
cy. But Instruction follows as an
effect from the preceding as causes.
Thus illustration, which is from the
Lord, is turned into various lights an J
into various heats, with every one, ac
cording to the state of his mind.
156. VI. That the Spirit of Man
is his Mind, and whatever proceeds
from it.
By the spirit of man, in the concrete,
no other is meant than his mind ; for it
is this which lives after death, and then
is called a spirit; if good, an angelic
spirit, and afterwards an angel; if evil,
a satanic spirit, and afterwards a sa
tan. The mind of every man is his
internal man, which actually is the
man, and is within the external man,
which makes its body; wherefore,
when the body is rejected, which is
done by death, it is in a complete hu
man form. They err, therefore, who

Concerning tlie Holy Spirit.

131

believe that the mind of man is only
in the head ; it is there only in the
principles, from which first proceeds
every thing that man thinks from the
understanding, and acts from the will ;
but it is in the body, in the derivatives
formed for sensation and action ; and
because inwardly it adheres to the
things of the body, it imparts to them
sense and motion, and inspires a sort
of perception, that the body thinks and
acts of itself; but every wise man
knows that this is a fallacy. Now,
because the spirit of man thinks from
the understanding, and acts from the
will, and the body not from itself, but
from that, it follows, that by the spirit
of man, is meant his intelligence and
the affection of love, and whatever pro
ceeds from them and operates. That
the spirit of man signifies such things
as are of the mind, is evident from
many passages in the Word, which,
while they are only adduced, it may be
seen by any one that they are no oth
er. Of the many these are a few : —
Bezaleel was filled with the spirit of
wisdom, intelligence and science, Exod.
xxxi. 3. Nebuchadnezzar concern
ing Daniel, That an excellent spirit of
science, intelligence and wisdom was in
him, Dan. v. 12. Joshua was filled
with the spirit of wisdom, Deut. xxxiv.
9. Make for you a new heart and a
new spirit, Ezek. xviii. 31. Blessed
are the poor in spirit, because of such
is the kingdom *of the heavens, Matt. v.
3. I dwell in the contrite and humble
spirit, lo revive the spirit of the humble,
Isaiah lvii. 15. The sacrifices of God
arc a broken spirit, Psalrh li. 19. I
will give the robe of praise instead of
a contracted spirit, Isaiah Ixi. 3 ; be
sides in other places. That spirit sig
nifies such things as are of a perverted
and wicked mind, is evident from
these : He said to the foolish prophets,
who go away after their own spirit,
Ezek. xiii. 3. Conceive chaff, bring
forth stubble ; as to your spirit, fire
shall devour you, Isaiah xxxiii. 11.
A man who wanders in spirit, and bab
bles falsehood, Micah ii. 11. A gene
ration whose spirit was not steadfast
with God, Psalm lxxviii. 8. The spirit

of whoredoms, Hosea v. 4; Zech. iv.
12. That every heart may melt, and-
every spirit may be contracted, Ezek.
xxi. 7. That which ascendcth upon
your spirit shall never be done, Ezek.
xx. 32. Only in his spirit there is no
guile, Psalm xxxii. 2. The spirit of
Pharaoh was troubled, Gen. xii. 8. In
like manner of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan.
ii. 3. From these and very many oth
er passages, it is very manifest that
spirit signifies the mind of man, and
such things as are of the mind.
157. Since by the spirit of man is
meant his mind, therefore, by being
in the spirit, which is sometimes
said in the Word, is meant a state of
the mind separate from the body ; and
because, in that state, the prophets saw
such things as exist in the spiritual
world, therefore that is called the vision
of God. Their state then was such
as that of spirits themselves is, and an
gels in that world. In that state, the
spirit of man, like his mind as to sight,
may be transported from place to place,
the body remaining in its own. This
is the state in which I have now been
for twenty-six years, with this differ
ence, that I have been in the spirit
and at the same time in the body, and
only several times out of the body.
That Ezekiel, Zechariah, Daniel, and
John when he wrote the Revelation,
were in that state, is evident from'the
following passages : Ezekiel says,
The spirit took me up and brought
me back into Ohaldca, to the captivity,
in the vision of God, in the spirit of
God ; so the vision which I saw ascend
ed upon me, xi. 1, 24. That the spir
it took him up, and he heard behind
him an earthquake, iii. 12, 14. That
the spirit lifted him up between the
earth and the heaven, and carried him
away to Jerusalem, and he saw abomi
nations, viii. 3, and following verses
That he saw four animals, which were
cherubs, and various things with them,
i. and x. And also a new earth, and
a new temple, and an angel measuring
them, xl. to xlviii ; that he wa= then in
vision and in the spirit, xl. 2, xliii. 15.
The case was similar with Zechariah,
in whom there was then an angel,

132

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

when he saw a man riding on horse
back among the myrtle-trees, i. 8, and
following verses. Four horns, and a
man in whose hand was a measuring
line, ii. 1, 5, and following verses.
Joshua, the high priest, v. 1, 6. Four
chariots, going out between two moun
tains, and horses, vi. 1, and following
verses. In a similar state was Daniel,
when he saw four beasts coming up
out of the sea, and many more things
concerning them, vii. 1, and following
verses ; when he saw the battles of
the ram and the hc-goat, viii. 1, and
following verses. That he saw those
things in vision, vii. 1, 2, 7, 13; viii.
2; x. 1, 7, 8; that the angel Gabriel
appeared to him in vision, and talked
with him. The case was similar with
John, when he wrote the Revela
tion, who says that he was in the
spirit on the Lord's day, Rev. i. 10.
That he was carried in the spirit into
the wilderness, xvii. 3 ; upon a high
mountain in the spirit, xxi. 10. That
he saw in vision, ix. 17 ; and in other
places, that he saw those things which
he described ; as that he saw the Son
of man in the midst of thd seven can
dlesticks ; a tabernacle, a temple, an
ark, and an altar, in heaven ; the book
sealed with seven seals, and four horses
going out of it ; the four animals around
the throne ; the twelve thousand chos
en out of each tribe ; the Lamb on
Mount Zion ; locusts ascending out of
the abyss ; the dragon and his battle
with Michael ; a woman bringing forth
a male child, and fleeing into the wil
derness on account of the dragon ;
two beasts, one ascending out of the
sea, and the other out of the earth ; a
woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored
beast; the dragon cast into a lake of
fire and sulphur ; a white horse, and a
great supper ; the holy city Jerusalem
coming down, described as to the
gates, the wall, and its foundations ;
the river of living water, and the trees
of life yielding fruit every month; be
sides many other things. In a similar
state were Peter, James, and John,
when they saw Jesus transfigured; and
Paul, when he heard from heaven in
effable things.

158. A Corollary. Since we have
treated, in this chapter, concerning the
Holy Spirit, it deserves particularly
to be observed, that, in the Word of
the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is
nowhere named, but only the Spirit of
Holiness, in three places ; once in Da
vid, Psalm li. 13 ; and twice in Isaiah,
lxiii. 10, 11 ; but in the Word of the
New Testament, both in the Evange
lists and in the Acts of the Apostles,
and in their Epistles, frequently : the
reason is, because the Holy Spirit was
then for the first time, when the Lord
came into the world, for it proceeds
out of Him from the Father ; for the
Lord only is Holy, Rev. xv. 4 ;
wherefore also it is said, by the angel
Gabriel, to Mary the mother, The Ho
ly Thing which shall be born of thee,
Luke i. 35. The reason why it was
said, The Holy Spirit was not yet,
because Jesus was not yet glorified,
John vii. 39, and yet it is said before,
that the Holy Spirit filled Elisabeth,
Luke i. 41, and Zechariah i. 67, as
also Simeon, ii. 25, was, because the
Spirit of Jehovah the Father filled
them, whicli was called the Holy
Spirit, on account of the Lord, who
was already in the world. This is the
reason why, in the Word of the Old
Testament, it is nowhere said tint the
prophets spol'.e from the Holy Spirit, but
from Jehovah ; for every where it is said,
Jehovah spoke to me ; The word oj
Jehovah came to me;' Jehovah said ;
the saying of Jehovah. That no one
may doubt but that it is so, I will cite
only from Jeremiah, where these things
are said: i. 4, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19;
ii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 19, 22, 31 ; iii. 1,
6, 10, 12, 14, 16; iv. 1,3,9, 17,27;
v. 11, 14, 18, 22, 29 ; vi. 6, 9, 12, 15,
16,21, 22; vii. 1, 3, 11, 13, 19,20,
21 ; viii. 1, 3, 12, 13 ; ix. 2, 6, 8, 12,
14, 16,21,23,24; x. 1,2, 13; xi. 1,
6,9, 11, 17, 18,21,22; xii. 14, 17;
xiii. 1, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,25;
xiv. 1, 10, 14, 15; xv. 1,2,3,6,11,
19,20; xvi. 1,3,5, 9, 14, 16; xvii.
5, 9, 20, 21, 24; xviii. 1, 5, 6, 11, 13;
xix. 1, 3, 6, 12, 16; xx. 4 ; xxi. 1, 4,
7, 8, 11, 12; xxii. 2, 5, 6, 11, 18, 24,
29, 30; xxiii. 2, 5, 7, 12, 15, 24, 29,

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

133

31, 38; xxiv. 3, 5, 8; xxv. 1, 3, 7, 8,
9, 15, 27, 28, 29, 32; xxvi. 1, 2, 18;
xxvii. 1, 2, 4, 8, 11, 16, 19, 21, 22;
xxviii. 2, 12, 14, 16; xxix. 4, 8, 9, 16,
19, 20, 21, 25, 30, 31 ; xxx. 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18; xxxi. 1, 2,
7, 10, 15, 16, 17, 23, 27, 28, 31, 32,
33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38; xxxii. 1, 6, 14,
15, 25, 26, 28, 30, 36, 41 ; xxxiii. 1,
2, 4, 10, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 23, 25 ;
xxxiv. 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 13, 17, 22 ; xxxv.
1, 13, 17, 18, 19; xxxvi. 1, 6, 27, 29,
30; xxxvii. 6, 7, 9; xxxviii. 2, 3, 17;
xxxix. 15, 16, 17, 18 ; xl. 1 ; xiii. 7, 9,
15, 18, 19; xliii. 8, 10; xliv. 1, 2, 7,
11, 24, 25, 26, 30; xiv. 1, 2, 5; xlvi.
1, 23, 25, 28; xlvii. 1 ; xlviii. 1, 8, 12,
30, 35, 38, 40, 43, 44, 47; xlix. 2, 5,
6, 7, 12, 13, 16, 18, 26, 28, 30, 32,
35, 37, 38, 39; 1. 1, 4, 10, 18, 20, 21,
30, 31, 33, 35, 40 ; li. 25, 33, 36, 39,
52, 58- — these only in Jeremiah ; the
like is said in all the other prophets,
and not that the Holy Spirit spoke, nor
that Jehovah spoke to them by the
Holy Spirit.

159. To the above I shall add the
following Relations. Once, when I
was in company with the angels in
heaven, I saw, at a distance below,
a great smoke, and occasionally fire
bursting Out of it ; and then I said to
the angels who were talking with me,
that few here know that the smoke,
seen in the hells, arises from falses
confirmed by reasonings, and that fire
is anger kindling against those who
contradict ; to which I added, that this
is as unknown in this world, as it is in
the world where I live in the body,
that flame is no other than smoke set
on fire : that it is so, I have often
proved by experiment, for I have seen
smoke ascending from the wood in the
fire-place, and when I applied fire to it
by a lighted torch, I saw that smoke
turned into flame, and this in a similar
form with that ; for each particle of
smoke becomes a spark, and they all
blaze together, as is also the case with
lighted gunpowder. It is similar with
the smoke which we see below ; this
consists of as many falses, and the fire

bursting forth as a flame there, is the
kindling of zeal in favor of them.
Then the angels said to me, " Let us
pray to the Lord, that we may descend
and approach, so that we may perceive
what are the falses, which with them
thus smoke and burn." And leave was
given ; and lo, there appeared around
us a pillar of light, extending to thai
place ; and then we saw four compa
nies of spirits who were strenuously
maintaining that God the Father, be
cause he is invisible, is to be approach
ed and worshipped, and not his Son
born in the world, because He is a
man and visible. When I looked to
the sides, at the left appeared the learn
ed of the clergy, and behind them the
unlearned ; and at the right the learn
ed of the laity, and behind them the
unlearned ; but between us and them
there was a yawning gulf, which could
not be passed. But we turned our eyes
and ears to the left, where were the
learned of the clergy, and behind them
the unlearned, and we heard them rea
soning concerning God after this man
ner : " We know from the doctrine of
our church, which is one concerning
God, in the whole European world, that
God the Father, because He is invisi
ble, is to be approached, and, at the
same time, God the Son and God the
Holy Ghost, who also are invisible, be
cause coeternal with the Father ; and
because God the Father is the Creator
of the universe, and thence in the uni
verse, whithersoever we turn our eyes,
He is present, and when we pray to
Him, He graciously hears, and, after
having accepted of the Son's media
tion, he sends the Holy Ghost, who
brings into our hearts the glory of his
Son's righteousness, and blesses us :
we, being appointed teachers of the
church, while we preached, sensibly
perceived the holy operation of that
mission in our breasts, and were ani
mated in devotion by his presence in
our minds. We are affected thus be
cause we direct all our senses towards
the invisible God, who operates not
singly in the sight of our understand
ing, but universally in the whole sys
tem of our mind and body,by his emis-

134

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

sary Spirit : such effects would not re
sult from the worship of a visible God,
or one who is conspicuous to our minds
as a man." At these words, the unlearn
ed of the clergy, who stood behind
them, clapped their hands, and added
this : " Whence is any thing holy but
from the Divine, unseen and impercep
tible ; at this, as soon as it touches the
drum of our ears, the features of our
faces expand, and we are exhilarated,
as it were, by the delights of an odo
riferous aura, and also we beat our
breasts ; it is otherwise with the Divine
seen and perceptible ; this, when it en
ters the ear, becomes merely natural,
and not divine. For a similar reason the
Roman Catholics say their masses in
Latin, and the hosts, concerning which
they tell divine mystical things, they
take out from the recesses of the altars
and show, at which, as at the most sa
cred mysteries, the people fall upon
their knees, and breathe out something
holy." After this, we turned about to
wards the right, where stood the learn
ed, and behind them the unlearned, of
the laity ; and from the learned I heard
these things: "We know that the
wisest amongst the ancients worship
ped an invisible God, whom they called
Jehovah; but that after these, in the
age which succeeded, they made for
themselves gods of deceased monarchs,
amongst whom were Saturn, Jupiter,
Neptune, Pluto, Apollo, and also Mi
nerva, Diana, Venus, Themis, and
built temples for them, and performed
divine worship ; from which worship,
when in time it degenerated, arose idol
atry, which at length filled the whole
world with insanity. We therefore
unanimously agree with our priests and
elders, that there were and are three
divine Persons from eternity, each of
whom is God ; and it is enough for us
that they are invisible." To this the un
learned behind them added, "We agree.
Is not God God, and man man ? But
we know that if any one should state
the proposition, that God is man, the
common herd of mankind, who have
a sensual idea concerning God, would
accede to it." After these words, their
eyes were opened, and they saw us

near them ; and then, from indignatio'ik
that we had heard them, they held
their peace : but then the angels, by a
power given to them, shut up the exte
rior or lower regions of their thoughts
from which they spoke, and opened the
interior or higher regions, and from
these compelled them to speak con
cerning God ; and then they spoke and
said, " What is God ? We have not
seen his shape nor heard his voice.
What then is God, but nature in its
firsts and its lasts? This we have
seen, for it shines in our eyes ; and this
we have heard, for it sounds in our
ears." On hearing these words, we
said to them, " Have you ever seen
Socinus, who acknowledged only God
the Father, or Arius, who denied the
Divine of the Lord the Savior, or any
of their followers ?" To which they
replied, "We have not." "They are,"
we said, "in the deep below you."
And presently some were called up
thence, and, being questioned concern
ing God, they spoke in like manner as
those had before, and said, moreover,
" What is God ? We can make as
many gods as we please." And then
we said, " It is in vain to talk with you
about the Son of God, born in the
world ; but still we will declare this,
that, lest faith concerning God, in Him
and from Him, which, because no one
ever saw Him, was, in the first and
second age, like a beautifully colored
bubble of water in the air, in the third
and following age should dwindle into
nothing, it pleased Jehovah God to de
scend and assume the Human, and
thus to exhibit Himself to view, and to
evince, that God is not an imaginary
Being, but the Itself, which was, is,
and will be from eternity to eternity ;
and that God is not a word of three let
ters, but that He is all of reality from Al
pha to Omega; consequently, that He
is the life and salvation of all who be
lieve in Him as visible, and not of
those who say that they believe in an
invisible God ; for to believe, to see,
and to know, make one ; wherefore the
Lord said to Philip, He who seeth and
knoiceth Me, seeth and knoweth the
Father ; and, in other places, that it is

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

135

the will of the Father, that they should
believe in the Son, and whosoever be
lieveth in the Son hath eternal life,
but he who believeth not the Son, shall
not see life, but the anger of God
abideth on him. The latter and the
former He says in John iii. 15, 16, 36 ;
xiv. 6 to 15." On hearing these things,
many of the four companies were so
enraged, that smoke and fire came out
of their nostrils; wherefore we went
away, and the angels, after they had
accompanied me home, ascended into
their heaven.
160. Second Relation. Once, in
company with angels, I walked in the
world of spirits, which is in the middle
between heaven and hell, into which
all men after death first come, and are
prepared, the good for heaven, and the
bad for hell ; and I conversed with
them concerning many things, amongst
which also concerning this, that in the
world, where I am in the body, there
appear, in the time of night, innumera
ble stars, greater and smaller, and that
they are so many suns, which only
transmit the light into the world of our
sun ; " and when I saw, that in your
world, also, stars are to be seen, I con
jectured that these may be as many as
there are in the world where I am."
The angels, being delighted with this
discourse, said that " perhaps there may
be as many, since every society of
heaven, to those who are under heaven,
sometimes shines like a star ; and the
societies of heaven are innumerable,
all arranged in order, according to the
varieties of the affections of the love
of good, which in God are infinite, and
thence from Him innumerable ; and
because these were foreseen before the
creation, I suppose that, according to
the number of them, were provided,
that is, created, as many stars in the
world where men were to live, who
will be in a natural material body."
When we were thus talking together,
I saw in the north a paved way, so
crowded with spirits, that there was
scarcely room to step between two, and
I said to the angels, that I had also
seen this way before, and that I had
heard that this was the way through

which all pass, who depart from the
natural world. The reason why that
way was covered with so great a num
ber of spirits, is because several myri
ads of men die every week, and all
those after death pass into this world.
To this the angels added, that that
way is terminated in this world in the
middle of it, where we now are ; the
reason why it is terminated in the mid
dle of it, is, because on the side towards
the east are the societies which are in
love to God and towards the neighbor;
and to the left, towards the west, the
societies of those who are contrary to'
those loves ; and forwards, in the south,
the societies of those who are more in
telligent than the rest. Thence it is,
that new comers from the natural world
first come hither. When they are here,
they then are in the externals, in which
they were last in the former world, and
afterwards they are successively let in
to their internals, and are explored as
to their quality, and, after exploration,
are carried, the good to their places in
heaven, and the bad to their places inhell.
We stopped in the middle, where
the crowded way terminated, and said,'
" Let us stay here a little while, and
speak with some of the new comers."
And we chose twelve from the multi
tude ; and, because they all had just
come from the natural world, they
knew no otherwise than that they were
still there ; and we asked them what
they thought concerning heaven and
hell, and what concerning a life af
ter death. To which one of them
replied, that " Our sacred order im
pressed upon me the belief, that we
shall live after death, and that there
is a heaven and a hell ; and thence I
have believed that all who live morally
come into heaven ; and, because all do
live morally, that none goes to hell,
and thus that hell is a fable, invented
by the clergy, that people may be de
terred from living wickedly. What
matter is it, if I think concerning God
so or so ? Thought is only like chaff,
or a bubble upon the water, which
bursts and goes off." Another near
him said, " It is my belief, that there
is a heaven and a hell, and that God

136

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

governs heaven, and the devil hell ;
and because they are enemies, and
thence opposed to each other, one calls
evil what the other calls good ; and
that the moral man, who can dissem
ble, and cause evil to appear as good,
and good as evil, stands on the side of
both. What, then, is the difference,
whether I am with the one or the other
Lord, if he only favors me? Evil and
good equally delight men." A third
at the side of him said, " Why should
I believe that there is a heaven and a
hell, for who has come thence and
told? If every man lived after death,
why should not one out of so great a
multitude have returned and told." A
fourth near him said, " I will inform
you why no one has ever returned and
told : the reason is, because man, as
soon as he expires and dies, then either
becomes a spectre, and is dissipated, or
is like the breath of the mouth, which
is only wind. How can such a one re
turn and speak with any one?" A fifth
followed him, and said, " My friends,
wait till the day of the last judgment,
because all will then return into their
own bodies, and you will see them, and
talk with them, and then they will tell
each other their destinies." A sixth,
standing opposite, and smiling, said,
" How can a spirit, which is wind, re
turn into a body eaten up by worms,
and, at the same time, into its skeleton,
burnt up by the sun, and reduced to
dust? and how can any one, made an
Egyptian mummy, and mixed by the
apothecary with various medicines,
which have been eaten or drunk, re
turn and relate any thing? Wherefore
wait, if you have faith, till that last
day ; but you may wait forever and
ever in vain." The seventh after
this said, " If I believed that there is a
heaven and a hell, and thence a life
after death, I should also believe that
birds and beasts would likewise live.
Are not some of them equally as moral
and rational as men ? It is denied that
beasts live ; wherefore I deny that men
do : the reason is equal ; one follows
from the other. What is man but an
animal 1" An eighth, standing behind
him, came up, and said, "Believe there

is a heaven, if you will ; but I do not
believe there is a hell. Is not God urn.
nipotent ? and is He not able to save
every one 1" Then a ninth, patting his
hand, said, "God is not only omnipo
tent, but also gracious, and cannot send
any one into eternal fire ; and if any
one is there, He cannot but take him
out thence, and lift him up." A tenth
ran out of his rank into the midst, and
said, " Neither do I believe there is a
hell. Did not God send his Son, and
did not He make an atonement, and
take away the sins of the whole world?
What, then, can the devil avail against
that? And because he cannot avail
any thing, what then is hell ?" An
eleventh, who was a priest, on hear
ing this, grew warm and said, " Do
you not know, that those who have ob
tained the faith, on which the merit of
Christ is inscribed, are saved, and that
those whom God elects obtain that
faith ? Is not election according to the
will of the Almighty ? and is it not his
prerogative to judge who are worthy?
Who can do any thing against his will
and judgment ?" The twelfth, who
was a politician, was silent ; but, being
asked to crown all with an answer, he
said, " I shall not say any thing concern
ing heaven, hell, and a life after death,
since no one knows any thing about
them ; but still allow the priests, with
out rebuke, to preach those things : for
thus the minds of the vulgar are held
bound by an invisible bond to the laws
and rulers : does not the public safety
depend on this 1"
We were astonished at hearing such
things, and said amongst ourselves,
" These, although they are called
Christians, are not men nor beasts,
but men-beasts." But, in order to
awaken them out of sleep, we said,
"There is a heaven and a hell, and
there is a life after death ; you will be
convinced that there is, when we dis
pel the ignorance concerning the state
of life in which you now are ; for eve
ry one, in the first days after death,
knows no otherwise than that he still
lives in the same world in which he
lived before; for the time past is like
a -sleep from which, when any one is

Concerning the Ho'y Spirit.

131

awaked, he perceives no otherwise than
that he is where he was. lt is similar
with you now ; wherefore you have
spoken just as you thought in the for
mer world." And the angels dis
pelled their ignorance, and then they
saw themselves in another world, and
amongst those whom they did not
know ; and then they exclaimed, " Oh,
where are we?" And we said, " You
are no longer in the natural world, but
in the spiritual world, and we are an
gels." Then, after being awaked, they
said, " If you are angels, show us heav
en." And we replied, " Stay here a
little while, and we will return." And
on our return, after a half an hour, we
saw them expecting us, and said,," Fol
low us into heaven." And they follow
ed, and we ascended with them ; and
because we were with them, the keep
ers opened the gate, and let us in. And
we said to those who at the threshold
receive new comers, " Explore those."
And they turned them about, and saw
that the back parts of their heads were
very hollow ; and then they said, " De
part from hence, because the delight
of your love is that of doing evil, and
thence you are not conjoined to heav
en, for in your hearts you have denied
God and despised religion." And we
then said to them, " Do not stay, be
cause, if you do, you will be cast out."
And they hastened down and departed.
In the way home, we spoke concern
ing the cause why the back parts of
the heads of those who have the de
light of doing evil, are in this world
hollow ; and I said this was the cause,
that man has two brains, one in the
back part of the head, which is called
the cerebellum, and the other in the
fore part, which is called the cerebrum,
and that in the cerebellum dwells the love
of the will, and in the cerebrum the
thought of the understanding ; and that,
when the thought of the understanding
does not lead the love of man's will,
the inmost parts ofthe cerebellum, which
in themselves are celestial, fall down
flat, and thence there is a hollowness.
161. Third Relation. Once I
heard in the spiritual world a sound
like that of a mill ; it was in the north-
18

ern region of it. At first 1 wondered
what this meant ; but I recollected that
by a mill, and grinding in a mill, is
meant to search the Word for things
serviceable for doctrine ; wherefore I
went up to the place where the sound
was heard, and when I was near, the
sound ceased ; and then I saw a kind
of arched roof above the ground, the
entrance to which was through a cave ;
on seeing which, I descended and en
tered ; and behold there was a vault,
in which I saw an old man sitting
amongst books, holding before him the
Word, and searching in it for things
serviceable for his doctrine. Little
scraps of paper lay around, on which
he wrote what was serviceable to his
purpose. In a contiguous room there
were scribes, who collected the little
scraps, and transcribed those things
which were written upon them on a
whole sheet of paper. I inquired first
concerning the books around him.
He said that they all treated concerning
justifying faith ; those from Sweden
and Denmark profoundly, those which
were from Germany more profoundly,
those which were from Britain still
more profoundly, and those which were
from Holland most profoundly. And
he added, that in various points they
differ, but in the article concerning
justification, and salvation by faith
alone, they all agree. Afterwards he
said that he was now collecting from
the Word this first article of justifying
faith, that " God the Father fell out
of favor towards mankind, on account
of their iniquities ; and that, therefore,
in order to save men, there was a di
vine necessity that satisfaction, recon
ciliation, propitiation and mediation
should be made by some one, who
should take upon himself the sentence
of justice, and that this could not pos
sibly have been done but by his only
Son ; and that, after this was done, a
way of access was opened to God the
Father for his sake ; for we say,
' Father, have mercy on us for the
sake of the Son.' " And he said, " I
see and have seen that this is according
to all reason and Scripture. How oth
erwise could God the Father have been

138

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

approached, but through faith in the
merit of the Son ?" I heard this, and
was astonished that he should say that
it was according to reason and accord
ing to Scripture, when yet it is contra
ry to reason and contrary to Scripture,
which also I plainly told him. He
then, in the heat of his zeal, rejoined,
" How can you talk so ?" Wherefore
I opened my mind, saying, " Is it not
contrary to reason, to think that God
the Father fell out of favor [grace]
towards mankind, and reprobated and
excommunicated them ? Is not divine
grace [favor] an attribute of the Di
vine Essence ? Wherefore, to fall out
of favor [grace] would be to fall out
of the Divine Essence ; and to fall out
of his Divine Essence would be to be
no longer God. Can God be alienated
from Himself? Believe me, that grace,
on the part of God, as it is infinite, is
also eternal ; the grace of God, on the
part of man, may be lost, if he does
not receive it ; if grace should recede
from God, all heaven and all the hu
man race would inevitably perish ;
wherefore grace remains on the part
of God to eternity, not only towards
angels and men, but also towards the
devils in hell. Since this is according
to reason, why do you say that the on
ly way of access to God the Father is
through faith in the merit of the Son,
when yet there is perpetual access
through grace ? But why do you say
access to God the Father for the sake
ofthe Son, and not through the Son?
Is not the Son the Mediator and Savior?
Why do you not go to the Mediator and
Savior himself? Is not He God and Man ?
Does any one on earth go immediately
to any Caesar, king or prince? Should
there not be some one to procure ad
mission and introduce him ? Do you
not know that the Lord came into the
world that He might introduce us to
the Father ? and that no access is given
except through Him ? and that this ac
cess is perpetual, when you go imme
diately to the Lord himself, since He
is in the Father and the Father in Him ?
Search now in the Scripture, and you
will see that this is according to it, and
that your way to the Father is as con

trary to it as it is to reason. I tell you
also that it is great effronter) to climb
up to God the Father, and not through
Him who is in the bosom ofthe Father,
and alone with Him. Have you not
read John xiv. 6?" On hearing these
words, the old man was enraged to
such a degree, that he sprang out of his
seat, and called to his scribes that they
should cast me out ; and when I went
out immediately, of my own accord,
he threw after me, out of the doors, the
book which his hand happened to seize,
and that book was the Word.
162. Fourth Relation. A dis
pute arose amongst spirits, whether any
one can see any doctrinal theological
truth in the Word, except from the
Lord. ' They all agreed in this, that
no one can, except from God, because
no one can take any thing, unless it be
given him from heaven, John iii. 27.
Wherefore it was disputed whether
any one can, unless he goes to the
Lord immediately. They said, on one
side, that the Lord ought to be ap
proached directly, because He is the
Word ; on the other side, that doctri
nal truth may also be seen when God
the Father is approached immediately :
wherefore the dispute came to this
first principle, Whether it be lawful
for any Christian to go to God the
Father immediately, and thus to climb
over the Lord, and whether this be not
indecent and rash insolence and audaci
ty, because the Lord says that no one
cometh to the Father except through
Him, John xiv. 6. But they left this
and said, that man can see doctrinal
truth from the Word by his own natu
ral light ; but this was rejected : where
fore they insisted that it may be seen
by those who pray to God the Father.
And something was read to them from
the Word, and then they prayed upon
their knees that God the Father would
enlighten them ; and to the words
which were read to them from the
Word, they said that this and that was
true there ; but it was false : thus seve
ral times, even till they were tired. At
length they confessed that they could
not. But those, on the other hand,
who went to the Lord immediately.

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

139

saw truths, and informed the others.
After this dispute was thus ended,
there ascended from the abyss some
who appeared at first like locusts, and
afterwards like dwarfs ; they were
those who, in the world, prayed to God
the Father, and confirmed justification
by faith alone. They were the same
that are treated of in the Revelation,
ix. 1 to 11. These said that they saw
this, That man is justified by faith
alone, without the works of the laio, in
clear light, and also from the Word.
Being asked, by what faith ; they re
plied, " In God the Father." But af
ter they were explored, it was told
them from heaven, that they did not
know even one doctrinal truth from
the Word. But they rejoined, that
they still saw their truths in the light ;
then it was said to them, that they saw
them in the light of infatuation. They
asked, " What is the light of infatua
tion ?" and were informed that the
light of infatuition is the light of the
confirmation of the false, and that that
light corresponds to the light in which
owls and bats are, to which darkness
is light, and light is darkness. This
was confirmed by the fact, that, when
they looked upwards to heaven, where
light itself is, they saw darkness, and
when they looked downwards to the
abyss, whence they were, they saw
light. Being indignant at this con
firmation, they said, that thus light and
darkness are not any thing, but only
states ofthe eye, from which it is said,
that light is light, and darkness is
darkness. But it was shown that they
had the light of infatuation, which is
the light of the confirmation of the
false, and that their light was only the
activity of their mind, arising from the
fire of concupiscences ; not unlike the
light of cats, whose eyes (in conse
quence of their burning appetite for
mice) appear like candles in cellars in
the night. On hearing this, they were
angry, and said that they were not
cats, nor like cats, because they could
see, if they would ; but, because they
were afraid of being asked why they
vvouid not, they retired, and let them
selves down into their abyss. Those

who are there, and others like them,
are also called, by the angels, owls and
bats, and also locusts.
When they came to their companions
in the abyss, and told that the angels
said, that we " do not know any doctri
nal truth, not even one, and that they
called us owls, bats, and locusts," a
tumult was made there ; and they said,
" Let us pray to God, that we may be
permitted to ascend, and we will clear
ly demonstrate that we have many doc
trinal truths, which the archangels
themselves will acknowledge." And
because they prayed to God, permission
was given, and they ascended, to the
number of three hundred. And when
they appeared above the earth, they
said, " We were in the world celebrat
ed and renowned, because we knew
and taught the mysteries of justification
by faith alone : from confirmations, we
not only saw the light, but we saw it
like a glittering brightness, and in like
manner we do now in our cells ; and
yet we have heard from our compan
ions, who were with you, that that light
was not light, but darkness, because
we have not, as you said, any doctri
nal truth from the Word. We know
that every truth of the Word shines ;
and we believe that our coruscation,
while we meditated profoundly on our
mysteries, was thence derived. Where
fore we will demonstrate, that we
have truths from the Word in great
abundance." And they said, '' Have
we not this truth, that there is a Trin
ity, God the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit, and that we must believe
in the Trinity ? Have we not this truth,
that Christ is our Redeemer and Sa
vior? Have we not this truth, that
Christ alone is righteousness, and that
He alone has merit ; and that he is un
just and wicked, who wishes to claim
to himself any thing of his merit and
righteousness ? Have we not this
truth, that no mortal can from him
self do any spiritual good, and that all
good, which in itself is good, is from
God? Have we not this truth, that
there is a meritorious and a hypocriti
cal good, and that those goods are
evils? Have we not this truth, that

140

Concerning the Holy Spirit.

still good works should be done ? Have
we not this truth, that faith is, and
that we ought to behave in God, and
that every one has >* according as he
believes ; besides many others from
the Word ? Can any of you deny one
of those ? And yet you said that we
have not any truth in our schools, not
even one. Did you not lay such things
to our charge without any reason f"
But then they were answered, that
" All those things, which you have ad
vanced, are in themselves truths, but with
you they are truths falsified, which are
falses, because they are derived from
a false principle. That it is so, we
will also demonstrate to the eye.
There is a place, not far hence, into
which the light from heaven flows
directly ; in the middle of it, there is a
table ; and when any paper, on which
a truth from the Word is written, is
laid upon it, that paper, from the truth
written on it, shines like a star. Write,
therefore, your truth on a paper, and
let it be laid upon the table, and you
will see." They did so, and gave it
to the keeper, who laid it upon the ta
ble, and then said to them, " Move
back, and look at the table." And
they moved back, and looked ; and, be
hold ! that paper shone like a star ; and
then the keeper said, " You see that
they are truths which you wrote on the
paper ; but come up nearer, and fix
your eyes on the paper." And they
did so, and then suddenly the light dis
appeared, and the paper became black,
as if it were covered with the soot of a
furnace. And, moreover, the keeper
said, " Touch the paper with your
hands, but beware that you do not
touch the writing." And when they
did so, a flame burst forth and con
sumed it. After these things were
seen, it was told them, that if they had
touched the writing, they would have
heard a noise, and would have burnt
their fingers. And then it was said
to them, by those who stood behind,
" You see now that the truths, which
you have abused to confirm the myste
ries of your justification, are truths in
themselves, but that they are truths
falsified in you." They then looked

upwards, and heaven appeared to them
like blood, and afterwards like thick
darkness ; and they appeared to tho
eyes of the angelic spirits, some like
bats, some like owls, and some like oth
er birds of night ; and they fled away in
to their own darkness, which to their
eyes shone with the light of infatuation.
The angelic spirits who were pres
ent wondered, because they did not
know any thing before concerning that
place, and the table there ; and then a
voice came to them from the southern,
region, saying, " Come up hither, and
you will see something still more won
derful." And they came up, and enter
ed into an arched room, whose walls
glittered as it were from gold ; and they
saw there also a table, upon which the
Word lay, decorated on all sides with
precious stones, in a celestial form.
Then the angel, who kept it, said,
" Whenever the Word is opened,
there darts from it a light of ineffa
ble brightness; and then, at the
same time, from the precious stones,
there appears, as it were, a rainbow
above and around the Word. When
any angel from the third heaven comes
thither, there appears, above and around
the Word, a rainbow in a red ground ;
when an angel from the second heav
en comes thither and looks, there ap
pears a rainbow in a blue ground ;
when an angel from the lowest heaven
comes thither and looks, there appears
a rainbow in a white ground ; when
any good spirit comes thither and looks,
there appears a variegation of light, as
of marble." That it is so, was also
shown to them to the eye. Moreover,
the angel, who was the keeper, said,
" If any one comes up, who had falsi
fied the Word, then the splendor is im
mediately dissipated; and if he comes
near, and fixes his eyes upon the Word,
it becomes, as it were, covered with
blood ; and then he is admonished to
depart, because there is danger." But
a certain one, who in the world had
been a great champion for the doctrine
concerning justification by faith alone,
came up boldly, and said, " I, while I
was in the world, did not falsify the
Word ; I exalted charity, also, togeth-

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

141

er with faith, and taught that man, in
a state of faith, in which he does chari
ty and its works, is renewed, regener
ated and sanctified by the Holy Spir
it; and also that faith then does not
exist alone, that is, without good works,
as a good tree is not without fruit, the
sun without light, or fire without heat ;
and also I blamed those who said that
good works were not necessary, and
moreover that the precepts of the dec
alogue need not be observed ; and al
so I insisted much on repentance ; and
thus, in a wonderful manner, I applied
all things of the Word to the article
concerning faith, which yet I discover
ed and demonstrated to be the only
saving virtue." He, in the confidence
of his assertion, that he had not falsified
the Word, came up to the table, and,
contrary to the admonition of the an
gel, touched the Word ; and then sud
denly fire, with smoke, flowed out from
the Word, and an explosion was made
with a loud noise, by which he was
thrown to a corner of the room, and
there lay, for half an hour, as if he
were dead. The angelic spirits won
dered at this ; but it was said to them,
that this champion had, more than the
rest, exalted the goods of charity, as
proceeding from faith ; but that still he
meant no other works than political,
which are also called moral and civil,

which are to be done for the sake of
the world, and prosperity there, and not
at all for the sake of salvation ; and al
so, that he supposed hidden works per
formed by the Holy Spirit, concerning
which man knows nothing, which, in
a state of faith, are ingenerated in faith.
Then the angelic spirits conversed
with each other concerning the falsifi
cation of the Word ; and in this they
agreed, that to falsify the Word, is to
take truths from it, and apply them to
confirm falses, which is to drag them
out ofthe Word, and to murder them ;
as, for example, to apply all those
truths, which were adduced above by
those from the abyss, to the faith now
prevalent, and to explain them from it.
That this faith is impregnated with
falses, will be demonstrated in what,
follows. And also to take from the
Word this truth, that charity should be
exercised, and good to the neighbor
should be done ; if, then, any one at
tempts to prove that it should be done,
but not for the sake of salvation, since
all the good from man is not good, be
cause it is meritorious, he drags that
truth ofthe Word out ofthe Word, and
murders it; since the Lord, in his
Word, enjoins upon every man, who
wishes to be saved, to love the neigh
bor, and from love to do him good ;
and so in other cases.

CONCERNING THE DIVINE TRINITY.

163. We have treated concerning
God the Creator, and, at the same
time, concerning Creation ; and after
wards concerning the Lord the Re
deemer, and, at the same time, concern
ing Redemption ; and lastly concerning
the Holy Spirit, and, at the same time,
concerning the Divine Operation : and
because we have thus treated concern
ing the triune God, it is necessary that
we should also treat concerning the
Divine Trinity, which is known in the
Christian world, and yet is unknown.
For by this alone a just idea concerning

God may be obtained ; and a just idea
concerning God is, in the church,
like the inmost sanctuary and altar in
the temple, and like a crown on the
head and a sceptre in the hand of a
king, sitting upon the throne ; for on
this depends the whole body of theolo
gy, as a chain depends on the staple
on which it hangs. And, if you will
believe it, every one obtains his place
in the heavens, according to the idea
of God ; for that is, as it were, the
touchstone by which the gold and sil
ver is tried ; that is, the good and the

142

Concerning the Divihe Trinity.

true, as to their quality with man ; for
there is not with him any saving good
except from God, nor any truth which
does not derive its quality from the bo
som of good. But that it may be seen,
with both eyes, what the Divine Trini
ty is, the exposition of it shall be divid
ed into articles, which will be the fol
lowing : I. That there is a Divine
Trinity, which is the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. II. That these three,
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are
the three essentials of one God, which
make one, tike soul, body, and opera
tion, with man. III. That, before the
icorld was created, there was not this
Trinity, but that after the world was
created, when God became incarnate,
it was provided and made, and then
in the Lord God, the Redeemer and
Savior, Jesus Christ. IV. That
a Trinity of Divine Persons from
eternity, or before the world was creat
ed, is, in the ideas of thought, a Trin
ity of Gods ; and that this cannot be
abolished by the oral confession of one
God. V. That a Trinity of Persons
was unknown in the Apostolic Church,
but that it was first broached by the
Nicene Council, and thence introduced
into the Roman Catholic Church, and
from this into the Churches separated
from it. VI. That from the Nicene
and Athanasian Trinity together, a
faith arose, which had perverted the
whole Christian Church. VII. That
thence is that abomination of desolation
and affliction, such as has not been, nor
will be, which the Lord had predicted
in Daniel and the Evangelists, and in
the Revelation. VIII. And also this,
that, unless a New Heaven and a New
Church be established by the Lord, no
flesh could be saved. IX. That from
a Trinity of Persons, each of whom
singly is God, according to the Athana
sian Creed, many absurd and heterogene
ous ideas about God have existed, which
are fantasies and abortions. These
will now be explained one by one.
164. I. That there is a Divine
Trinity, which is the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit.
That there is a Divine Trinity, the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, is

very evident from the Word, and from
these things there : — The angel Gabrit,
said unto Mary, The Holy Spirit
shall come upon thee, and the Virtue of
the Most High shall overshadow thee;
wherefore the Holy Thing that is born
of thee, shall be called the Son of
God, Luke i. 35. Here three are
named, the Most High, who is God
the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the
Son of God. When Jesus ivas bap
tized, behold, the heavens were opened,
and John saw the Holy Spirit de
scending like a dove, coming upon
Him ; and a voice from heaven, say
ing, This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased, Matt. iii. 16,
17; Mark i. 10, 11 ; John i. 32. And
still more plainly from these words of
the Lord to the disciples : Go, make all
nations disciples, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Matt.
xxviii. 19 ; and moreover" from these
words in 1 John v. 7 : There are three
who bear witness in heaven, the Fa
ther, the Word, and the Holy
Spirit. And besides these things,
that the Lord prayed to his Father,
and spoke concerning Him and with
Him ; and that He said that He would
send the Holy Spirit, and also that He
did send Him ; and moreover, that
the apostles in their epistles frequently
named the Father, and the Son, and
the Holy Spirit. From these things it
is manifest, that there is a Divine Trin
ity, which is the Father, Son, and Ho
ly Spirit.
165. But how those are to be under
stood ; whether that they are three
Gods, who, in essence, and thence in
name, are one God ; or that they are
three objects of one subject, so that
they are only qualities or attributes of
one God, which are so named ; or
that they are to be understood in
some other manner, reason, left to it
self, can by no means see. But what
must be done ? No other direction is
given, than that man should go to the
Lord God the Savior, and read the
Word under his influence (for he is
the God ofthe Word), and he will be
enlightened, and will see truths which

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

143

eason also will acknowledge. But,
surely, if you do not go to the Lord,
although you should read the Word a
thousand times, and should see there
a Divine Trinity and Unity too, you
would never understand any other, than
that there are three Divine Persons,
each one of whom, singly, is God, and
thus three Gods. But because this is
repugnant to the common perception
of all men in the whole world, there
fore, to avoid disgrace, they have in
vented this expedient — that, although
there are in reality three Gods, still
faith requires that not three Gods
should be named, but one ; and more
over, lest they should be overwhelmed
with censures, as to this, especially, the
understanding must be imprisoned, and
held bound under obedience to faith ;
and this must be established as a law
of Christian order in the Christian
church hereafter. Such a paralytic
birth was produced from this, that they
did not read the Word under the in
fluence of the Lord ; and every one
who does not read the Word under his
influence, reads it under the influence
of his own intelligence ; and this is like
an owl in respect to such things as are
in spiritual light, as are all the essen
tials of the church ; and he, while he
reads such things in the Word as con
cern a Trinity, and from them thinks,
that, although there are three, still they
are one, this appears to him similar
to the answer from a tripod, which, be
cause he does not understand it, he rolls
between his teeth ; for if he should put
it before his eyes, it would be an enig
ma, which the more he endeavors to
unfold, the more he involves himself
in darkness, until he begins to think
concerning it without understanding,
which is like seeing without an eye.
In short, to read the Word under the
influence of one's own intelligence,
which is done by all who do not ac
knowledge the Lord as the God of
heaven and earth, and thence approach
and worship Him alone, may be likened
to children playing, who tie a handker
chief before their eyes, and wish to
walk on a straight line ; and also they
dunk that they do so, and yet, step by

step, they turn aside, and at length
proceed in the opposite direction, and
strike against a stone, and fall down.
And also they are like mariners, who
sail without a compass, and direct the
vessel against the rocks, and perish.
And also they are like one who walks
over a wide plain, in a thick fog, and
sees a scorpion, and believes it to be a
bird, and wishes to catch it with his
hand, and takes it up, and then is
pierced with a deadly wound. They
are also like a cormorant or a kite,
which sees a little of the back of a
great fish above the water, and flies
upon it, and fixes its beak into it, and
is drawn under by the fish, and is
drowned. They are also like one who
enters a labyrinth without a guide or a
thread ; and the further he gees in, the
.more he forgets the way out. The
man who does not read the Word un
der the influence of the Lord, but un
der the influence of his own intelli
gence, believes himself to be a lynx
and to have more eyes than Argus,
when yet, interiorly, he does not see a
particle of truth, but only the false ;
and when he has persuaded himself
that this is true, it appears to him like
the polar star, to which he directs all
the sails of his thought ; and then he
sees truths no more than a mole ; and if
he does see any, he bends them in fa
vor of his own fancy, and thus perverts
and falsifies the holy things of the
Word. 166. II. That these three, the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are
the three essentials of one god,
which make one, like the soul,
Body, and Operation, with Man.
There are general and also particu
lar essentials of one thing, and both
together make one essence. The gen
eral essentials of one man are his soul,
body, and operation. That these make
one essence, may be seen from this,
that one is from another, and for the
sake of another, in a continual series ;
for man begins from the soul, which is
the very essence of the seed : this not
only initiates, but also produces in their
order those things which are of the
body, and afterwards the things which

144

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

proceed from those two, the soul and
body together, which are called opera
tions : wherefore, from the production
of one from another, and thence the
insertion and conjunction, it is mani
fest that these three are of one essence,
which are called three essentials.
167. That those three essentials,
viz. the soul, body, and operation,
were and are in the Lord God the Sa
vior, every one acknowledges. That
his soul was from Jehovah the Father,
can be denied only by Antichrist, for
in the Word of both Testaments He is
called the Son of Jehovah, the Son of
the Most High God, the Only-begotten ;
therefore the Divine of the Father, like
the soul in man, is his first essential.
That the Son, whom Mary brought
forth, is the body of that divine soul,
follows from this, that no other than
the body, conceived and derived from
the soul, is prepared in the womb
of the mother ; this, therefore, is an
other essential. That operations make
the third essential, is because they pro
ceed from the soul and body together ;
and those things which proceed are of
the same essence with those which pro
duce them. That the three essentials,
which are the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, are one in the Lord, like the
soul, body, and operation, in man, is
very evident from the words of the
Lord, that the Father and He are one,
and that the Father is in Him and He
in the Father ; in like manner, that
He and the Holy Spirit are one, since
the Holy Spirit is the Divine, proceed
ing out of the Lord from the Father,
as was above, n. 153, 154, fully de
monstrated from the Word ; wherefore
to demonstrate this again would be su
perfluous, and like loading a table with
food, when the guests have eaten to
satiety. 168. When it is said, that the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, are the three es
sentials of one God, like the soul, body
and operation, in man, it appears to the
human mind as if those three essentials
were three persons, which is not possi-
Dle ; but when it is understood, that the
Divine ofthe Father, which makes the
soul, and the Divine ofthe Son, which

makes the body, and the Divine of the
Holy Spirit, or the proceeding Divine,
which makes the operation, are the three
essentials of one God, then it falls into
the understanding. For the Father is
his own Divine, the Son his from the
Father, and the Holy Spirit his from
both ; which, because they are of one
essence, and unanimous, make one
God. But if those three divine essen
tials are called persons, and to each
one is attributed his own property, as,
to the Father imputation, to the Son
mediation, and to the Holy Spirit op
eration, then the divine essence be
comes divided, which yet is one and in
divisible ; so not any one of the three
is God in fullness, but each in sub-
triplicate power, which a sound under
standing cannot but reject.
1 69. Who, therefore, cannot perceive
a trinity in the Lord from the trinity
in every man? In every man there is
a soul, body, and operation ; in like
manner in the Lord, for in the Lord
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily, according to Paul, Col. ii. 9 ;
wherefore the trinity in the Lord is
divine, but in man it is human. Who
does not see, that, in the mystical no
tion, that there are three divine persons,
and yet one God, and that this God,
although he is one, still is not one per
son, reason has no part; but that, be
ing lulled to sleep, it still compels the
mouth to speak like a parrot ? When
reason is lulled to sleep, what, then, is
the speech ofthe mouth but inanimate?
When the mouth speaks that from
which reason dissents and departs,
what then is the speech but foolish ?
At this day, human reason is bound,
as to the Divine Trinity, like a man
bound with manacles and fetters in
prison ; and it may be compared to the
vestal virgin, buried in the earth, be
cause she let the sacred fire go out ,
when yet the Divine Trinity ought to
shine like a lamp in the minds of the
men of the church, since God, in his
Trinity, and in its Unity, is all, in all
the sanctities of heaven and the church.
For what else would it be, to make one
God of the soul, another of the body,
and a third of the operation, than to

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

I4o

make of those three essentials of one
man, three parts distinct from each
other ? And what would this be but
to behead and kill him ?
170. III. That this Trinity was
NOT BEFORE THE WORLD WAS CREAT
ED, BUT THAT AFTER THE WORLD WAS
CREATED, WHEN GoD BECAME INCAR
NATE, IT WAS PROVIDED AND MADE J
AND THEN IN THE LoRD GoD, THE RE
DEEMER and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In the Christian church, at this day,
there is acknowledged a Divine Trini
ty, before the world was created, which
is, that Jehovah God from eternity be
gat a Son, and that from both the Ho
ly Spirit then proceeded, and that each
one of those three is by himself, or sin
gly, God, because each one is a person
subsisting of himself. But this, be
cause it does not fall into any reason,
is called a mystery, into which en
trance can be made only by this, that
those three have one divine essence, by
which is meant eternity, immensity,
omnipotence, and thence equal divini
ty, glory, and majesty. But that this
is a Trinity of three Gods, and thus
not any Divine Trinity, will be demon
strated in what follows. But that the
Trinity, which also is of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, which was pro
vided and made after God became in
carnate, consequently after the world
was created, is a Divine Trinity, which
is of one God, is evident from all the
things which precede. That this Di
vine Trinity is in the Lord God, the
Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ, is,
because the three essentials of one
God, which make one essence, are in
Him. That all the fullness ofthe God
head is in Him, according to Paul, is
evident also from the words of the Lord
himself, that all things of the Father
are His, and that the Holy Spirit does
not speak from itself, but from Him ;
and besides, that He took from the
sepulchre, when He arose, his whole
human body, both as to the flesh and
as to the bones, Matt, xxviii. 1 to 8 ;
Mark xvi. 5, 6; Luke xxiv. 1,2,3;
John xx. 11 to 15, otherwise than any
other man ; which also he testified to
his disciples, to the life, saying, See my
19

hands and my feet, that it is I myself;
feel of Me and see, for a spirit hath
not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have,
Luke xxiv. 39. From this every man
may be convinced, if he will, that the
Human of the Lord is Divine ; conse
quently, that in Him God is Man, and
Man God.
171. The Trinity, which the present
Christian church has embraced and in
troduced into its faith, is, that God the
Father begat a Son from eternity, and
that the Holy Spirit then proceeded
from them both, and that each one is
God by himself. This Trinity can be
conceived by human minds no other
wise than as a triarchy, or a govern
ment of three kings in one kingdom,
or of three generals over one army, or
of three masters in one house, each of
whom has equal power : what thence
can ensue but destruction ? And if
any one wishes to figure or shadow
forth this triarchy to the sight of his
mind, and at the same time their uni
ty, he cannot present it to his contem
plation otherwise than as a man of
three heads upon one body, or of three-
bodies under one head. Such a mon
strous image of the Trinity must ap
pear to those who believe there- are
three divine persons, and each one
God by himself, and conjoin them in
to one God, and deny that God, be
cause He is one, is one person. That
a Son of God, born from eternity, de
scended and assumed the Human, may
be compared to the fables of the an
cients, that human souls were created
at the beginning ofthe world,, and that
they enter into bodies and become men ;
and also to those absurd opinions, that
the soul of one passes into another, as
many in the Jewish church believed ;
as, that the soul of Elijah passed
into the body of John the Bap
tist ; and that David is to return into
his own or another's body, and to
reign over Israel and Judah ; because
it is said in Ezekiel, / will raise up
over them one shepherd, who shall feed
them, my servant David; he shall be to
them for a shepherd, and I Jehovah
will be to them for a God, and David
a prince in the midst of them, xxxiv.

146

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

23, 24, 25, besides other places ; not
knowing that by David there is meant
the Lord.
172. IV. That a Trinity of Di
vine Persons from Eternity, or
before the World was created,
is, in the Ideas of Thought, a
Trinity of Gods; and that this
dannot be abolished by the oral
Confession of one God.
That a Trinity of Divine Persons
from eternity is a Trinity of Gods, is
very evident from these words in the
Athanasian Creed : " There is one
person of the Father, another of the
Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.
The Father is God and Lord, the Son
is God and Lord, and the Holy Ghost
us God and Lord ; but yet there are
not three Gods and Lords, but one
<jod and Lord ; because, as we are
^compelled by Christian verity to con
fess each person singly God and Lord,
so we are forbidden by the Catholic re
ligion to say three Gods or three Lords."
This creed is received as ecumenical
or universal by the whole Christian
church ; and all that is, at this day,
known and acknowledged concerning
God, is thence. That no other Trini
ty than a Trinity of Gods, was under
stood by those who were in the Nicene
council, from which the creed which
is called the Creed of Athanasius pro
ceeded, as a posthumous birth, every
one who only reads it with open eyes,
may see. That a Trinity of Gods was
understood not only by them, but also
that no other Trinity is understood in
the Christian world, follows, because
thence is all the knowledge con
cerning God, and every one remains
in the belief of the words there.
That no other Trinity than a Trinity
of Gods, is at this day understood in
the Christian world, I appeal to every
one, both layman and clergyman, both
laurelled masters and doctors, and con
secrated bishops and archbishops, and
also to purple cardinals, yea, to the
Roman pontiff himself; let every one
-consult himself, and then speak out
from the ideas of his own mind. From
the words of this universally received
doctrine concerning God, this is as

manifest and clear as water through
a crystal cup, both that there are
three persons, and that each one of
them is God and Lord, and also that
from Christian verity or truth they
ought to confess or acknowledge eve
ry person, singly, God and Lord, but
that the Catholic or Christian religion or
faith forbids them to say or name three
Gods and Lords ; and thus that truth
and religion, or truth and faith, are
not one thing, but two things contrary
to each other. But as to what is add
ed, that there are not three Gods and
Lords, but one God and Lord, it was
done lest they should be exposed to
ridicule before the whole world ; foi
who would not laugh at three Gods ?
But who does not see a contradiction
in what is added ? But if they had
said, that the Father has the divine es
sence, the Son the divine essence, and
the Holy Spirit the divine essence, but
that there are not three divine es
sences, but that the divine essence is
one and indivisible, then that mystery
would be explicable; as when, by the
Father, is understood the Divine from
which [are all things], by the Son, the
Divine Human thence, and by the Ho
ly Spirit, the proceeding Divine, which
three are of one God ; or if by the Fa
ther the like is understood as by the
soul with man, by the Divine Human,
the like as by the body of that soul,
and by the Holy Spirit, the like as by
the operation which proceeds from
both, then are understood three es
sences^ which are of one and the same
person, and thus they together make
one and an indivisible essence.
173. The reason why the idea of
three Gods cannot be abolished by the
oral confession of one God, is, because
that is implanted in the memory from
childhood, and every man thinks from
those things which are there. The
memory with men, is like the ruminato-
ry stomach with birds and beasts ; in
to that stomach, they put the food by
which they are to be nourished, and,
by turns, take it out thence, and let it
down into the stomach, in which it is
digested, and dispensed to all the uses
of the body. The human understand-

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

147

ing is this stomach, as the memory is
the former. Every one may see, that
the idea of three divine persons from
eternity, which is the same with the
idea of three Gods, cannot be abolish
ed by the oral confession of one God,
only from this, that it has not yet been
abolished, and that there are, amongst
the celebrated, those who are not will
ing that it should be abolished ; for
they insist that the three divine per
sons are one God, but obstinately deny
that God, because He is one, is also
one person. But what wise man does
not think with himself, that by person
is not meant person exactly, but the
predication of some quality ; but what
quality, is not known ; and because it
is not known, that which was implant
ed in the memory from childhood re
mains, like the root of a tree in the
earth, from which, if the tree is cut
down, a shoot springs up. But, my
friend, not only cut down that tree, but
also pull up its root, and then plant in
your garden trees of good fruit. Be
ware, therefore, lest there be fixed in
your mind the idea of three Gods, and
lest the mouth, which has in it no
idea, sound one God. What, then, is
the understanding above the memory,
which thinks of three Gods, and the
understanding below it, from which
the mouth at the same time speaks out
one God, but like an actor upon a the
atre, who can act two persons, by run
ning across from one side to the other,
and on one side say something, and on
the other contradict it, and, by such
altercation, call himself here a wise
man, and there a fool ? What else re
sults thence, than that, whilst he stands
in the middle, and looks towards both
sides, he should think that the one and
the other is not any thing ? and thus,
perhaps, that there is not one God, and
that there are not three, consequently
none? The naturalism, reigning at
this day, is from no other origin. In
heaven, no one can say a trinity of per
sons, each one of whom singly is God;
for the heavenly aura, in which their
thoughts, like sounds in our air, fly
and undulate, strives against it. But a
hypocrite alone can do it there ; but the

sound of his voice, in the heavenly au
ra, grates like a tooth gnashing against
a tooth, or croaks like a raven wislrng
to sing like a nightingale. I have
heard, also, from heaven, that it is as
impossible to abolish the faith estab
lished in the mind by confirmations in
favor of a Trinity of Gods, by the oral
confession of one God, as it is to draw
a tree through its seed, or the chin of
a man through a single hair of his
beard.
174. V. That a Trinity of Per
sons was unknown in the Apostol
ic Church ; but that it was first
broached by the Nicene Council,
and was thence introduced into
the Roman Catholic Church, and
from this into the churches sep
arated from it.
By the Apostolic Church, is meant
not only the church which was in va
rious places in the time of the apostles,
but also in the two or three centuries
after their times. But at length they
began to pull off the door of the tem
ple from its hinges, and to rush like
thieves into its sacred recess. By the
temple is meant the church, by the
door, the Lord God the Redeemer, and
by the sacred recess, his divinity ; for
Jesus says, Verily I say unto you, he
who entereth not through the door into
the sheep fold, but climbeth up any oth
er way, is a thief and a robber. I am
the door ; if any one shall enter through
Me, he shall be saved. This wicked
deed was done by Arius and his fol
lowers ; wherefore a council was con
vened by Constantine the Great, at
Nice, a city in Bithynia ; and by those
convened there, in order to cast out
the damnable heresy of Arius, it was
devised, concluded, and confirmed by
sanctions, that there were three divine
persons from eternity, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, each of
whom had a personality, existence, and
subsistence, by himself, and in him
self; and also that the second person,
or the Son, descended and assumed
the Human, and performed redemp
tion ; and that thence his Human, by
a hypostatic union, had divinity, and
that by this union He had a close af-

148

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

finity with God the Father. From that
time, heaps of abominable heresies,
concerning God and concerning the
person of Christ, began to spring out
ofthe earth, and to exalt the head of
Antichrist, and to divide God into
three, and the Lord the Savior into
two, and thus to destroy the temple
erected by the Lord through the apos
tles, and this so effectually that one
stone was not left upon another, which
was not thrown down, according to his
own words, Matt. xxiv. 2 ; where, by
the temple, is not meant the temple at
Jerusalem only, but also the church,
the consummation or end of which is
treated of in the whole of that chapter.
But what else could be expected from
that council, and the following ones,
which in like manner divided the God-
bead into three persons, and placed
the incarnate God under them upon
their footstool ? For they removed the
head of the church from its body by
this, that they climbed up another way ;
that is, they passed by Him, and climbed
up to God the Father as to another, only
with the mention of Christ's merit in
the mouth, that He would have mercy
for the sake of that, and that thus might
immediately flow in, justification with
all its train, which is, the remission of
sins, renovation, sanctification, regen
eration, and salvation, and these with
out the use of any means on the part
of man.175. That the apostolic church did
not know any thing at all concerning
a trinity of persons, or concerning three
divine persons from eternity, is very
evident from the creed of that church,
which is called the Apostles' Creed,
where are these words : J believe in
God the Father Almighty, the Creator
of heaven and earth; and in Jesus
Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who
was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born
of the Virgin Mary ; and in the Holy
Spirit. There no mention is made of
any Son from eternity, but of the Son
conceived by the Holy Spirit and born
of the Virgin Mary ; they knowing
from the apostles that Jesus Christ was
the true God, 1 John v. 21 ; and that
in Him dwelt all the fullness of the

Godhead bodily, Col. ii. 9 ; and thai
the apostles preached faith in Him,
Acts xx. 21 ; and that he had all
power in heaven and in earth, Matt.
xxviii. 18.
176. What confidence is to be had in
councils, whilst they do not go immedi
ately to the God of the church ? Is not
the church the body of the Lord, and
He its head ? What is a body without a
head ? What sort of a body is that on
which are placed three heads, under
whose direction they hold consultations
and make decrees? Does not illustra
tion, which is spiritual, being from the
Lord alone, who is the God of heaven
and the church, and at the same time
the God of the Word, become then
more and more natural, and at length
sensual ? And then not any genuine
theological truth is perceived in its in
ternal form, but it is immediately cast
out from the thought of the rational
understanding, and dispersed like chaff
into the air from the winnower's fan ;
in which state fallacies then succeed
instead of truths, and darkness in
stead of the rays of light ; and then
they stand, as it were, in a cavern,
with spectacles upon their noses, and
a candle in their hands, and close their
eye-lids to spiritual truths, which are in
the light of heaven, and open them to
sensual truths, which are in the false
light of the senses of the body. The
case is similar afterwards, whilst the
Word is read ; then the mind is asleep
as to truths, and awake as to falses,
and it becomes, as the beast from the
sea is described, as to the mouth like a
lion, as to the body like a leopard, and
as to the feet like a bear, Rev. xiii. 2.
It is said in heaven, that, when the
Nicene council was closed, these
things were accomplished, which the
Lord foretold to the disciples — The
sun shall be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars
shall fall from heaven, and the virtues
of the heavens shall be shaken, Matt.
xxiv. 29. And, indeed, the apostolic
church was like a new star appearing
in the starry heaven ; but the church,
after the two Nicene councils, became
like the same star afterwards, when it

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

149

is darkened and disappears, as also has
sometimes happened in the natural
world, according to the observations
of astronomers. In the Word it is
read, that Jehovah dwelleth in light in
accessible : who then can go to Him,
unless He should dwell in light acces
sible ; that is, unless He should descend
and assume the Human, and in this
should become the light of the world,
John i. 9, xii. 46. Who cannot see,
that to go to Jehovah the Father, in
his light, is as impossible, as it is for
one to take the wings of the morning,
and to fly by means of them to the sun ?
or as it is to feed one's self with the
rays of the sun, and not with elementa
ry food ? or as it is for a bird to fly in
ether, or for a stag to run in air ?
177. VI. That from the Nicene
and Athanasian Trinity, together,
a Faith arose which had pervert
ed the whole Christian Church.
That the Nicene, and also the Atha
nasian Trinity, is aTrinity of Gods, may
be seen above, shown from their creeds,
n. 172. Thence arose the faith of the
present church, which is in God the
Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit : — in God the Father, that
He imputes the righteousness of the
Savior, his Son, and ascribes it to man ;
in God the Son, that He intercedes and
mediates; in the Holy Spirit, that He
actually inscribes the imputed right
eousness ofthe Son, and seals it, when
established, by justifying, sanctifying
and regenerating man. This is the
faith of the present time, which alone
can testify, that it is a Trinity of Gods
which is acknowledged and worship
ped. From the faith of every church
is derived not only all its worship, but
also all its doctrine ; wherefore it may
be said, that such as its faith is, such
is its doctrine. That that faith, which
is a faith in three Gods, has perverted
every thing of the church, follows
thence ; for faith is the principle, and
doctrinals are derivatives ; and the de
rivatives derive their essence from the
principle. If any one examines the
doctrinals, one by one, as that which
is concerning God, concerning the
person of Christ, concerning charity,

concerning repentance, concerning re
generation, concerning free will, con
cerning election, concerning the use
of the sacraments, baptism and the
holy supper, he will clearly see, that a
Trinity of Gods is in every one of them :
and if it does not actually appear to be
in them, still they flow from it, as from
their fountain. But because such an
examination cannot be made here, and
yet it is important that it should be
made, in order to open the eyes, there
fore an appendix will be added to this
work, in which this will be demonstrat
ed. The faith of the church concern
ing God, is like the soul of the body,
and doctrinals are like its members ;
and, moreover, faith in God is like a
queen, and doctrinal tenets are like
the officers of her court ; and as these
depend on the authority of the queen,
so doctrinal tenets depend on the
declaration of faith. From that faith
alone, it may be seen how the Word is
understood in the church that possesses
it ; for faith applies to itself, and draws
to itself, as it were by ropes, whatsoev
er it can. If the faith be false, it com
mits whoredom with every truth there,
and perverts and falsifies it, and causes
man to be insane in spiritual things :
but if the faith be true, then the whole
Word favors it, and the God of the
Word, who is the Lord God the Savior,
infuses light, gives the testimony of his
divine assent, and makes man wise.
That the faith of the present time,
which, in the internal form, is that
of three Gods, but in the external
form, that of one God, has extin
guished the light ih the Word, and re
moved the Lord from the church, and
thus precipitated its morning into
night,will be seen also in the appendix.
This was done by heretics before the
Nicene council, and afterwards by the
heretics, of that council, and after it.
But what confidence is to be placed in
councils, who do not enter through the
door into the sheep-fold, but climb up
some other way, according to the
words of the Lord in John x. 1, 9?
Their deliberation is not unlike the
walking of a blind man in the day, or
of a man who has good eyes in the

150

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

night, neither of whom sees the pit be
fore he has fallen into it. For exam
ple, what confidence ought we to place
in the councils which established the
vicarship ofthe pope, the canonization
of the dead, and the invocation of them
as deities, the worship of their images,
the authority of indulgences, the di
vision of the eucharist, besides other
things? Also, what confidence ought
we to place in the council which estab
lished an abominable predestination,
and hung this up before the temples of
their church, as the palladium of reli
gion? But, my friend, go to the God
of the Word, and thus to the Word,
and so enter through the door into the
sheep-fold, that is, into the church,
and you will be enlightened ; and then
you will see, as from a mountain, not
only those of many others, but your
own former steps and wanderings, in
the thick woods under the mountain.
178. The faith of every church is, as
it were, the seed, from which all its dog
mas spring ; and it may be compared
to the seed of a tree, from which all the
parts of it, even to the fruit, are deriv
ed ; and also to the seed of man, from
which are produced children and fami
lies in a successive series. Wherefore,
when the primary faith, which, from
its predominance, is called saving, is
known, it is perceived what is the qual
ity of the church. This may be illus
trated by this example : Let the faith
be, that nature is the creator of the
universe. From this, these things fol
low, that the universe is what is called
God; that nature is his essence; that
ether is the supreme God, whom the
ancients called Jupiter; that the air is
a goddess, whom the ancients called
Juno, and made the wife of Jupiter ;
that the ocean is a God below them,
who, with the ancients, may be called
Neptune ; and because the divinity of
nature reaches even to the centre ofthe
earth, that there also is a God, who, in
conformity with the ancients, may be
called Pluto ; that the sun is the palace
of all the gods, in which they assemble,
whenever Jupiter summons a council ;
and, moreover, that fire is life from God ;
and thus that birds fly in God, beasts

walk in God, and fishes swim in God ,
and, further, that thoughts are only
modifications of ether, as words from
them are only modulations of air ; and
that the affections of love are occa
sional changes of state, from the influx
of the sun's rays into the ether and air :
moreover, that a life after death, togeth
er with heaven and hell, is a fable, in
vented by the clergy, for the purpose
of procuring honors and gains ; but
although it is a fable, that still it is
useful, and ought not to be openly de
spised, because it is serviceable to the
public for keeping the minds of the
simple in the bond of obedience to
magistrates ; but that, still, those who
are inveigled into religion, are abstract
men, their thoughts phantasms, and
their actions ludicrous, and that they
are the drudges of the priests, who be
lieve what they do not see, and see
what exceeds the sphere of their mind.
These consequences, and many others
like them, are contained in that faith,
that nature is the creator of the uni
verse ; and they proceed from it as
soon as it is opened. These things
are adduced, that it may be known that,
in the faith of the present church,
which, in its internal form, is in three
Gods, and in its external form, in one,
there are falsities in abundance ; and that.
thence may be brought forth as many as
there are little spiders in a heap of eggs
laid by one spider. Any one, whose
mind has been made truly rational by
light from the Lord, may see this ; but
how will any other see it, when the
door to that faith and its offspring is shut
and barred by the statute,that it is unlaw
ful for reason to look into its mysteries ?
179. VII. That thence is that
Abomination of Desolation and Af
fliction, such as has not been, nor
will be, which the lord had fore
TOLD in Daniel, and the Evange
lists, and in the Revelation.
These words are read in Daniel :
At length upon the bird of ebomina>-
tions, desolation, and even to the consum
mation and decision, it shall drop upon
the devastation, ix. 27. In the evan
gelist Matthew, the Lord says these
words : Then many false prophets will

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

151

rise up, and will seduce many : when,
therefore, ye shall see the abomination
of desolation, foretold by the prophet
Daniel, standing in the holy place, let
him who readeth note it well, xxiv. 15 :
and afterwards in the same chapter,
There will then be great affliction, such
as has not been since the beginning of
the world until now, neither shall be,
21. This affliction and that abomina
tion are treated of in seven chapters
in the Revelation, and they are what
are meant by the black horse and by
the pale horse, coming out of the book
whose seal the Lamb opened, Rev. vi.
5 to 8 ; also by the beast coming up
out of the abyss, which made war with
the two witnesses, and slew them, ix.
7, and following verses ; as also by the
dragon which stood before the woman
who was about to bring forth, that he
might devour her child, and pursued her
into the wilderness, and there cast out
from his mouth water like a flood, that
he might drown her, xii. ; and also by
the beasts of the dragon, one from the
sea and the other from the earth, xiii. ;
also by the three spirits like frogs, which
came out of the mouth of the dragon,
out of the mouth of the beast, and out
of the mouth of the false prophet, xvi.
13; and moreover by this, that, after
the seven angels poured out the vials
of the anger of God, in which were
the seven last plagues, into the earth,
into the sea, into the fountains and riv
ers, into the sun, into the throne of the
| j beast, into the Euphrates, and at length
into the air, there was a great earth-
i j i quake, such as had not been since men
were made, xvi. An earthquake sig
nifies an inversion of the church,
which is effected by falses and falsifi
cations of the truth, which likewise is
signified by the great affliction such as
was not since the beginning of the
world, Mar. xxiv. 21. Similar things
are meant by these words : The angel
thrust in the sickle, and harvested the
vine of the earth, and cast it into the
great wine-press of the anger of God ;
and the wine-press was trodden, and
blood came out even to the horses' bri
dles, for a thousand six hundred fur
longs, xiv. 19, 20; blood signifies truth

falsified ; besides many other things in
those seven chapters.
180. In the evangelists, Matt. xxiv.
Mark xiii. and Luke xxi., are describ
ed the successive declensions and cor
ruptions of the Christian church ; and
there, by the great affliction such as was
not since the beginning of the world,
neither shall be, is meant, as every
where else in the Word, the infestation
of truth by falses, until there does not
remain any truth whicli is not falsified
and consummated : this also is meant
by the abomination of desolation there ;
and this likewise is meant by the deso
lation upon the bird of abominations,
and by the consummation and decision
in Daniel; and this same thing is de
scribed in the Revelation by those pas
sages which have just been adduced
thence. This was effected by this,
that the church did not acknowledge
the Unity of God in Trinity, and his
Trinity in Unity, in one person, but in
three ; and thence founded the church
in the mind, upon the idea of three
Gods, and in the mouth, upon the con
fession of one God ; for thus they sep
arated themselves from the Lord, and
at length so far, that they had no idea
of the divinity in his human nature re
maining, when yet He is God the Fa
ther Himself in the Human ; where
fore, also, He is called the Father of
eternity, Isaiah ix. 5 ; and he says to
Philip, He who seeth Me, seeth the Fa
ther, John xiv. 7, 9.
181. But it is asked, Whence is the
vein itself of the fountain, from which
such abomination of desolation, as is
described in Daniel, ix. 27, and such
affliction as never was nor ever will be,
Matt. xxiv. 21, has flowed? The an
swer is, From the faith which universal
ly prevails in the Christian world, and
from its influx, operation, and imputa
tion, according to traditions. It is
wonderful that the doctrine of justifi
cation by that faith alone, although it
is not faith, but a chimera, should gain
every point in Christian churches, that
is, that it should reign there amongst
the clergy, almost as the only essential
of theology. It is that which all young
students in theology eagerly learn, mi-

152

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

bibe and suck in at the universities;
and which, afterwards, as if inspired
with heavenly wisdom, they teach in
the churches, and publish in books ; by
which also they seek and obtain the
name of superior erudition, fame and
glory ; for which also degrees, diplomas
and rewards are conferred : and these
things are done, although by that faith
alone, the sun is now darkened, the
moon is deprived of her light, the stars
of the heavens are fallen, and the vir
tues ofthe heavens are shaken, accord
ing to the words of the prediction by
the Lord in Matt. xxiv. 29. That the
doctrine of that faith has at this day
blinded the minds of men to such a
degree that they will not, and thence,
as it were, they cannot, see any divine
truth interiorly in the light of the
sun, nor in the light of the moon,
but only exteriorly, upon some rough
surface, in the light of a fire by night,
has been proved to me : wherefore I
can say with confidence, that if divine
truths concerning the genuine conjunc
tion of charity and faith, concerning
heaven and hell, concerning the Lord,
concerning the life after death, and
concerning eternal felicity, written in
letters of silver, should be sent down
from heaven, they would not be esteem
ed worth reading by the justifiers and
sanctifiers by faith alone ; but, on the
other hand, if a treatise concerning jus
tification by faith alone, should be sent
from hell, this they would take up, kiss,
and carry home in their bosom.
182. VIII. Also this, that un
less a New Heaven and a New
Church be established by the
Lord, no Flesh would be saved.
It is read in Matthew, Then there
will be great affliction, such as has not
been from the beginning of the world
until now, nor ever will be : yea, unless
those days should be shortened, no flesh
would be saved, xxiv. 21, 22. That
chapter treats concerning the consum
mation of the age by which is meant
the end of the present church : where
fore by shortening those days, is meant
to put an end to that church, and to in
stitute a new one. Who does not
know, that, unless the Lord had come

into the world and performed redemp..
tion, no flesh could have been saved 1
By performing redemption is meant, to
establish a new heaven and a new
church. That the Lord is to come
again into the world, He foretold in the
evangelists, Matt. xxiv. 30, 31 ; Mark
xiii. 26 ; Luke xii. 40 ; xxi. 27 ; and
in the Revelation, particularly in the
last chapter. That he is also at this
day performing a redemption, by es-
tablishing a new heaven and institut
ing a new church, in order that man
may be saved, was shown above, in the
lemma concerning redemption. The
great arcanum, that unless a new church
be instituted by the Lord, no flesh can
be saved, is this, that, as long as the
dragon with his crew continues in the
world of spirits, into which he was cast,
so long there cannot any divine truth
united to divine good, pass through to
the men of the earth, without being
perverted and falsified, or destroyed.
It is that which is meant by this pas
sage in the Revelation : The dragon
was cast out into the earth, and his an
gels were cast out with him. Wo to the
inhabitants of the earth and the sea,
because the devil has come down to them,
having great anger, xii. 9, 12, 13. But
after the dragon was cast into hell, xx.
10, then John saw the new heaven and
the new earth, and he saw the New
Jerusalem coming down from God out
of heaven, xxi. 1, 2. By the dragon,
are meant those who are in the faith
of the present church.
I have several times conversed, in the
spiritual world, with the justifiers of
men by faith alone, and have said that.
their doctrine is erroneous, and also ab
surd, and that it induces carelessness,
blindness, sleep, and night, in spiritual
things, and thence the death of the
soul, and exhorted them to desist from
it. But I have received for answer,
"Why desist ? Does not the excellence
of the erudition of the clergy above
that ofthe laity, depend on that alone?"
But I replied, that thus they do not re
gard the salvation of souls as any end,
but the excellence of their own fame ;
and that, because they have applied
the truths of the Word to their false

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

153

uiniciples, and thus have adulterated
them, they are angels of the abyss,
called Abaddons and Apollyons, Rev.
ix. 11; by which are signified the de
stroyers of the church, by the total fal
sification of the Word. But they re
plied, "What of that? By our knowl
edge of the mysteries of that faith, we
are oracles, and from it, as from the
most sacred part of a temple, we give
responses ; wherefore we are not Apol
lyons, but Apollos." Being indig
nant at this, I said, " If you are Apol
los, you are also Le-'iathans ; the first
of you crooked Leviathans, and the
second in rank, oblong Leviathans,
which God will visit with his hard and
great sword," Isaiah xxvii. 1. But they
laughed at these words.
183. IX. That from a Trinity
of Persons, each of whom singly
is God, according to the Athana
sian Creed, many absurd and het
erogeneous Ideas concerning God
have existed, which are fanta
SIES and Abortions.
From the doctrine of three divine
persons from eternity,~~which, in itself,
is the head of all the ^doctrinals in
Christian churches, have ansen many
unbecoming ideas concerning GdcL un
worthy of the Christian world, vvmch
yet ought to be, and might be, a lumi
nary to all the people and nations in .
the four parts of the earth, concerning
God and his Unity. All who live out
of the Christian cimrch, as well Ma
hometans as Jews, and, besides these,
the Gentiles of every worship, are averse
to Christianity, solely on account ofthe
faith of three Gods there. The propa
gators of it know this, and therefore:
they are very cautious not to teach
openly a Trinity of persons such asA
is in the Nice«^ and Athanasian creeds^
since, in that case, they would forsake
and ridicule them. The absurd, ludi
crous and frivolous ideas, which have
arisen from the doctrine of three divine
persons from eternity, and which arise
with every one, who remains in the be
lief of the words of that doctrine, and,
from the eyes and ears, rise up into
the sight of the thought, are these ; That
God the Father sits above the head on
20

high, and the Son at his right hand,
and the Holy Ghost before them, listen
ing, and forthwith running over all the
world ; and, according to their decision,
He dispenses the gifts of justification
and inscribes them, and makes them,
from sons of wrath, sons of grace; and
from condemned, elect. I appeal to
the learned of the clergy, and to the
learned of the laity, whether they en
tertain any other than this ideal view
in their minds ; for that flows in of its
own accord from the doctrine itself;
see the Relation above, n. 16. There
also flows in a curiosity of conjectur
ing what they conversed about among
themselves, before the world was creat
ed ; whether about the world which
was to be created, or whether also about
those who were to be predestinated and
justified, according to the Supralapsari-
ans, or whether also about redemption ;
and likewise what they conversed about
since the world was created ; the Father
from the authority and power of imput
ing, the Son from the power of mediating,
and that imputation, which is election,
is from the mercy of the Son interced
ing for all, and particularly for some,
and that for them the Father has favor,
being moved from love towards the Son,
and from the misery seen in Him upon
the wood of the cross. But who can
not see that such things are deliriums
,of the mind concerning God? And
yet they are, in Christian churches, the
holy things which are to be kissed with
the mouth, but are not to be viewed
with the eye of the mind, because they
are things above reason, which, if they
are elevated from the memory into the
understanding, make a man insane.
But still this does not remove the idea
of three Gods, but induces a stupid
faith, from which man thinks concern
ing God as if he were asleep in a dream,
walking in the darkness of night, or
like one blind from his birth in the
light of day.
184. That a Trinity of Gods is fixed
in the minds of Christians, although
for shame they deny it, is very evident
from the ingenuity of many in demon
strating that three are one, and one
three, by various things in geometry,

154

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

stereometry, arithmetic, and natural
philosophy, and likewise by the folding
of pieces of cloth and paper ; thus they
play tricks among themselves, with
the divine Trinity, like jugglers. Their
juggling concerning it may be com
pared to the sight of the eye of per
sons in a fever, who see one object,
whether it be a man, or a table, or a
candle, as three, or three as one. It
may also be compared with the mock
ery of those who turn soft wax between
their fingers, and mould it into various
forms, now into a triangular form, that
they may show the Trinity; now into
a spherical form, that they may show
the Unity ; saying, " Is it not still one
and the same substance 1" when yet the
Divine Trinity is like a pearl of the
greatest value ; but, when divided into
persons, it is like a pearl divided into
three parts, whence it entirely loses its
value. 185. To the above will be added
these Relations. First. In the spir
itual world, there are climates and
zones, as well as in the natural world ;
there is not any thing given in the lat
ter which is not also in the former ;
but they differ in origin. In the natu
ral world, the varieties of climates are
according to the distances of the sun
from the equator ; in the spiritual
world, they are according to the dis
tances of the affections of the will, and J
thence of the thoughts of the under-;
standing, from true love and true faith ; i
all the things there are correspondences
of these. In the frigid zones, in the
spiritual world, there appear similar
things as in the frigid zones in the nat
ural world ; the lands there appear
bound up with ice, and likewise the
waters, and also snow upon them.
Those come thither and dwell there,
who, in the world, lulled their under
standings to sleep by indolence in
thinking about spiritual things, and
who are thence, at the same time, in
dolent about doing any uses : they are
called boreal spirits. Once I was
seized with a desire of seeing some
country in the frigid zone where those
boreal spirits were ; and therefore I

was led in the spirit to the north, even
to a region where all the land appear
ed covered with snow, and all the wa
ter congealed with ice. It was the
day of the Sabbath ; and I saw men,
that is, spirits, of a similar stature with
men of the world ; but, on account of
the cold, they were clad, as to the head,
with the skin of a lion, whose mouth
had been applied to their mouth ; but
as to the body, before and behind, as
far as above the loins, they were cov
ered with the skins of leopards ; and
as to the feet, with the skins of bears.
And also I saw many riding in chari
ots, and some in chariots carved in the
shape of a dragon, whose horns were
extended forwards. Those chariots
were drawn by little horses whose tails
had been cut off; they were running
like terrible wild beasts, and the driv
er, holding the reins in his hands, was
continually impelling and urging them
on their course. I saw, at length, that
the multitudes were flocking to a tem
ple, which, because it was covered with
snow, had not been seen. But the
keepers of the temple were loosening
the snow, and, by digging, were pre
paring an entrance for the worshippers
who had arrived ; and they descended,
and entered. It was given me also
to see the temple within. It was illu
minated with lamps and candles in
abundance ; the altar there was of
hewn stone, behind which there was
hanging a tablet, on which it was writ
ten, The Divine Trinity, Father,
Son and Holy Ghost, who essen
tially are one God, but personal
ly three. At length the priest, stand
ing at the altar, after he had kneeled
thrice at the tablet of the altar, with a
hook in his hand, ascended the pulpit,
wid began a sermon by speaking of
the Trinity, and exclaimed, " Oh, how
great a mystery ! that God in the High
est begat a Son from eternity, and by
Him brought forth the Holy Ghost,
which three joined themselves together
by essence, but separated themselves
by properties, which are imputation,
redemption, and operation ! but if we
look into these things by reason, its
sight is blinded, and a spot is made

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

155

before it, as before the eye of him who
fixes his gaze upon the naked sun.
Wherefore, my hearers, as to this, let
us keep the understanding under obe
dience to faith." After this, he ex
claimed again, " Oh, how great a myste
ry is our holy faith ! which is this ; that
God the Father imputes the righteous
ness of the Son, and sends the Holy
Ghost, who, by that imputed righteous
ness, operates the pledges of justifica
tion, which, in the sum, are the remis
sion of sins, renovation, regeneration
and salvation ; concerning whose in
flux or act, man knows no more than
the pillar of salt into which Lot's wife
was turned, and concerning whose in
dwelling, or state, he knows no more
than a fish in the sea. But, my friends,
there is hid in it a treasure, so entirely
covered and concealed, that not a grain
of it appears. Wherefore, as to that
also, let us keep the understanding un
der obedience to faith." After some
sighs, he exclaimed again, saying, " Oh,
how great a mystery is election ' He
is elected, to whom God imputes that
faith, which, according to a free pur
pose, and of pure grace, He infuses in
to whomsoever He will, and when He
will ; and man is like a stock when it
is being infused, but he becomes like a
tree when it is infused ; but the fruits,
which are good works, hang, indeed,
from that tree, which, in a representa
tive sense, is our faith, but still they do
not cohere ; wherefore the value of
that tree is not from the fruit. But,
because this sounds like heterodoxy,
and yet is a mystical truth, let us, my
brethren, keep the understanding un
der obedience to this faith." And
then, after a pause, standing as if he
would yet extract something more from
the memory, he continued, saying,
"From the store of mysteries I will
produce yet one more, which is, that
man, in spiritual things, has not a grain
of free will ; for the primates and regu
lar priests of our order, in their theo
logical canons, say that man, in those
things which are of faith and salvation,
which are properly called spiritual,
cannot will, think or understand any
thing, and dannot even accommodate

and apply himself to receive them ;
wherefore I say of myself, that man oi
himself cannot think concerning those
things from reason, and speak from
thought, otherwise than like a parrot,
a magpie or a raven ; so that man, in
spiritual things, is truly an ass, and a
man only in natural things. But, my
friends, lest this should trouble your
reason, let us in this, as in the rest,
keep the understanding under obedi
ence to faith ; for our theology is an
abyss without a bottom, into which if
you let your understanding look, you
will be drowned and lost, as by ship
wreck. But still hear : we are, never
theless, in the very light of the gospel,
which shines high above our heads ;
but, alas! the hair of our heads and
the bones of our skulls prohibit and
prevent it from penetrating into the in
ner chamber of our understanding."
Having said this, he descended ; and
after he had offered a prayer at the al
tar, and the service was ended, I went
up to some who were talking together,
where also was the priest in the midst
of a circle ; to whom those standing
about him said, "We give you immor
tal thanks for a sermon so magnificent
and full of wisdom." But then I said
to them, " Did you understand any
thing?" And they replied, "We re
ceived all with full ears ; but why do
you ask whether we understood it ? Is
not the understanding amazed in such
things?" And the priest added this
to what was said : " Because you have
heard, and have not understood, you
are blessed, since thence is your salva
tion." Afterwards I spoke with the
priest, and asked him if he had a
degree ; and he replied, " I am a
master of arts." And then I said,
" Master, I have heard you preaching
mysteries: if you know them, and not
any thing which they contain, you
know nothing; for they are just like
caskets locked up with a triple lock,
which unless you open and look in,
(which must be done by the under
standing,) you know not whether the
things therein are precious, or whether
they are worthless, or whether they
are noxious ; they may be the eggs of

156

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

an asp, or the web of a spider, accord
ing to the description in Isaiah lix. 5."
As I spoke these words, the priest looked
at me with a crabbed aspect, and the
worshippers departed, and mounted
their chariots, intoxicated with para
doxes, infatuated with empty words, and
enveloped with darkness in all the things
of faith, and the means of salvation.
186. Second Relation. I was
once engaged in thinking in what re
gion ofthe mind theological things re
side with man, which, because they
are spiritual and celestial, I at first
supposed would reside in the highest
region ; for the human mind is distin
guished into three regions, as a house
is into three stories, and likewise as
the habitations of the angels are into
three heavens. And then an angel
stood before me, and said, " Theologi
cal things, with those who love truth
because it is truth, rise up even into
the highest region, because there is
their heaven, and they are in the light
in which the angels are ; but moral
things, theoretically contemplated and
perceived, place themselves under
those in the second region, because
they communicate with spiritual things;
and political things under these in the
first region ; but scientifics, which are
manifold, and may be referred to gen
eral and particular classes, make the
door to those higher things. Those
with whom spiritual, moral, political
and scientific things are thus subordi
nated, think what they think, and do
what they do, from justice and judg
ment ; the reason is, because the light
of truth, which also is the light of
heaven, from the highest region, illu
minates the things which are below, as
the light of the sun, passing through
the ethers and air, progressively, illu
minates the eyes of men, beasts and
fishes. But theological things are not
so with those who do not love truth
because it is truth, but only for the
sake of the glory of their own fame.
Theological things with these, reside
in the lowest region, where scientifics
are, with which, in some cases, they min
gle themselves, and, in some cases, they
cannot mingle themselves. Under these,

in the same region, are political things,
and under these, moral ; since with
such persons the two higher regions
are not opened on the right side, where
fore they have no interior reason of
judgment, nor affection of justice, but
only a sort of ingenuity, from which
they can speak upon every subject, as
if from intelligence, and confirm what
ever occurs, as if from reason ; but the
objects of reason which they principal
ly love are falses, because these, co
here with the fallacies of the senses.
Thence it is, that there are so many in
the world who do not see the truths of
doctrine from the Word, more than
those who are born blind ; and when
they hear them, they press together
their nostrils, lest their odor should of
fend them, and excite nausea; but
they open all their senses to falses, and
draw them in, as a whale does water."
187. Third Relation. Once, when
I was meditating about the dragon, the
beast and the false prophet, which are
mentioned in the Revelation, an an
gelic spirit appeared to me, and asked,
"What are you meditating about?"
And I said, " About the false prophet."
Then he said, " I will lead you to the
place where they are, who are meant
by the false prophet ; and he said that
they are the same that, in the 13th
chapter of the Revelation, are meant
by the beast from the earth, which had
two horns like a lamb, and spoke like
a dragon. I followed him, and lo, I
saw a crowd, in the midst of which
were the leaders of the church, who
taught that nothing saves man, but faith
in the merit of Christ ; and that works
are good, but not for salvation ; and
that still they should be taught from
the Word, that the laity, especially the
simple, may be kept more strictly in
the bonds of. obedience to the magis
trates, and may be led, as from reli
gion, thus more interiorly, to exercise
moral charity. And then one of
them, seeing me, said, " Do you wish
to see our temple, in which there is an
image representative of our faith?'- I
went and saw it ; and lo, it was a
magnificent edifice, and in the midst
of it there was the image of a woman,

Concerning the Divine

Trinity.

157

clothed in a scarlet garment, holding
in her right hand a golden coin, and
in her left a chain of pearls ; but both
the image and the temple were induced
by fantasy ; for by fantasies infer
nal spirits can represent magnificent
things, by closing the interiors of the
mind, and opening only its exteriors.
But when I perceived that it was such
a trick, I prayed to the Lord, and sud
denly the interiors of my mind were
opened ; and then I saw, instead of the
magnificent temple, a house full of
chinks, from the top to the bottom, in
which nothing cohered ; and I saw in
that house, instead of the woman, a
pendent image, the head of which was
like a dragon, the body like a leopard,
the feet like those of a bear, and the
mouth like that of a lion ; thus in eve
ry respect as the beast from the sea is
described, Rev. xiii. 2 ; and in place
of a floor, there was a quagmire, in
which was a multitude of frogs ; and it
was told me that under the quagmire
there was a large hewn stone, under
.vhich lay the Word, entirely conceal-
3d. On seeing these things, I said to
•-he juggler, " Is this your tempie 1"
And he said that it was. But then
suddenly his interior sight also was
opened, from which he saw the same
things that I did ; on seeing which,
he exclaimed, with a loud voice,
" What is this? and whence is this?"
And I said, " It is from the light of
heaven, which discovers the quality of
every form, and thus the quality of
your faith separate from spiritual char
ity." And immediately an east wind
blew, and carried away the temple,
with the image, and also dried up the
quagmire, and thus exposed the stone
under which lay the Word. And af
ter this, a warmth, like that of spring,
breathed from heaven ; and lo, then in
the same place, there was seen a taber
nacle, as to the external form simple ;
and the angels who were with me said,
" Behold the tabernacle of Abraham,
such as it was when the three angels
came to him, and told concerning
Isaac, who was about to be born. This
appears to the eyes simple, but still,
according to the influx of light from

heaven, it becomes more and more
magnificent." And it was given them
to open the heaven in which were the
spiritual angels, who are in wisdom ;
and then, from the light thence flowing
in, that tabernacle appeared like a
temple, similar to that at Jerusalem ;
and, on looking into it, I saw the stone
of the foundation, under which the
Word was deposited, set around with
precious stones, from which bright rays,
like lightning, shone upon the walls,
upon which were the forms of cherubs,
and beautifully variegated them with
colors. When I was admiring these
things, the angels said, " You will see
something still more wonderful." Then
it was given them to open the third
heaven, in which were the celestial an
gels, who are in love ; and then, from
the flammeous light thence flowing in,
the whole of that temple vanished, and
instead of it the Lord alone was seen,
standing upon the foundation stone,
which was the Word, in the same form
in which he appeared to John, Rev. i.
But because a holy reverence then fill
ed the interiors of the angels' minds,
from which they had an inclination to
fall prostrate on their faces, the way of
light from the third heaven was clos
ed by the Lord, and a way of light
from the second heaven was opened ;
whence returned the former appear
ance of the temple, and also of the
tabernacle, but this in the midst ofthe
temple. Hereby was illustrated what
is meant in the Revelation, xxi, by this
passage : The tabernacle of God is
with men, and He will dwell with them,
ver. 3 : and also by this : I saw no
temple in the Neic Jerusalem, because
the Lord God Omnipotent is the tem
ple of it, and the Lamb, ver. 22.
188. Fourth Relation. Since it
has been given me by the Lord to see
the wonderful things which are in the
heavens and under the heavens, I
ought to relate, according to command,
what has been seen. There was seen
a magnificent palace, and in the in
most part of it a temple ; in the midst
of this, there was a table of gold, upon
which was the Word, at which stood
two angels. About the table there were

158

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

three rows of seats ; the seats of the
first row were covered with silk drapery
of a purple color, the seats of the sec
ond row with silk drapery of a blue
color, and the seats of the third row
with white drapery. Under the roof,
high above the table, there appeared a
curtain spread out, glittering with pre
cious stones, from the splendor of
which shone forth, as it were, a rainbow,
when the sky is becoming serene after
a shower. Suddenly then were seen
clergymen sitting upon all the seats,
all clothed in the garments of the sa
cerdotal ministry. On one side there
was a vestry, where stood an angel,
who was the keeper, and in it lay
splendid garments, in beautiful order.
It was a council convened by the
Lord; and I heard a voice from heav
en, saying, " Deliberate." But they
said, " On what ?" It was said, " Con
cerning the Lord the Savior, and
concerning the Holy Spirit." But
when they began to think concerning
them, they were not in illustration ;
wherefore they made supplication, and
then light flowed down out of heaven,
and illuminated first the hinder parts
of their heads, and afterwards their
temples, and at last their faces; and
then they began to deliberate, and, as
it was commanded, first concern
ing the Lord the Savior. The first
thing proposed and canvassed was,
" Who assumed the Human in the
Virgin Mary 1" And an angel, stand
ing at the table, on which was the
Word, read to them these words from
Luke : Behold, thou shalt conceive in
the womb, and shalt bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name Jesus ; He shall
be great, and shall be called the Son
of the Most High. And Mary said
to the angel, How shall this be done,
since I know not a man ? And the an
gel, answering, said, The Holy Spir
it shall come upon thee, and the
Virtue of the Most High shall
overshadow thee ; wherefore the
Holy Thing that is born of thee shall
be called the Son of God, i. 31, 32,
34, 35. Then also he read these in
Matthew : The angel said to Joseph in
a dream, Joseph, son of David, fear

not to take Mary for thy wife, for
THAT WHICH IS BORN IN HER IS OF THE
Holy Spirit. And Joseph knew
her not until she had brought forth
her first-born son, and she called his
name Jesus, i. 20, 25. And besides
these passages, he read many more
from the evangelists; as Matt. iii. 17,
xvii. 5 ; John i. 18, iii. 16, xx. 31 ; and
many other places, where the Lord, as
to the Human, is called the Son of
God, and where He, from his Human,
calls Jehovah his Father; as also
from the prophets, where it is foretold
that Jehovah Himself was about to
come into the world ; among which
also these two in Isaiah, It shall be said
in that day, Lo, this is our God,
whom we have expected to deliver us ;
this is Jehovah, whom we have ex
pected ; let us be glad and rejoice in
his salvation, xxv. 9. The voice of
one crying in the wilderness, Prepare a
way for Jehovah, make smooth in the
desert a path for our God ; for the
glory of Jehovah shall be revealed;
and all flesh shall see together. Behold,
the Lord Jehovah will come in the
Mighty One ; He will feed his flock
like a shepherd, xl. 3, 5, 10, 11. And
the angel said, " Since Jehovah Him
self came into the world, and assumed
the Human, therefore, in the prophets,
He is called the Savior and the Re
deemer." And then he read to them
the following passages : God is in thee
only, and there is no God besides ; tru
ly thou art a God concealed, O God
of Israel the Savior, Isaiah xiv. 14,
15. Am not I Jehovah ? and there
is no God else beside Me ; a just God
and a Savior, there is not beside
Me, xiv. 21, 22. I am Jehovah, and
beside Me there is no Savior, xliii.
11. I Jehovah am thy God, and thou
shalt acknowledge no God beside Me,
and there is no Savior beside Me,
Hosea xiii. 4. That all flesh may
know that I Jehovah am thy Saviop
and thy Redeemer, Isaiah xlix. 26 ;
lx. 16. As for our Redeemer, Je
hovah of hosts is his name, xlvii. 4.
Their Redeemer is mighty ; Jeho
vah of hosts is his name, Jerem. 1
24. Thus said Jehovah the King of

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

159

Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah
of hosts, lam the First and the Last,
and besides Me there is no God, Isaiah
xliv. 6. Jehovah, my Rock and my
Redeemer, Psalm xix. 15. Thus said
Jehovah thy Redeemer, the Holy
One of Israel, I Jehovah am thy God,
Isaiah xlviii. 17; xliii. 14; xlix. 7; liv.
8. Thou Jehovah art our Father,
our Redeemer from an age is thy
name, Ixiii. 16. Thus said Jehovah
thy Redeemer, I am Jehovah, doing
all things, even alone, by Myself, xliv.
24. Jehovah of hosts is his name,
and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of
Israel, the God of the whole earth
He shall be called, liv. 5. Behold
the days will come when I shall raise
unto David a righteous Branch, who
shall reign a King; and this is his
name, Jehovah our Righteousness,
Jerem. xxiii. 5, 6 ; xxxiii. 15, 16. In
that day, Jehovah shall be for a King
over all the earth ; in that day, Jeho
vah shall be one, and his name one,
Zech. xiv. 9. Those who sat on the
seats, being confirmed by these and
the former passages, unanimously said,
that Jehovah Himself assumed the Hu
man in order to redeem and save men.
But then a voice was heard from the
Roman Catholics, who had hid them
selves behind the altar, saying, " How
can Jehovah God become Man? Is
he not the Creator of the universe?"
And one of those who sat upon the
seats of the second row, turned him
self about, and said, " Who then ?"
And he behind the altar, standing
close to the altar, replied, " The Son
from eternity." But he was an
swered, " Is not the Son from eternity,
according to your confession, also the
Creator of the universe ? And what is
a Son and a God born from eternity ?
And how can the Divine Essence,
which is one and indivisible, be sepa
rated, and one part of it descend, and
not the whole together?" The sec
ond thing canvassed concerning
rnE Lord was, Whether, according
to this, the Father and He are not one,
as the soul and body are one. They
said that " This is a consequence, be
cause the soul is from the Father."

Then one of those who sat upon (he
seats of the third row, read from the
confession of faith, which is called the
Athanasian Creed, these words : "Al
though our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, is both God and Man, still
there are not two, but there is one
Christ ; yea, He is altogether one ; He
is one person, since, as the soul and
body make one man, so God and Man
is one Christ." The reader said, that
that creed where those words are, is
received in the whole Christian world,
even by the Roman Catholics. And
they said, " What need is there of more
proofs that God the Father and He
are one, as the soul and body are one."
And they said, " Because it is so, we
see that the Human ofthe Lord is Di
vine, because it is the Human of Jeho
vah ; and also that the Lord, as to the
Divine Human, should be approached,
and that thus, and not otherwise, the
Divine may be approached, which is
called the Father." This, their con
clusion, the angel confirmed by many
things from the Word, amongst which
were these : A Child is born to us, a
Son is given to us, whose name is Won
derful, Counsellor, God, Hero, the
Father of Eternity, the Prince of
Peace, Isaiah ix. 6. Abraham doth
not know us, and Israel doth not ac
knowledge us; Thou, Jehovah, art
our Father, our Redeemer ; from
an age is thy name, Ixiii. 16 : and
in John ; Jesus said, He who believeth
in Me, believeth in Him who sent Me ;
and he who seeth Me, seeth Him who
sent Me, xii. 44, 45. Philip said to
Jesus, Show us the Father. Jesus saith
to him, He who seeth Me, seeth
the Father ; how then sayest thou,
Show us the Father ? Belicvest thou
not that I am in the Father, and
the Father in Me. Believe Me,
that I am in the Father, and the
Father in Me, xiv. 8, 9. Jesus said,
I and the Father are one, x. 30;
and also, All. things that the Father
hath are mine, and all mine are the
Father's, xvi. 15 ; xvii. 10. Lastly, Je
sus said, I am the Way, the Truth
and the Life; no one cometh to the
Father but by Me, xiv. 6. To this the

160

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

reader added, that the same things
that are here said by the Lord, con
cerning Himself and his Father, may
also be said by man, concerning him
self and his soul. Having heard these
things, they all said, with one mouth
and heart, that " The Human of the
Lord is Divine, and that this is to be
approached, in order that the Father
may be approached ; since Jehovah
God, by it, sent Himself into the world,
and made Himself visible to the eyes
of men, and thus accessible. In like
manner, He made Himself visible, and
thus accessible, in a human form, to
the ancients, but then by an angel;
but because this form was representa
tive of the Lord who was about to
come, therefore all things of the church
with the ancients were representative."
After this followed a deliberation
concerning the Holy Spirit ; and in
the first place was disclosed the idea
of most persons concerning God the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ;
which was, that God the Father sits
on high, and the Son at his right hand,
and that they send forth from them the
Holy Spirit to enlighten, teach, justify
and sanctify men. But then a voice
was heard from heaven, saying, " We
cannot endure that idea of thought.
Who does not know, that Jehovah God
is omnipresent ? Whoever knows and
acknowledges this, will also acknowl
edge, that He Himself enlightens,
teaches, justifies and saves, and that
there is not a mediating God distinct
from Him, still less from two, as one
person from another ; wherefore let
the former idea, which is vain, be re
moved, and let this, which is just, be
received, and then you will see this
clearly." But then a voice was heard
from the Roman Catholics, who stood
close to the altar of the temple, saying,
" What then is the Holy Spirit, which
is mentioned in the Word in the
evangelists, and in Paul, by which so
many learned men amongst the clergy,
and especially of our church, say that
they are led? Who, at this day, in
the Christian world, denies the Holy
Spirit and his operations?" At these
words, one of those who sat upon the

seats ofthe second row, turned himself
about, and said, " You say that the
Holy Spirit is a person by himself, and
a God by himself; but what is a per
son going forth and proceeding from a
person, but operation going forth and
proceeding? One person cannot go
forth and proceed from another, but
operation can. Or what is a God go
ing forth and proceeding from God,
but the Divine going forth and pro
ceeding ? One God cannot go forth
and proceed from another, but the Di
vine can from one God." On hearing
these words, those who sat upon the
seats unanimously concluded, that
" The Holy Spirit is not a person by
itself, thus neither a God by itself;
but that it is the Holy Divine, going
forth and proceeding from the one om
nipresent God, who is the Lord." To
this the angels, standing at the golden
table upon which was the Word, said,
" Well. It is not read any where in
the Old Testament, that the prophets
spoke the Word from the Holy Spirit,
but from Jehovah ; and wherever, in
the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is
mentioned, we are to understand the
proceeding Divine, which is the Divine
which enlightens, teaches, enlivens, re
forms and regenerates." After this,
there followed another question con
cerning the Holy Spirit, which was,
From whom the Divine, which is meant
by the Holy Spirit, proceeds ; whether
from the Father or from the Lord.
And when they were canvassing this,
there shone upon them a light from
heaven, from which they saw that the
Holy Divine, which is meant by the
Holy Spirit, does not proceed out of
the Father through the Lord, but out
of the Lord from the Father ; compar
atively, as with man ; his activity does
not proceed from the soul through the
body, but out of the body from the
soul. This the angel standing at the
table confirmed by these things from
the Word : He whom the Father hath
sent, speaketh the words of God: He
hath given Him the Spirit not by
measure. The Father loveth the Son,
and hath given all things into his hand,
John iii. 34, 35. A Rod shall go out

Concerning the Divine Trinity.

101

from the Trunk of Jesse, the spirit of
Jehovah shall rest upon Him, the spirit
of wisdom and intelligence, the spirit
of counsel and virtue, Isaiah xi. 1.
That the spirit of Jehovah was given
upon Him, and that it was in Him,
xiii. 1 ; lix. 19,20 ; Ixi. 1 ; Luke iv. 18.
When the Holy Spirit shall have come,
which I shall send to you from
the Father, John xv. 26. He shall
glorify Me, because he shall re
ceive OF MINE, AND ANNOUNCE UNTO
you : all things whatsoever the
Father haih are mine ; on account
OF THIS I SAID, THAT He SHALL RE
CEIVE OF MINE, AND ANNOUNCE UN
TO you, xvi. 14, 15. If I go away, I
WILL SEND THE PARACLETE UNTO YOU,
xvi. 7. That the Paraclete is the
Holy Spirit, xiv. 26. The Holy
Spirit was not yet, because Jesus
was not yet glorified, vii. 39. But
after the glorification, Jesus breathed
INTO, AND SAID TO THE DISCIPLES, RE
CEIVE the Holy Spirit, xx. 22. And
in the Revelation, Who shall not glo
rify thy name, O Lord? because Thou
alone art holy, xv. 4. Since the
divine operation of the Lord, from his
divine omnipresence, is meant by the
Holy Spirit, therefore, when He spoke
to the disciples concerning the Holy
Spirit, which He was about to send
from the Father, He also said, I will
not leave you orphans ; I go away, and
come unto you ; and, in that day ye
will know that I am in my Father,
and ye in Me, and I in you, xiv. 18,
20, 28. And just before He departed
21

out of the world, He said, Lo, I am
with you all the days, even to the con
summation of the age, Matt, xxviii. 20.
Having read these words to them, the
angel said, " From these and many
other passages from the Word, it is
manifest, that the Divine, which is
called the Holy Spirit, proceeds out of
the Lord, from the Father." To this
those who sat upon the seats said,
" This is Divine Truth."
At last, this decree was made ; that,
" From what has been deliberated in
this council, we have clearly seen, and
thence acknowledge as holy truth, that
in the Lord God, the Savior Jesus
Christ, there is a Divine Trinity, which
is, the Divine from which are all things,
which is called the Father : the Divine
Human, which is called the Son ; and
the proceeding Divine, which is called
the Holy Spirit ;" exclaiming together,
that " In Jesus Christ dwelleth all
the fullness of the Godhead bodi
ly," Coloss. ii. 9. Thus there is one
God in the church.
After these things were concluded
in that magnificent council, they rose
up, and the angel who was keeper of
the vestry came out of it, and brought
to each of those who sat upon the seats
splendid garments, interwoven here
and there with threads of gold, and
he said, "Receive the wedding gar
ments." And they were conducted,
in glory, into the new Christian heav
en, with which the church of the Lord
upon earth, which is the New Jerusa
lem, will be conjoined.

102

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

CHAPTER IV.
CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE, OR THE WORD OF THE
LORD.

1S9. I. That the Sacred Scrip
ture, or the Word, is the Divine
Truth itself.
It is in the mouth of all, that the
Word is from God, divinely inspired,
and thence holy ; but still it has been
hitherto unknown where in it the Di
vine is; for the Word, in the letter,
appears as a common writing, in a for
eign style, not sublime nor elegant, as
are the writings of the world to ap
pearance. Hence it is, that he who
worships nature instead of God, or who
worships it in preference to God, and
thence thinks from himself and his
proprium, and not out of heaven from
the Lord, may easily fall into error con
cerning the Word, and into contempt
of it, and may say with himself, when
he reads it, " What is this? What is
that ? Is this Divine ? Can God, who
has infinite wisdom, speak so ? Where
and whence is its holiness, unless from
superstition, and thence persuasion ?"
190. But he who thinks so does not
consider, that the Lord Jehovah, who
is God of heaven and earth, spoke the
Word by Moses and the prophets, and
that thence it cannot be any thing else
than Divine Truth ; for that which the
Lord Jehovah himself speaks is that;
neither does he consider, that the
Lord the Savior, who is the same with
Jehovah, spoke the Word in the evan
gelists, many things from his own
mouth, and the rest from the Spirit of
his mouth, which is the Holy Spirit,
by his twelve apostles. Thence it is,
as He himself says, that in his words
there is spirit and life ; and that He
himself is the Light which enlightens,
and that He is the Truth ; which is
manifest from the following passages :
Jesus said, The words which I speak

unto you are spirit and are life, John
vi. 63. Jesus said lo the woman at Ja
cob's well, If thou knewest the gift
of God, and who it is that saith to thee,
Give Me to drink, thou wouldst ask of
Him, and He would give to thee living
water. He who drinketh of the water
that I shall give him, shall never thirst;
but the ', tvater which I will give him
shall become in him a fountain of tvater,
springing up into eternal life, John iv.
6, 10, 1 1. By the fountain of Jacob,
is signified the Word, as also Deut.
xxxiii. 28; wherefore also the Lord,
because He is the Word, sat there, and
spoke with the woman ; and by living
water, is signified the truth of the
Word, Jesus said, If any one thirst,
let him come to Me and drink. Who
soever believeth in Me, as the Scripture
saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers
of living water, John vii. 37, 38. Pe
ter said to Jesus, Thou hast the words:
of eternal life, John vi. 63. Jesus said,
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but
my words shall not pass away, Mark
xiii. 31. That the words of the Lord
are truth and life, is, because He him
self is the Truth and the Life, as He
teaches in John ; / am the Way, the
Truth, and the Life, xiv. 6. And in
the same ; In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God; in Him was
lifi, and the life was the light of men,
John i. 1,2, 3. By the Word, is meant
the Lord as to Divine Truth, in whom
alone there is life' and there is light.
Thence it is that the Word, which is
from the Lord, and which is the Lord,
is called the fountain of living wa
ters, Jer. ii. 13, xvii. 13, xxxi. 9;
the fountain of salvation, Isaiah
xii. 3 ; a fountain, Zech. xiii. 1 ;

or the Word ofthe Lord.

163

and A RIVER of the water of life,
Rev. xxii. 1 ; and it is said, that The
Lamb, who is in the midst ofthe throne,
shall feed them at living fountains of
waters, Rev. vii. 17; besides in other
places, where the Word also is called
a Sanctuary, and a Tabernacle, in
which the Lord dwells with man.
191. But still the natural man can
not, from these things, be persuaded,that
the Word is the Divine Truth itself, in
which there is Divine Wisdom and Di
vine Life ; for he regards it from the
style, in which he does not see those
things. But the style of the Word is
the very divine style, with which no
other style, however sublime and ex
cellent it appears, can be compared.
The style of the Word is such, that
there is holiness in every sentence,
and in every word, yea, in some in
stances, in the very letters : thence the
Word conjoins man to the Lord, and
opens heaven. There are two things
which proceed from the Lord, Divine
Love and Divine Wisdom, or, what is
the same, Divine Good and Divine
Truth : the Word, in its essence, is
both of them ; and because it conjoins
man to the Lord, and opens heaven,
as it was said, therefore the Word fills
man with the goods of love and the
truths of wisdom ; his will with the
goods of love, and his understanding
with the truths of wisdom : thence
man has life by the Word. But it
should be well known, that those only
have life from the Word, who read it
for the purpose of deriving divine truths
from it, as from their fountain, and, at the
same time, for the purpose of applying
the divine truths, thence derived, to life ;
and that the contrary happens to those
who read it only for the sake of acquir
ing honors, and gaining the world.
192. Every person, who does not
know that a spiritual sense is in the
Word, as the soul is in the body, can
judge concerning the Word only from
the sense of the letter of it ; when yet
this is as a casket, containing precious
things, which are its spiritual sense.
When, therefore, this internal sense is
not known, one cannot judge of the
divine sanctity of the Word, otherwise

than of a precious stone, from the ma
trix which envelopes it, and sometimes
appears as a common stone ; or as
from the cabinet, made of jasper, lapis
lazuli, amianthus, or agate, in which
lie, in their order, diamonds, rubies,
sardonyxes, oriental topazes, &c.
While this is unknown,- it is no wonder
if the cabinet is esteemed no more than
according to the price of its material,
which appears to the eye. It is simi
lar with the Word, as to the sense of
its letter. Lest, therefore, mankind
should be in doubt concerning the di
vinity and sanctity of the Word, its in
ternal sense has been revealed to me,
which in its essence is spiritual, and
is in the external sense, which is natu
ral, as the soul is in the body. That
sense is the spirit, which vivifies the let
ter ; wherefore, that sense can testify
concerning the divinity and sanctity of
the Word, and convince even the natural
man, if he is willing to be convinced.
193. II. That in the Word there
is a Spiritual Sense, hitherto un
known. Who does not acknowledge and
assent, when he hears it said that
the Word, because it is divine, is in its
bosom spiritual ? But who has hither
to known what the spiritual is, and
where it is concealed in the Word ?
But what the spiritual is, will be shown
in a Relation after this chapter ; and
where it is concealed in the Word, in
what now follows. That the Word,
in its bosom, is spiritual, is because it
descended from the Lord Jehovah, and
passed through the angelic heavens;
and the Divine, which in itself is inef
fable and imperceptible, became, in its
descent, adequate to the perception of
angels, and at last to the perception of
men. Thence is the spiritual sense,
which is within the natural, as the soul
in man, the thought ofthe understand
ing in speech, and the affection of the
will in action ; and if it is allowable to
compare it with such things as appear
before the eyes, in the natural world,
there is a spiritual sense in the natural
sense, as all the brains are within their
meninges or maters, or as the shoots of
a tree are within its inner and outer

164

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

barks ; yea, as all the requisites for
producing the chicken are within the
shell of the egg, &.c. But that there
is such a spiritual sense, in its natural
sense, has hitherto been conjectured
by no one ; wherefore it is necessary
that this mystery, which in itself is pre
eminent above all other mysteries hith
erto revealed, should be made manifest
to the understanding, which will be
done while it is explained in this order :
(1.) What the spiritual sense is. (2.)
That that sense is in all and every
part of the Word. (3.) That thence
it is, that the Word is divinely inspir
ed, and holy in every expression. (4.)
That that sense has been hitherto un
known. (5.) That hereafter it will not
be given to any, but those who are in
genuine truths from the Lord. (6.)
Wonderful things concerning the Word,
from its spiritual sense. These things
shall now be unfolded one by one.
194. (1.) Whatthe Spiritual Scnseis.
The spiritual sense is not that which
shines forth from the sense of the letter
of the Word, when any one searches
and explains the Word in order to con
firm any tenet of the church : this
sense may be called the literal and ec
clesiastical sense of the Word; but if the
spiritual sense does not appear in the
sense of the letter, it is inwardly in
it, as the soul in the body, as the
thought of the understanding in the
eyes, and as the affection of love in the
face. It is principally that sense whicli
makes the Word spiritual, not only for
men, but also for angels; wherefore
the Word, by that sense, communicates
with the heavens. Since the Word is
inwardly spiritual, therefore it is writ
ten by mere correspondences ; and what
is written by correspondences, is writ
ten, in the ultimate sense, in such a
style as in the prophets, the evan
gelists and the Revelation ; which, al
though it appears ordinary, still con
ceals within itself the divine wisdom,
and all angelic wisdom. What corre
spondence is, may be seen in a work
concerning Heaven and Hell, pub
lished at London, 1758, where the cor
respondence of all the things of heaven
with all the things of man is treated

of, n. 87 to 102 ; and the corre
spondence of all the things of heaver.
with all the things of the earth, n.
103 to 115; and will be seen more
fully from examples to be hereafter ad-;
duced from the Word.
195. From the Lord proceeds the
Celestial Divine, the Spiritual
Divine and the Natural Divine,
one after another. Whatever proceeds
from his Divine Love is called the Ce?
lestial Divine, and all that is good ;
whatever proceeds from his Divine
Wisdom is called Spiritual Divine,
and all that is truth. The Natural
Divine is of both, and is their com
plex in the ultimate. The angels of
the celestial kingdom, of whom is the
third or highest heaven, are in the
Divine which proceeds from the
Lord, which is called celestial; for
they are in the good of love from the
Lord. The angels of the Lord's spir
itual kingdom, of whom the second or
middle heaven consists, are in the
Divine which proceeds from the Lord,
which is called spiritual; for they are
in divine wisdom from the Lord. The
angels of the Lord's natural kingdom,
of which the first or lowest heaven con
sists, are in the Divine which proceeds
from the Lord, which is called nat
ural Divine, and they are in the faith
of charity from the Lord. But the
men of the church, according to their
love, wisdom and faith, are in one of
those kingdoms, and into that in which
they are, they also come after death.
Such as heaven is, such also is the
Word of the Lord : in its ultimate
sense it is natural, in its interior sense
it is spiritual, and in its inmost sense it is
celestial, and in every part divine; wherer
fere it is accommodated to the angels
ofthe three heavens, and also to men.
196. (2.) Tiiat the Spiritual Sense
is in all and every Part of the
Word, cannot be seen better than
from examples, such as the following :
John says, in the Revelation, / saie
heaven open, and behold, a white horse;
and He who sat upon Mm was called
the Faithful and True, who in right- ,;
cousness judges and fights, and his
eyes as aflame of fire, and upon his

or the Word of the Lord.

165

head many diadems; having a name
written, which no one knoweth but
Himself; and He was clothed in a
vesture tinged with blood; and his
name is called the Word of God.
And his armies in heaven followeel Him
upon white horses, clothed in fine lin
en, white and clean. He has upon his
vesture and upon his thigh a name
written, King of kings, and Lord of
lords. I saw, also, an angel standing
in the sun, who cried with a loud voice,
Come and gather yourselves together to
the great supper, that ye may eat the
flesh of kings, and the flesh of cap
tains, and the flesh of the mighty, and
the flesh of horses, and of those who sit
upon them, and the flesh of all, free
and bond, small and great, xix. 1 1 to 18.
What these things signify, no one can
see, except from the spiritual sense of
the Word ; and no one can know the
spiritual sense except from the science
of correspondences ; for all the expres
sions are correspondences, and no ex
pression is without meaning. The
science of correspondences teaches
what is signified by the white horse;
what by Him who sat upon him ; what
by the eyes which were as a flame of
fire ; what by the diadems upon his
head ; what by the vesture tinged with
blood; what by the white fine linen,
in which they who were of his army
in heaven were clothed ; what by the
angel standing in the sun; and what
by the great supper to which they
came and were gathered together ; and
also what by the flesh of kings and
captains ; and of many other things
which they should eat. But what each
of those expressions, in the spiritual
sense, signifies, may be seen explained
in the Apocalypse Revealed, from
n. 820 to 838; and also in a little
work concerning the White Horse ;
wherefore it is unnecessary to explain
them further. It is there shown, that
the Lord, as to the Word, is there de
scribed ; and that by his eyes, which
were as a flame of fire, is meant the
divine wisdom of his divine love ; and
by the diadems which were upon his
head, and by the name which no one
knew but Himself, are meant the di

vine truths of the Word from Him,
and that what the Word is, in its spir
itual sense, no one sees but the Lord,
and those to whom He reveals it; al
so, that by the vesture tinged with
blood, is meant the natural sense of
the Word, which is the sense of its let
ter, to which violence has been done.
That it is the Word which is thus de
scribed, is very manifest; for it is said,
HlS NAME IS CALLED THE WoRD OF
God. That it is the Lord who is
meant, is also very manifest ; for it is
said, that the name of him who sat up
on the white horse was, King of kings
and Lord of lords ; in like manner
as in Rev. xvii. 14, where it is said,
And the Lamb shall overcome them,
because He is Lord of lords and
King of kings. That the spirit
ual sense of the Word is to be opened
at the end of the church, is signified,
not only by those things which are said
concerning the white horse, and Him
who sat upon him, but also by the
great supper, to which the angel stand
ing in the sun invited all to come, and
eat the flesh of kings, and of captains,
&c. ; by which is signified the appro
priation of all good things from the
Lord. All the expressions there would
be empty words, and without life and
spirit, unless there was a spiritual
sense within them, as the soul is in
the body.
197. In Rev. xxi., the New Jerusa
lem is thus described : That in it there
was a luminary, like a very precious
stone, as a jasper stone, shining like
crystal. That it had a great and high
wall, having twelve gates, and twelve
angels upon the gates, and the names of
the twelves tribes of the sons of Israel
written. That the wall was of a hun
dred and forty-four cubits, which is the
measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
That the structure ofthe wall was jas
per, and its foundations of every pre
cious stone; of jasper, sapphire, chal
cedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius,
chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprasus,
hyacinth and amethyst. That the gales
were twelve pearls. That the city it
self was pure gold, like pure glass ;
and that it was four-cornered, the

166

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

length, the breadth and the height
equal; of twelve thousand furlongs ;
besides many other things. That all
these things are to be understood spir
itually, may be evident from this, that by
the New Jerusalem is meant a New
Church, which is to be instituted by
the Lord, as is shown in the Apoca
lypse Revealed, n. 880 ; and because
by Jerusalem there, is signified the
church, it follows, that all the things
which are said of it as a city — of its
gates, of its wall, of the foundations
of the wall, also the things which are
said of their measures — contain a spir
itual sense, since those things which
are of the church are spiritual ; but
what they signify has been demonstrat
ed in the Apocalypse Revealed,
from n. 896 to 925 ; wherefore it would
be superfluous to demonstrate them
further. It is sufficient that it is thence
known, that there is a spiritual sense
in every part of that description, as the
soul in the body ; and that without that
sense nothing of the church would be
understood in those things which are
written there ; as that the city was of
pure gold, its gates of pearls, the wall
of jasper, the foundations of the wall
of precious stones ; that the wall was
of a hundred and forty-four cubits,
which is the measure of a man, that is,
of an angel ; and that the city was of
the length, breadth and height of twelve
thousand furlongs ; besides many oth
er things: but he who knows the spir
itual sense, from the science of corre
spondences, understands those things ;
as that the wall and its foundations
signify the doctrinals of that church,
from the sense of the letter of the
Word ; and that the numbers, 12, 144,
12,000, signify all the things of it, or
all the truths and goods of it, in one
complex. 198. Where the Lord speaks to his
disciples of the consummation of the
age, which is the last time of the
church, at the end of the predictions
concerning its successive changes, He
says : Immediately after the affliction
of those days, the sun shall be darken
ed, and the moon shall not give her
light, and the stars shall fall from

heaven, and the powers of the heavens
shall be shaken ; and then shall appear
the sign of the Son of man in heaven ;
and then shall all the tribes ofthe earth
mourn, and they shall see the Son of
man coming in the clouds of heaven,
with power and much glory. And He
will send forth the angels, with a great
sound of a trumpet, and they shall
gather together his elect, from the four
winds, from one end of the heavens even
to the other, Matt. xxiv. 29, 30, 31.
By these words, in the spiritual sense,
it is not meant that the sun and moon
would be darkened, that the stars would
fall from heaven, and that the sign ofthe
Lord would appear- in the heavens,
and that they would see Him in the
clouds, and, at the same time, the an
gels with trumpets ; but by every one
of the words there, are meant spiritual
things, which are of the church, con
cerning the state of which, at the end,
those things are said ; for, in the spir
itual sense, by the sun, which will be
darkened, is meant love to the Lord ;
by the moon, which will not give her
light, is meant faith in Him ; by the
stars, which will fall from heaven, are
meant the knowledges of truth and
good ; by the sign, of the Son of man
in heaven, is meant the appearing of di
vine truth in the Word from Him ; by the
tribes of the earth, which shall mourn, is
meant the want of all truth which is
of faith, and of all good which is of
love ; by the coming of the Son of man
in the clouds of heaven with power
and glory, is meant the presence of the
Lord in the Word, and revelation ; by
the clouds of heaven, is signified the
sense of the letter of the Word, and by
glory, the spiritual sense of the Word ;
by the angels with a great sound of a
trumpet, is meant heaven, whence is di
vine truth ; by gathering together the
elect from the four winds, from one
end of the heavens to the other, is
meant a new heaven and a new church
of those who have faith in the Lord,
and live according to his command
ments. That the darkening of the sun
and moon, and the falling of the stars
to the earth, are not meant, is very man
ifest from the prophets, by whom simi-

or the Word ofthe Lord.

10"

Iar things are said concerning the state
ofthe church, when the Lord was about
to come into the world ; as in Isaiah,
Behold, the day of Jehovah will come,
cruel, and of the wrath of anger ; the
stars of heaven and the constellations
of them will not shine with their light;
the sun will be darkened in his rising,
and the moon will not make her light
shine. I will visit upon the world teick-
edness, xxiv. 21 , 23. In Joel, The day of
Jehovah cometh, a day of darkness and
thick darkness ; the sun and the moon
will become black ; the stars will with
draw their splendor, iii. 4 ; iv. 15. In
Ezekiel, I will cover the heavens, and
make black the stars ; I will cover the
sun with a cloud, and the moon will not
make her light shine. All the lumina
ries of light I will cover over, and I
will give darkness upon the earth, xxii.
7, 8. By the day of Jehovah, is meant
the coming of the Lord, which was
when there was no longer any good of
love and truth of faith remaining in the
church, and not any knowledge ofthe
Lord ; therefore it is called a day of
darkness and thick darkness.
199. That the Lord, when He was
in the world, spoke by correspondences,
thus also spiritually, when naturally,
may be evident from his parables, in
every word of which there is a spiritu
al sense. Let the parable of the ten
virgins be for an example. He said,
The kingdom of the heavens is like ten
virgins, who, taking their lamps, went
out to meet the bridegroom; five of
them were prudent, but five were foolish.
Those who were foolish, taking their
lamps, took no oil; but the prudent
took oil in their lamps. While the
bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered
and slept. And at midnight a cry was
made, Behold, the bridegroom is com
ing ; go ye out to meet him. Then
all those virgins awoke, and trimmed
their lamps. But the foolish said to the
prudent, Give us of your oil, for our
lamps are going out. But the prudent
answered, saying, Lest perhaps there be
not enough for us and you, go ye rath
er to those who sell, and buy for your
selves. But v'hile they were gone to
buy, the bridegroom came, and those

who were prepared went with him in to
the wedding ; and the door was shut.
And at length came also the other vir
gins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he, answering, said, Verily I say
unto you, I know you not, Matt. xxv. 1
to 12. That in every one of these
words there is a spiritual sense, and
thence a holy divine, no one sees but
he who knows that there is a spiritual
sense, and what it is. In the spiritual
sense, by the kingdom ofthe heavens
is meant heaven and the church ; by
the bridegroom, the Lord ; by the rece
ding, the marriage of the Lord with
them, by the good of love and the truth
of faith ; by virgins, those who are of
the church; by ten, all; by five, apart;
by lamps, those things which are of
faith ; by oil, those things which are
of the good of love ; by sleeping and
aivaking, the life of man in the world,
which is natural, and his life after
death, which is spiritual ; by buying,
to procure for themselves ; by going to
those who sell and buying oil, to procure
for themselves the good of love from
others after death ; and because then
it is no longer procurable, therefore,
although they came with lamps, and the
oil which they had bought, to the door
where the wedding was, still it was
said to them by the bridegroom, Iknoie
you not. The reason is, because man
remains, after the life in the world,
such as he had lived in the world.
From these examples, it is manifest
that the Lord spoke by mere corre
spondences, and this because from the
Divine, which was in Him, and was
His. Because virgins signify those
who are of the church, therefore so of
ten in the prophetical Word it is said,
the virgin, and the daughter of Zion, of
Jerusalem, of Judah, of Israel. And
because oil signifies the good of love,
therefore all the holy things of the
church were anointed with oil. It is
similar in the rest of the parables, and
in all the words which the Lord spoke.
Thence it is that the Lord says, that
his words are spirit and are life, John
vi. 63.
200. (3.) That it is from the Spir
itual Sense, that the Word is divine-

168

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

ly inspired, and holy in every Expres
sion. It is said in the church, that the
Word is holy, and this because the
Lord Jehovah spoke it ; but because
its holiness does not appear in the
sense of the letter only, therefore he
who, on that account, once doubts con
cerning its holiness, when he after
wards reads the Word, confirms him
self by many things there ; for he says
with himself, " Is this holy ? Is this
divine ?" Lest, therefore, such a
thought should flow in with many, and
afterwards be confirmed, and thence
the Word should be rejected as a
worthless writing, and the conjunction
ofthe Lord with man, by means of it,
should perish, it has pleased the Lord
now to reveal its spiritual sense, in or
der that it may be known where in it
the divine holiness is concealed. But
let examples illustrate this. In the
Word, we sometimes read of Egypt,
sometimes of Assyria, sometimes of
Edom, of Moab, ofthe sons of Ammon,
ofthe Philistines, of Tyre and Zidon,
and of Gog. He who does not know,
that by the names of those are signified
the things of heaven and the church,
may be led into the error, that the
Word treats much of people and na
tions, and but little of heaven and the
church; thus much of worldly, and lit
tle of heavenly things ; but when he
knows what is signified by them, or by
their names, he may be led back from
error into the truth. In like manner,
while he sees in the Word, that there
are so often mentioned gardens, groves,
forests, and their trees, as the olive,
the vine, the cedar, the poplar, and the
oak ; and that so often a lamb, a sheep,
a goat, a calf, an ox ; and also moun
tains, hills, valleys, and there fountains,
rivers, waters, and many such things ;
he who knows nothing of the spiritual
sense of the Word, cannot think oth
erwise, than that it is only those things
which are meant ; for he does not
know, that by a garden, grove and for
est, are meant wisdom, intelligence and
science ; that by an olive, vine, cedar,
poplar and oak, are meant the good
and truth ofthe church, celestial, spir

itual, rational, natural and sensual;
that by a lamb, a sheep, a goat, a calf,
an ox, are meant innocence, charity
and natural affection ; that by moun
tains, hills and valleys, are meant the
higher, lower and lowest things of the
church : also that by Egypt is signi
fied the scientific ; by Assyria, the ra
tional ; by Edom, the natural ; by Moab,
the adulteration of good ; by the sons
of Ammon, the adulteration of truth;
by the Philistines, faith without chari
ty ; by Tyre and Zidon, the knowledges
of good and truth ; by Gog, external
worship without internal. In general,
by Jacob, in the Word, is meant the
natural church ; by Israel, the spiritual
church ; and by Judah, the celestial
church. When a man knows all these
things, he may then think, that the
Word treats only of heavenly things,
and that those worldly things are only
the subjects in which these are. But
an example from the Word may illus
trate this also. It is read in Isaiah,
In that day, there shall be a way from
Egypt to Assyria, that Assyria may
come into Egypt, and Egypt into As
syria; and the Egyptians may serve
with the Assyrians. In that day, Is
rael shall be a third to Egypt and As
syria, a blessing in the midst of the
land ; which Jehovah of hosts shall
bless, saying, Blessed be my people
Egypt, and Assyria, the work of my
hands, and Israel, my blessing, xix. 23,
24, 25. By these words, in the spiritual
sense, it is meant, that, at the time of
the coming of the Lord, the scientific,
the rational and the spiritual should
make one, and that then the scientific
will serve the rational, and both the
spiritual ; for, as it was said, by Egypt
is signified the scientific, by Assyria
the rational, and by Israel the spiritu
al ; by the day twice mentioned, is
meant the first and second coming of
the Lord.
201. (4.) That the Spiritual Sense
of the Word has been hitherto un
known. That all and every thing, which 1.1
in nature, corresponds to spiritual
things; in like manner, all and every
thing in the human body ; has been

or the Word of the Lord.

169

shown in a work concerning Heaven
and Hell, n. 87 to 105. But what
Correspondence is, has been hither
to unknown ; but in the most ancient
times, it was very well known ; for, to
those who then lived, the science of
correspondences was the science of
sciences, and so universal that all their
tracts and books were written by cor
respondences. The book of Job, which
is a book ofthe ancient church, is full
of correspondences. The hieroglyph
ics of the Egyptians, and also the fa
bles of the ancients, were no other.
All the ancient churches were churches
representative of spiritual things. -Their
rites, and also the statutes according
to which their worship was instituted,
consisted of mere correspondences ; in
like manner, all the things ofthe church
with the sons of Israel. The whole
burnt-offerings, sacrifices, meat-offer
ings, and drink-offerings, with every
thing appertaining to them, were cor
respondences ; in like manner, the tab
ernacle, with all the things in it ; and al
so their feasts, as the feast of unleavened
bread, the feast of tabernacles, and the
feast of the first fruits ; likewise the
priesthood of Aaron and the Levites, as
also their garments of holiness; but
what the spiritual things were, to which
those things respectively corresponded,
has been shown in the Arcana Cceles-
tia, published at London. Besides
these, also, all the statutes and judg
ments, which concerned their worship
and life, were correspondences. Now,
because divine things, in the world,
present themselves in correspondences,
therefore the Word was written by
mere correspondences ; wherefore the
Lord, because He spoke from the Di
vine, spoke by correspondences; for
what is from the Divine, this, in nature,
falls into such things as correspond to
divine things, and which then con
ceal, in their bosom, divine things,
which are called celestial and spir
itual. 202. I have been instructed, that
the men of the most ancient church,
which was before the flood, were of so
heavenly a genius, that they conversed
with the angels of heaven, and that
22

they could converse with them by cor
respondences : thence the state of
their wisdom became such, that what
ever they saw in the earth, they thought
of it not only naturally, but also spirit
ually, at the same time ; thus also con
jointly with the angels of heaven.
Moreover, I have been informed, that
Enoch, of whom mention is made in
Genesis v. 21 to 24, with his compan
ions, collected correspondences from
their mouth, and transmitted the sci
ence of them to posterity ; in conse
quence of which, the science of corre
spondences was not only known, but
also cultivated, in many kingdoms of
Asia, especially in the land of Canaan,
Egypt, Assyria, Chaldea, Syria, Ara
bia, Tyre, Zidon, and Nineveh ; and
that thence it was transferred into
Greece ; but there it was turned into
fables, as is evident from the writings
of the most ancient authors of that
country. 203. That it may be seen, that the
science of correspondences was for a
long time preserved among the Gentile
nations in Asia, but among those who
were called soothsayers and sages, and
by some Magi, I will adduce one ex
ample from 1 Sam. v. and vi. It is
there related, that the ark, in which
were the two tables, upon which the
decalogue was written, was taken by
the Philistines, and placed in the tem
ple of Dagon, in Ashdod, and that Da-
gon fell before it to the ground, and
afterwards his head, with the palms of
his hands, severed from his body, lay
upon the threshold of the temple ; and
that the Ashdodites and Ekionites, on
account of the ark, were smitten with
hemorrhoids, to the number of several
thousands ; and that their land was
devastated by mice ; and that, on ac
count of thos*' things, the Philistines
called together the princes and sooth
sayers, and that they concluded, that,
in order to prevent their destruction,
they should make five Jiemorrhoids and
five mice out of gold, and a new cart,
and upon this they should placo the
ark, and by the side of the ark, the
hemorrhoids and mice of gold ; and by
two cows, which lowed in the way be*

170

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

fore the cart, they should send back
the ark to the sons of Israel, by whom
the cows and the cart were sacrificed,
and thus the God of Israel was propi
tiated. That all these things, devised
by the soothsayers of the Philistines,
were correspondences, is evident from
their signification, which is this: — The
Philistines themselves signified those
who are in faith separate from charity ;
Dagon represented that religion ; the
hemorrhoids, with which they were smit
ten, signified natural loves, which, sep
arate from spiritual love, are unclean ;
and the mice signified the devastation
iof the church, by falsifications of the
truth ; the new cart signified natural
doctrine of the church, for chariot, in
the Word, signifies doctrine from spir
itual truths ; the cows signified good
natural affections ; the hemorrhoids of
gold .signified natural loves purified and
made good ; the mice of gold signified
the vastation of the church removed
by good, for' gold, in the Word, signi
fies good ; the hieing of the cows in
the way, signified the difficult conver
sion of thenatural man's concupiscences
of evil into good affections ; the offer
ing of the cows with the cart for a
whole burnt-offering, signified that
thus the God of Israel was propitiated.
All these things, which the Philistines
did according to the advice of their
soothsayers, were correspondences ;
from which it is manifest that that sci
ence was for a long time preserved
among the Gentile nations.
204. Since the representative rites
of the church, which were correspond
ences, in process of time began to be
turned into things idolatrous, and also
into things magical, then that science,
by the Divine Providence of the Lord,
was gradually lost, and amongst the
Israelitish and Jewish nation, it was
entirely obliterated. The worship
of this nation, indeed, consisted
of mere correspondences, and thence
it was representative of heavenly
things; but still they did not know
what any thing signified, for they
were altogether natural men, and
thence they would not and could not
know any thing concerning spiritual

and heavenly things ; consequently, not
any thing concerning correspondences,
for correspondences are representations
of spiritual and heavenly things in nat
ural things.
205. That the idolatries of the Gen
tile nations, in ancient times, derived
their origin from the science of corre
spondences, was, because all things,
which appear upon the earth, corre
spond ; thus, not only trees, but also
beasts and birds of every kind, also fishes
and other things. The ancients who
were in the science of correspondences,
made for themselves images, which
corresponded to heavenly things, and
were delighted with them, because they
signified such things as were of heav
en and the church ; and therefore they
put them not only in their temples, but
also in their houses ; not for the sake
of worshipping them, but of calling to
mind the heavenly things which they
signified. Thence in Egypt, and else
where, there were images of calves,
oxen, serpents, also of boys, old men,
and virgins; because calves and oxen
signified the affections and powers of
the natural man ; serpents, the prudence
and also the cunning of the sensual
man ; boys, innocence and charity ;
old men, wisdom ; and virgins, affec
tions of truth; and so on. Their pos
terity, when the science of correspond
ences was obliterated, began to wor
ship as holy, and at length as deities,
the images and resemblances set up
by the ancients, because they were in
their temples and about them. Thence,
also, the ancients had worship in gar
dens and in groves, according to the
sorts of trees ; and also upon moun
tains and hills ; for gardens and groves
signified wisdom and intelligence, and
every tree something of these ; as the
olive, the good of love; the vine, truth
from that good ; the cedar, rational
good and truth ; a mountain, the high
est heaven : and a hill, the heaven un
der that. That the science of corre-
spondences continued amongst many of
the eastern nations, even to the coming
of the Lord, is also evident from the
wise men from the east, who came to
the Lord when he was born ; wherefore

or the Word of the Lord.

171

a star went before them, and they car
ried with them gifts, gold, frankincense
and myrrh, Matt. ii. 1, 2, 9, 10, 11 ;
for the star which went before them
signified knowledge from heaven ; gold
signified heavenly good ; frankincense,
spiritual good; and myrrh, natural
good ; of which three is all worship.
But still the science of correspondences
was not at all amongst the Israelitish
and Jewish nation, although all the
things of their worship, and all the
statutes and judgments given to them by
Moses, and all the things of the Word,
were mere correspondences. The rea
son was, because they were in heart
idolaters, and thence such that they
were not even willing to know that
any part of their worship signified any
thing heavenly and spiritual; for they
believed that all those things were ho
ly of themselves ; wherefore, if heaven
ly and spiritual things had been dis
closed to them, they would not only
have rejected, but would also have pro
faned them ; wherefore heaven was so
closed to them, that they scarcely knew
that there was such a thing as eternal
life. That it is so, is very manifest
from this, that they did not acknowl
edge the Lord, although all the Sacred
Scripture prophesied concerning Him,
and foretold his coming. They reject
ed Him for this sole reason, that He
taught them concerning a heavenly
kingdom, and not concerning an earth
ly kingdom ; for they wished for a
Messiah who would exalt them above
all the nations in the whole world, and
not a Messiah who would provide for
their eternal salvation.
206. The reason that the science of
correspondences, by which is given
the spiritual sense of the Word, was
not disclosed after those times, was, be
cause the Christians, in the primitive
church, were very simple, so that it
could not have been disclosed to them ;
for, if it had been disclosed, it would
have been of no use to them, nor would
it have been understood. After their
times, darkness arose over all the
Christian world ; first by the heretical
opinions of many spread about, and
soon afterwards by the deliberations

and decrees of the Nicene council
concerning three divine persons frcar
eternity, and concerning the person of
Christ, as the Son of Mary, and not
as the Son of Jehovah God. Thence
originated the present faith of justifica
tion, in which three Gods are approach
ed in their order ; on which faith all
and every thing of the church at this
day depends, as the members of the
body on their head ; and because they
applied all the things of the Word
to confirm this erroneous faith, the
spiritual sense could not be disclosed ;
for, if it had been, they would have
applied to it also that sense, and there
by would have profaned the very holi
ness ofthe Word ; and thus they would
have entirely closed up heaven against
themselves, and removed the Lord
from the church.
207. The reason why the science
of correspondences, by which the spir
itual sense of the Word is given, has
been at this time revealed, is, because
now the divine truths of the church
come forth into the light, and these
are the things of which the spiritual
sense of the Word consists ; and while
these are in man, the sense of the let
ter of the Word cannot be perverted ;
for the sense of the letter of the Word
can be turned hither and thither ; but
if it is turned to the false, then its inter
nal holiness is lost, and with this the
external ; but if it is turned to the true,
its holiness remains. But, concerning
these things, more will be said in the
following pages. That the spiritual
sense will, at this day, be opened, is
meant by John's seeing heaven open,
and then a white horse ; and also by
his seeing and hearing that an'angel,
standing in the sun, called all together
to a great supper ; concerning which,
see Rev. xix. 11 to 18. But that
it will not, for a long time, be ac
knowledged, is meant by the beast,
and by the kings of the earth, who
were about to make war with Him
who sat upon the white horse, Rev. xix.
19 ; as also by the dragon, that he
pursued the woman, who brought forth
the son, even into the wilderness, and
there cast forth out of his mouth wa-

172

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

ters, as a flood, that he might drown
her, Rev. xii. 13 to 17.
208. (5.) That the Spiritual
Sense of the Word is not here
after given to any, but those who
arc in genuine Truths from the
Lord. The reason is, because no one can
see the spiritual sense, except from the
Lord alone, and unless he be in divine
truths from the .Lord ; for the spiritual
sense of the Word treats concerning
the Lord alone, and concerning his
kingdom ; and that is the sense in
which his angels in heaven are, for it
is his divine truth there. This, man
can violate, if he is in the science of
correspondences, and wishes by it to
explore the spiritual sense ofthe Word,
from his own intelligence ; for by
means of some correspondences, known
to him, he can pervert that sense, and
even force it to confirm the false ; and
this would be to offer violence to di
vine truth, and thus also to heaven, in
which it dwells. Wherefore, if any
one wishes from himself, and not from
the Lord, to open that sense, heaven is
shut, which being shut, man either
sees nothing of truth, or becomes spir
itually insane. The reason also is, be
cause the Lord teaches every one by
the Word, and he teaches him from
those knowledges which are with man,
and does not immediately infuse new
ones ; wherefore, unless man be in di
vine truths, or if in only a few truths, and
at the same time in falses, he can by
these falsify truths, as is also done by
every heretic, as to the sense of the
letter of the Word. Lest, therefore,
any one should enter into the spiritual
sense, and the genuine truth which is
of that sense, guards are placed by the
Lord, which are meant in the Word
by cherubs.
209. (6.) Wonderful Things con
cerning the Word, from its Spiritual
Sense. In the natural world, no wonderful
things exist from the Word, because
the spiritual sense does not there ap
pear, nor is it inwardly received by
man, such as it is in itself; but in the
spiritual world, wonderful things ap

pear from the Word, because all there
are spiritual, and spiritual things affect
the spiritual man, as natural things
the natural man. The wonderful
things which exist in the spiritual
world, from the Word, are many ; a
few of which I shall here relate. The
Word itself, in the inmost recesses of
the temples there, shines before the
eyes of the angels like a great star, and
sometimes like the sun ; and also, from
the bright radiance round about it,
there appear, as it were, most beauti
ful rainbows ; this happens as soon as
the sacred recess is opened. That all
and every one of the truths of the
Word shine, was made evident to me
from this, that when any single verse
of the Word is written out upon paper,
and the paper is thrown into the air,
the paper itself shines, in such a form
as it was cut into ; wherefore spirits
are able to produce, by the Word, va
rious shining forms, and also those of
birds and fishes. And, what is still
more wonderful, when any one rubs
the face, the hands, or the clothes
which he has on, with the Word open,
applying the writing of it to them, the
face itself, the hands and the clothes
shine, as if he were standing in a star,
surrounded with its light. This I have
often seen and wondered at ; thence it
was evident to me, whence it was, that
the face of Moses shone, when he
brought down the tables of the cove
nant from mount Sinai.
Besides these, there are many other
wonderful things there, which are
from the Word ; as, for instance, if
any one, who is in falses, looks at the
Word, lying in the holy place, there
arises a thick darkness before his eyes,
and thence the Word appears to him
black, and sometimes, as it were, cov
ered over with soot; but, if he also
touches the Word, an explosion is
made with a loud noise, and he is
thrown to a corner of the room, and
for an hour lies there as if he were
dead. If any thing is written out of
the Word upon paper, by any one who ' ' '
is in falses, and the paper is thrown up
towards heaven, then a similar explo
sion is made in the air, between his

or the Word ofthe Lord.

173

eye and heaven, and the paper is torn
into atoms, and vanishes : the like hap
pens, if that paper is thrown towards
an angel, who stands near : this I
have often seen. Thence it was
manifest to me, that those who are in
falses of doctrine have no communica
tion with heaven, by means of the
Word ; but that their reading is dis
persed in the way, and perishes, like
gunpowder enclosed in paper, when it
is set on fire, and thrown into the air.
The contrary happens with those who
are in truths of doctrine, by means of
the Word, from the Lord : the reading
of the Word by those penetrates even
into heaven, and makes conjunction
with the angels there. The angels
themselves, when they descend from
heaven to execute any business below,
appear encompassed with little stars,
especially about the head, which is a
sign that divine truths from the Word
are in them.
Moreover, in the spiritual world
there are things similar to those which
are upon earth, but all and every thing
there is from a spiritual origin ; so
there are also gold, and silver, and
precious stones of every kind, and the
spiritual origin of these is the sense of
the letter of the Word. Thence it is,
that, in the Revelation, the foundations
of the wall of the New Jerusalem are
described by twelve precious stones:
the reason is, because, by the founda
tions of its wall are signified the doc
trinals of the New Church, from the
sense of the letter of the Word. Thence
also it is, that, in the ephod of Aaron,
there were also twelve precious stones,
called Urim and Thummim, and that
by these, answers were given from
heaven. Besides these, there are
many more wonderful things from the
Word, which concern the power of
truth there, which is so immense, that,
if it should be described, it would ex
ceed all belief; for the power is such,
that it overturns mountains and hills
there, removes them to a distance, and
casts them into the sea ; besides many
other things. In short, the power of
the Lord, from the Word, is infinite.
210. III. That the Sense of the

Letter of the Word is the Basis,
the Continent and the Firmament
of its Spiritual and Celestial
Sense. In every thing divine, there is a
first, a middle, and a last; and the
first goes through the middle to the
last, and thus exists and subsists ;
thence the last is the basis. The first,
also, is in the middle, and, by the mid
dle, in the last; thus the last is the
continent ; and because the last is
the continent and the basis, it is also
the firmament. It is comprehended
by the learned, that those three may
be called end, cause and effect; and
also esse [to be], fieri [to be done],
and existere [to exist] ; and that the
end is the esse, the cause the fieri, and
the effect the existere; consequently,
that in every complete thing there is a
trine, which is called^rsr, middle and
last ; also end, cause and effect. When
these things are comprehended, it is
also comprehended that every divine
work is complete and perfect in the
last; and, likewise, that all are in the
last, because the former are together
in it.
211. It is from this, that by three,
in the Word, in the spiritual sense, is
meant what is complete and perfect,
and also all together ; and because
these things are signified by that
number, therefore it is used in the
Word whenever such a thing is des
ignated, as in these passages : That
Isaiah should go naked and barefoot
three years, Isaiah xx. 3. That Je
hovah called Samuel three times, and
that Samuel ran three times to Eli,
and that Eli the third time under
stood, 1 Sam. iii. 1 to 8. That David
said to Jonathan, that he should hide
himself in the field three days; that
Jonathan afterwards shot three ar
rows at the side of a stone ; and that
David then bowed himself three times
before Jonathan, xx. 5, 12 to 42. That
Elijah stretched himself three times
upon the widow's son, 1 Kings xvii. 21 .
That Elijah commanded that they
should pour water upon the whole burnt-
offering three times, xviii. 34. That
Jesus said, that the kingdom of the

174

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

heavens is like unto leaven, which a
woman, taking, hid in three measures
of meal, till the whole was leavened,
Matt. xiii. 33. That Jesus said to
Peter, that he would deny him three
times, xxvi. 34. That Jesus said
three times to Peter, Lovest thou
Me ? John xxi. 15, 16, 17. That Jo
nah was in the belly of a whale three
DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS, Jon. ii. 2.
That Jesus said, Destroy this temple,
and I will rebuild it in three days,
John ii. 19; Matt. xxvi. 61. That Jesus,
in Gethsemanc, prayed three times,
Matt. xxvi. 39 to 44. That Jesus rose
again the third day, Matt, xxviii. 1 :
besides in many other places, where
the number three is mentioned ; and
it is mentioned where a work finished
and perfect is treated of, because this
is signified by that number.
212. There are three heavens, the
highest, the middle, and the lowest.
The highest heaven makes the celes
tial kingdom of the Lord; the middle
heaven makes his spiritual kingdom,
and the lowest heaven makes his natu
ral kingdom. As there are three heav
ens, so likewise there are three senses
ofthe Word, the celestial, the spiritu
al, and the natural ; with which also
those things coincide which were said
above, n. 210, viz. that the first is in
the middle, and, by the middle, in the
last; just as the end is in the cause,
and, by the cause, in the effect.
Thence it is manifest what the Word
is, viz. that, in the sense of its letter,
which is natural, there is an interior
sense, which is spiritual, and in this
an inmost sense, which is celestial;
and thus that the last sense, which is
natural, and is called the sense of the
letter, is the continent, and so the ba
sis and firmament, of the two interior
senses. 213. Hence it follows, that the
Word, without the sense of- its letter,
would be like a palace without a foun
dation, thus like a palace in the air,
and not upon the earth, which would
be only the shadow of a palace, that
would vanish away ; also that the
Word, without the sense of its letter,
would be like a temple in which are

many holy things, and in the midst of
it the most holy place, without a roof
and walls, which are its continents;
and if these should be wanting, or if
they should be taken away, its holy
things would be plundered by thieves,
and violated by the beasts ofthe earth
and the birds of the air, and thus they
would be dissipated. It would like
wise be like the tabernacle of the sons
of Israel in the wilderness, in the in
most part of which was the ark ofthe
covenant, and in the middle of it the
golden candlestick, the golden altar,
upon which incense was offered, and
also the table upon which the bread of
faces was placed, without its last things,
which were the curtains, veils and col
umns. Yea, the Word, without the
sense of its letter, would be like the
human body without its coverings,
which are called skins, and without its
supporters, which are called bones;
without the latter and the former, all
the inner parts of it would be dispers
ed. It v/ould also be like the heart
and the lungs, in the thorax ; without
their covering, which is called the
pleura, and their supporters, which are
called the ribs ; or like the brain with
out its coverings, which are called the
dura and the pia mater, and without
its common covering, continent and
firmament, which is called the skull.
It would be similar with the* Word,
without the sense of its letter ; where
fore it is said in Isaiah, that Jehovah
creates upon all the glory a covering,
iv. 5.
214. IV. That Divine Truth, in
the Sense of the Letter of the
Word, is in its Fullness, in its Ho
liness, and in its Power.
That the Word, in the sense of the
letter, is in its fullness, in its holiness,
and in its power, is because the two
former, or interior senses, which are
called the spiritual and the celestial,
are together in the natural sense,
which is the sense of the letter, as
was said above, n. 210 and 212 ; but
how they are together, shall be further
told. There is in heaven and in the
world, a successive order and a simul
taneous order : in successive order, one

or the Word of the Lord.

175

thing succeeds and follows after anoth
er, from the highest even to the lowest ;
but in simultaneous order, one thing
is next to another from the inmost even
to the outermost. Successive order is
like a column, with steps from the top
to the bottom ; but simultaneous order
is like a work cohering with the cir
cumference, from the centre even to
the surface. It shall now be told,
how successive order becomes, in the
last, simultaneous order : it is done in
this manner : the highest things of suc
cessive order become the inmost things
of simultaneous order, and the lowest
things of successive order become the
outermost things of simultaneous order.
It is, comparatively, like a column of
steps, subsiding, and becoming a co
herent body, in a plain. Thus, what
is simultaneous is formed from what is
successive, and this in all and every
thing of the natural world, and in all
and every thing of the spiritual world ;
for every where there is a first, a mid
dle, and a last ; and the first, by the
middle, tends and goes to its last ; but
it should be well understood, that there
are degrees of purity, according to
which each order is made. Now to
the Word: the celestial, the spiritual
and the natural proceed from the Lord
in successive order ; and, in the last,
they are in simultaneous order ; 'so now
the celestial and the spiritual senses of
the Word are together in its natural
sense. When this is comprehended,
it may be seen how the natural sense
ofthe Word is the continent, the basis
and the firmament of its spiritual and
celestial senses ; and also how the di
vine good and the divine truth, in the
sense of the letter of the Word, are in
their fullness, in their holiness, and in
their power. Hence it may be evident,
that the Word is the Word itself,
in its sense of the letter ; for in this
interiorly there is spirit and life :
this is what the Lord says : The words
which I speak unto you, are spirit and
life, John vi. 63 ; for the Lord spoke
his words in the natural sense. The
celestial and the spiritual senses are
not the Word, without the natural
sense, for they are like spirit and life

without a body ; and they are, as was
said before, n. 213, like a palace which
has no foundation.
215. The truths of the sense of the
letter of the Word, as to a part, are not
naked truths, but they are appearances
of truth, and like similitudes and com
parisons taken from such things as are
in nature, and which thus are accom
modated and adapted to the capacity
of the simple, and also of children ;
but, because they are at the same time
correspondences, they are the recepta
cles and habitations of genuine truth ;
and they are vessels which contain, as
a crystal cup contains noble wine, a
silver plate palatable food ; and as gar
ments used for clothing, as swaddling-
bands for an infant, and a handsome
dress for a virgin ; they are also like
the scientifics of the natural man,
which comprehend in them the percep
tions and affections of spiritual truth
The naked truths themselves, which
are included, contained, clothed and
comprehended, are in the spiritual
sense of the Word, and the naked
goods are in its celestial sense. But
this may be illustrated from the Word :
Jesus said, Wo unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, because ye cleanse the outside
ofthe cup and of the platter, but the in-
sides are full of rapine and intemper
ance. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the
inside of the cup and of the platter,
that the outside also may be clean,
Matt, xxiii. 25, 26. Here the Lord
spoke by similitudes and comparisons,
which at the same time are correspond
ences ; and He said cup and platter ;
and by cup is not only meant, but also
signified, the truth of the Word ; for
by the cup wine is meant, and truth is
signified by teine ; but by the platter
meat is meant, and good is signified
by meat ; wherefore, by cleansing the
inside of the cup and of the platter, is
signified, to purify the interiors of the
mind, which are of the will and the
thought, by the Word ; by that thus
the outside may be clean, is signified,
that thus the exteriors are purified,
which are works and words, for the
latter derive their essence from the
former. Again, Jesus said, There was

176

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

a certain rich man, who was clothed
in purple and fine linen, and fared
sumptuously every day ; and there was
a certain poor man, named Lazarus,
who was laid at his gate, full of sores,
Luke xvi. 19, 20. Here also the Lord
spoke by similitudes and comparisons,
which were correspondences, and con
tained spiritual things ; by the rich
man is meant the Jewish nation, who
are called rich, because they had the
Word, in which are spiritual riches;
by the purple and fine linen, with which
he was clothed, is signified the good
and truth of the Word ; by purple, its
good, and by fine linen, its truth; by
faring sumptuously every day, is sig
nified their delight in having it, and in
hearing from it many things in the tem
ples and synagogues; by the poor man,
Lazarus, are meant the Gentiles, be
cause they had not the Word ; that
they were despised and rejected by the
Jews, is meant by Lazarus being laid
at the rich man's gate ; by full of sores,
is meant that the Gentiles, from igno
rance of the truth, were in many falses.
That the Gentiles are meant by Laza
rus, was because the Gentiles were
loved by the Lord ; as Lazarus, who
was raised from the dead, was loved
by the Lord, John xi. 3, 5, 36; and is
called his friend, xi. 11 ; and sat at
table with the Lord, xii. 2. From
these two passages, it is manifest that
the truths and goods of the sense of
the letter ofthe Word, are like vessels,
and like garments for the naked good
and truth, which two are concealed in
the spiritual and celestial senses ofthe
Word. Since the Word, in the sense
of the letter, is such, it follows, that
those who are in divine truths, and in
the belief that the Word, inwardly, in
its bosom, is holy and divine, and es
pecially those who are in the faith that
the Word is such from its spiritual
and celestial senses, while, in illustra
tion from the Lord, they read the
Word, see divine truths in natural
light ; for the light of heaven, in which
the spiritual sense of the Word is, flows
into natural light, in which the sense
of the letter of the AVord is, and illu
minates the intellectual of man, which

is called the rational, and makes him
see and acknowledge divine truths,
where they are obvious and where they
are latent. These things, with the
light of heaven, flow into some, on some
occasions, even when they are uncon
scious of it.
216. Since the Word, in its inmost
bosom, from its celestial sense, is like
a gentle flame which enkindles, and
in its middle bosom, from its spiritual
sense, is like a light which enlightens,
therefore the Word, in its last, from its
natural sense, is like a transparent
object receiving both, which, from the
flame, is red like purple, and from the
light, white like snow; thus it is re
spectively like a ruby and like a dia
mond ; from the celestial flame, like a
ruby, and from the spiritual light, like
a diamond. Because the Word is
such in the sense of the letter, there
fore the Word in this sense is meant,
( 1 . ) By the precious stones of which the
foundations of the New Jerusalem con
sisted. (2.) Also by the Urim and
Thummim upon the ephod of Aaron.
(3.) And also by the garden of Eden,
in ivhich the king of Tyre is said to
have been. (4.) As also by the cur
tains, veils and columns of the taberna
cle. (5.) In like manner, by the exter
nals of the temple at Jerusalem. (6.)
That the Word in its glory was repre
sented in the Lord, when He was
transfigured. (7.) That the power
of the Word, in its lasts or ultimates,
was represented by the Nazarites.
(8.) Of the ineffable power of the
Word. But these things are to be il
lustrated one by one.
217. (1.) That the Truths of the
Letter of the Word are meant by the
precious Stones of which the Founda
tions of the New Jerusalem consisted,
in the Revelation, xxi. 17 to 21.
It was mentioned above, n. 209,
that there are precious stones in the
spiritual world, as well as in the natu
ral world, and that their spiritual ori
gin is from the truths in the sense of
the letter of the Word ; this appears
incredible, but still it is a truth.
Thence it is, that wheresoever in the.
Word precious stones are named, by

or the Word ofthe Lord.

17'

them, in the spiritual sense, truths are
meant. That by the precious stones,
of which the foundations of the wall
around the city New Jerusalem are
said to be constructed, are signified
the truths of the doctrine of the New
Church, follows hence, because by
the New Jerusalem is meant the New
Church, as to doctrine from the Word ;
wherefore, by its wall, and by the foun
dations of the wall, no other can be
meant than the external of the Word,
which is the sense of its letter ; for it
is this from which doctrine is, and by
doctrine the church ; and this sense is
like a wall with foundations, which en
compasses and secures a city. Con
cerning the New Jerusalem and its
doctrine, these words are read in the
Revelation : An angel measured the
wall of the city Jerusalem, a hundred
forty and four cubits, which was the
measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
And the wall had twelve foundations,
adorned with every precious stone.
The first foundation was a jasper ; the
second a sapphire ; the third a chalce
dony ; the fourth an emerald; the fifth
a sardonyx ; the sixth a sardius ; the
seventh a chrysolite; the eighth a beryl;
the ninth a topaz ; the tenth a chrysopra-
sus ; the eleventh a jacinth ; the twelfth
an amethyst, xxi. 17 to 20. The rea
son why the foundations of the wall
there were twelve, of as many precious
stones, is, because the number twelve sig
nifies all the things of truth from good ;
here, therefore, all things of doctrine.
But these things, as also those which
precede and follow in that chapter,
may be seen particularly explained and
confirmed by parallel passages from
the Word, in our Apocalypse Re
vealed. 218. (2.) That the Goods and
Truths of the Word, in the Sense
cf its Letter, are meant by the Urim
and Thummim, upon the Ephod of
Aaron. The Urim and Thummim were up
on the ephod of Aaron, by whose
priesthood the Lord was represented,
as to the divine good, and as to the
work of salvation. By the garments
of the priesthood, or of its holiness,
23

were represented divine truths from the
Lord ; by the ephod, was represented
the divine truth in its ultimate, and so
the Word, in the sense of the letter,
for this is divine truth in its ultimate ;
thence by the twelve precious stones,
with the names of the twelve tribes of
Israel, which were the Urim and
Thummim, were represented divine
truths from divine good in the whole
complex. Concerning these, it is thus
read in Moses : They shall make the
ephod of blue and purple, scarlet double
dyed, and fine-twined linen; and after
wards they shall make the breastplate
of judgment according to the work of
the ephod; and thou shalt set it with
settings of stone, four rows of stone ;
the first row, a ruby, a topaz and an
emerald ; the second row, a chrysopra-
sus, a sapphire and a diamond; the
third row, a ligure, an agate and an
amethyst ; the fourth row, a beryl, a
sardius and a jasper. These stones
shall be according to the names of the
sons of Israel; the engravings of a sig
net shall be according to their name for
the twelve tribes of Israel ; and Aaron
shall carry upon the breastplate of
judgment, the Urim and Thummim;
and let them be upon the heart of
Aaron, when he goeth in before Jeho
vah, Exod. xxviii. 6, 15 to 20, 30.
What was represented by the garments
of Aaron, his ephod, robe, coat, mitre
and belt, is explained in the Arcana
Coslestia, published at London, upon
that chapter, where it is shown, that by
the ephod is represented divine truth
in its ultimate ; that by the precious
stones there, are represented divine
truths shining from good ; by twelve in
a fourfold order, all those truths from
the firsts to the lasts ; by the twelve
tribes, all the things of the church ; by
the breastplate, divine truth from di
vine good in a universal sense ; by the
Urim and Thummim, the brilliancy of
divine truth from divine good, in the
lasts or ultimates ; for Urim is shin
ing fire, and Thummim is brilliancy, in
the angelic language, and integrity in
the Hebrew language : and also that
answers were given by variegations of
light, and, at the same time, by tacit

178

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

perception, or by an audible voice ;
besides many other things. From
these things, it may be evident, that
by these stones, also, are signified di
vine truths from good, in the last or
ultimate sense of the Word ; nor are
answers from heaven given by other
means, because, in that sense, the pro
ceeding divine is in its fullness.
219. (3.) That similar Things
arc meant by the Precious Stones
in. the Garden of Eden, in which
the King of Tyre is said to have
been. It is read in Ezekiel, King of Tyre,
thou who sealest up thy measure, full
of wisdom and perfect in beauty ; thou
hast been in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone was thy covering ;
the ruby, the topaz and the diamond ;
the beryl, the sardonyx and the jasper ;
the sapphire, the chrysoprasus and the
emerald; and gold, xxviii. 12, 13. By
Tyre, in the Word, is signified the
church, as to the knowledges of the
good and the true ; by king, is signified
the truth of the church ; by the garden
of Eden, is signified wisdom and intel
ligence from the Word ; by precious
stones, are signified truths shining from
good, such as are in the sense of the
letter of the Word ; and because these
things are signified by those stones,
therefore they are called his covering.
That the sense of the letter covers the
interior things of the Word, may be
seen above, n. 213.
220. (4.) That Goods and Truths,
in the Lasts or Ultimates, such as
they are in the Sense of the Letter of
the Word, were represented by the Cur
tains, Veils and Columns of the Tab
ernacle. By the tabernacle built by Moses
in the wilderness, was represented
heaven and the church ; wherefore the
form of it was shown by Jehovah upon
mount Sinai ; thence by all the things
which were in that tabernacle, which
were the candlestick, the golden altar
for incense, and the table upon which
was the bread of faces, were represent
ed and signified the holy things of
heaven and the church ; and by the
holy of holies, where was the ark of

the covenant, was represented, and
thence signified, the inmost of heaven
and the church ; and by the law itself,
written upon the two tables, was signi
fied the Word ; and by the cherubs
above it, were signified guards, lest the
holy things of the Word should be vio
lated. Now, because externals derive
their essence from internals, and these
and those from the inmost, which there
was the law, therefore the holy things
of the Word were represented and sig
nified by all the things of the taberna
cle ; thence it follows, that by the last
things, or ultimates, of the tabernacle,
which were the curtains, veils and
columns, which were the coverings,
continents and firmaments, were signi
fied the last things or ultimates of the
Word, which are the truths and goods
of the sense of its letter. Because
those things were signified, therefore
all the curtains and veils were made
of fine-twined linen, and blue, and pur
ple, and scarlet double dyed, with cher
ubs, Exod. xxvi. 1, 31, 36. What was
represented and signified, in general
and in particular, by the tabernacle
and by all the things that were in it, is
explained in the Arcana Cgslesth,
upon that chapter of Exodus : and it
is there shown, that by the curtains
and veils, were represented the exter
nals of heaven and the church, and so
likewise the externals of the Word;
and also that by fine linen, was signi
fied truth from a spiritual origin ; by
blue, truth from a celestial origin ; by
purple, celestial good ; by scarlit
double dyed, spiritual good ; and by
cherubs, the guards of the interiors of
the Word.
221. (5.) That the same was repre
sented by the Externals of the Temple
at Jerusalem.
The reason is, because by the tem
ple, as well as by the tabernacle, was
represented heaven and the church;
but by the temple, the heaven in which
the spiritual angels are, and by the
tabernacle, the heaven where the ce
lestial angels are. The spiritual an
gels are they who are in wisdom from
the Word, but the celestial angels are
they who are in love from the Word

or the Word of the Lord.

179

That by the temple at Jerusalem, in
the highest sense, was signified the
Divine Human ofthe Lord, He teaches
m John : Destroy this temple, and in
three days I will raise it up ; He spoke
concerning the temple of his body, ii.
19, 21 ; and where the Lord is meant,
the Word also is meant, because He
is the Word. Now, because by the
interiors ofthe temple, were represent
ed the interiors of heaven and the
church, and so likewise of the Word,
therefore, by its exteriors were repre
sented and signified the exteriors of
heaven and the church, and so likewise
of the Word, which are the sense of
its letter. Concerning the exteriors
ofthe temple, it is read, that They xoere
buil' of whole stone, not. hewn, and of
cedar within; and that all its walls
within were carved with cherubs, palm-
trees, and openings of flowers; and that
the floor was overlaid with gold, 1
Kings vi. 7, 29, 30; by all which
things, also, are signified the externals
of the Word, which are the holy things
ofthe sense of its letter.
222. (6.) That the Word in its
Glory was represented in the Lord,
when He was transfigured.
Concerning the Lord transfigured
before Peter, James and John, it is
read, That his face shone like the sun;
his garments became like the light ; and
that Moses and Elijah were seen talk
ing with Him ; and that a bright cloud
overshadowed the disciples ; and that a
voice was heard from the cloud, saying,
This is my beloved, Son; hear Him,
Matt. xvii. 1 to 5. I have been in
structed, that the Lord then represent
ed the Word ; by his face, which shone
like the sun, was represented the divine
good of his divine love ; by the gar
ments, which became like the light, the
divine truth of his divine wisdom ; by
Moses and Elijah, the historical and
prophetical Word ; by Moses, the Word
written by Him, and the historical
Word in general ; and by Elijah, all
the prophetical Word ; by the bright
cloud, which overshadowed, the disciples,
the Word in the sense of the letter ;
wherefore, from this a voice was heard,
saying, This is my beloved Son ; hear

Him ; for all declarations and answers
from heaven are always made by ulti
mates, such as are in the sense of the
letter of the Word ; for they are made
by the Lord in fullness.
223. (7.) That the powet of the
Word, in Ultimates, was represented
by the Nazariles.
It is read in the book of Judges
concerning Samson, that he was a
Nazarite from his mother's womb, and
that his power consisted in hair. By
Nazarite, and Nazariteship, also, is
signified hair. That his power con
sisted in his hair, he himself made
manifest, saying, There hath not come
a razor upon my head, because I am a
Nazarite from my mother's womb ; if
I be shaved, then my strength will go
from, me, and I shall become weak, and
shall be like any other man, Judges
xvi. 17. No one can know why the
Nazariteship, by which is signified
hair, was instituted, and whence it is
that Samson had strength from his
hair, unless he knows what is signified
in the Word by the head. By the head,
is signified the intelligence which an
gels and men have from the Lord by
divine truth; thence, by hair, is signi
fied intelligence in ultimates, or ex
tremes, from divine truth. Because
this was signified by hair, therefore it
was a statute for the Nazarites, that
they should not shave the hair of their
head, because that is the Nazariteship
of God upon their head, Num. vi. 1 to
2l ; and also it was for that reason or
dained, that the high priest and his
sons should not shave their heads, lest
they should die, and the whole house of
Israel should be angry, Lev. x. 6.
Since the hair, on account of this sig
nification from correspondence, was so
holy, therefore the Son of Man, who is
the Lord as to the Word, is described
even as to the hair, that it was like
white wool, like snow, Rev. i. 14 ; in
like manner, the Ancient of days, Dan.
vii. 9. Since hair signifies truth in
the ultimates, and so the sense of the
letter of the Word, therefore those who
despise the Word, in the spiritual
world become bald ; and, on the con
trary, those who have highly esteemed

180

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

tho Word, and have accounted it holy,
appear in becoming hair. On account
of this correspondence, it came to pass,
that forty-two children, because they
called Elisha bald, were torn in pieces
by two she-bears, 2 Kings ii. 23, 24 ;
for Elisha represented the church, as
to doctrine from the Word, and she-
bears signify the power of truth in the
ultimates. That the power of divine
truth, or of the Word, is in the sense
of its letter, is because the Word
there is in its fullness, and because the
angels of both kingdoms of the Lord,
and men, are together in that sense.
224. (8.) Concerning the ineffable
Power of the Word.
Scarcely any one, at this day, knows
that there is any power in truths ; for
it is supposed that it is only a word
spoken by some one who is in authori
ty, which ought, on that account, to
be done ; consequently, that truth is
only like breath from the mouth, or
sound in the ear ; when yet truth and
good are the constituent principles of
all things in both worlds, the spiritual
and the natural ; and that they are the
things by which the universe was cre
ated, and by which the universe is pre
served, and also by which man was
made ; wherefore those two are all in
all. That the universe was created
by the Divine Truth, is openly said in
John : In the beginning ivas the Word,
and the Word was God; all things
were made by Him, that were made.
And the world was made by Him, i. 1,3,
10. And in David, By the Word of
Jehovali the heavens were made, Psalm
xxxiii. 6. By the Word, in both pas
sages, is meant the divine truth. Since
the universe was created by it, there
fore, also, the universe is preserved by
t ; for, as subsistence is perpetual ex
istence, so preservation is perpetual
creation. That man was made by the
divine truth, is, because all the things
of man refer themselves to the under
standing and the will ; and the under
standing is the receptacle of divine
truth, and the will, of divine good;
consequently the human mind, which
consists of those two principles, is no
other than a form of divine truth and

divine good, spiritually and naturally
organized : the human brain is thai
form ; and because the whole of man
depends on his mind, all the things
which are in his body are appendages,
which are actuated and live from those
two principles. Hence, now, it may
be evident, why God came into the
world, as the Word, and became Man;
that this was for the sake of redemp
tion ; for then God, by the Human,
which was divine truth, put on all
power, and cast down, subjugated and
reduced under obedience to Himself,
the hells, which had grown up even to
the heavens, where the angels were ;
and this not by an oral word, but by
the divine Word, which is the divine
truth ; and afterwards He opened a
great gulf between the hells and the
heavens, which no one from hell can
pass over ; if any one attempts it, he is,
at the first step, tortured like a serpent,
placed upon plates of red-hot iron, or
upon a heap of ants ; for devils and
satans, as soon as they smell the divine
truth, instantly precipitate themselves
into the deep, oast themselves into cav
erns, and stop them up so closely, that not
a crack may be open. The reason is, be
cause their will is in evils, and their
understanding in falses, and so in the
opposites to divine good and divine
truth ; and because the whole man
consists of those two principles of life,
as was said, therefore they are so griev
ously tortured all over, from the head
to the heel, on the sensible perception
of the opposite. Hence it may be evi
dent, that the power of divine truth is
ineffable ; and because the Word,
which is in the Christian church, is
the continent of divine truth, in the
three degrees, it is manifest, that it is
that which is meant in John i. 3, 10.
That the power of this is ineffable, I
can confirm by many documents of ex
perience, in the spiritual world; but,
because they exceed belief, or appear
incredible, I forbear to adduce them ;
some, however, you may see related
above, n. 209. From these things, this
memorable inference will be deduced;
That the church, which is in divine
truths from the Lord, prevails over the

or the Word of the Lc rd.

181

hells, and that it is that, concerning
which the Lord said to Peter, Upon
this rock I will build my church, and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it, Matt xvi. 18. The Lord said these
words, when Peter had confessed that
He was the Christ, the Son of the liv
ing God, 16; this truth is meant there
by rock; for by rock, every where in
the Word, is meant the Lord as to di
vine truth.
225. V. That the Doctrine of
the Church should be derived
from the Sense of the Letter of
the Word, and confirmed bv it.
It was shown in the preceding ar
ticles, that the Word, in the sense of
the letter, is in its fullness, in its holi
ness, and in its power ; and because
the Lord is the Word, and the First
and the Last, as He says in the Reve
lation, i. 17, it follows that the Lord,
in that sense, is most present, and that
from that, He teaches and enlightens
man ; but these things are to be de
monstrated in this order : (1.) That the
Word, without doctrine, is not under
stood. (2.) That doctrine should be
derived from the sense of the letter of
the Word. (3.) But that divine truth,
which is of doctrine, does not appear to
any others, than those who are in illus
tration from the Lord.
226. (1.) That the Word, without
Doctrine, is not understood.
The reason is, because the Word,
in the sense of the letter, consists of
mere correspondences, to the end that
spiritual and celestial things may be in
it together, and that every single word
may be a continent and support of
them ; therefore divine truths, in the
sense of the letter, are rarely naked,
but clothed, which are called appear
ances of truth ; and there are many
things accommodated to the capacity
of the simple, who do not elevate their
thoughts above such things as they see
before their eyes ; and there are some
things, which appear like contradic
tions, when yet, in the Word, viewed
in its own spiritual light, there is no
contradiction ; and also in some pas
sages in the prophets, there are names
of places and persons brought togeth

er, from which no sense can be elicit
ed. Since, therefore, the Word, in
the sense of the letter, is such, it may
be evident, that it cannot be under
stood without doctrine. But examples
may illustrate. It is said that Jehovah
repenteth, Exod. xxxii, 12, 14; Jonah
iii. 9, iv. 2 ; and also it is said, that
Jehovah doth not repent, Num. xxiii.
19; 1 Sam. xv. 29. These, without
doctrine, are not conformable to each
other. It is said that Jehovah visiteth
the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children unto the third and fourth gen
eration, Num. xiv. 18 ; and also it is
said, that The father shall not die on
account of the son, nor the son on ac
count of the father ; but every one in
his own sin, Deut. xxiv. 16. These do
not disagree, but agree by doctrine.
Jesus says, Ask, and it shall be given
to you; seek, and. ye shall find; and
to him that knocketh, it shall be open
ed, Matt. vii. 7, 8 ; xxi. 21 , 22. With
out doctrine, it might be supposed that
every one would receive what he asks ;
but from doctrine it is known, that
whatever man asks ofthe Lord, this is
given. This also the Lord teaches ,
If ye abide in Me, and my words abide
in you, whatever ye wish, ask, and it
shall be done for you, John xv. 7. The
Lord says, Blessed are the poor, because
the kingdom of God is theirs, Luke vi.
20. Without doctrine, it may be
thought, that heaven is for the poor,
and not for the rich ; but doctrine
teaches, that the poor in spirit are
meant ; for the Lord says, Blessed arc
the poor in spirit, because the kingdom
of the heavens is theirs, Matt. v. 5.
Again, the Lord says, Judge not, lest
ye be judged; with what judgment ye
judge, ye shall be judged, Matt. vii. I,
2; Luke vi. 37. Without doctrine,
any one might be led to conclude that
we should not judge concerning a bad
man, that he is bad ; but from doctrine
it is lawful to judge, but justly ; for
the Lord says, Judge righteous judg
ment, John vii. 24. Jesus says, Be not
ye called teacher; because one is youi
Teacher, Christ. Call no man your
father on the earth ; for one is your
Father in the heavens. Neither be ye

182

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

called masters ; for one is your Master,
Christ, Matt, xxiii. 8, 9, 10. Without
doctrine, it would be, that it is not
lawful to call any one teacher, father,
and master; but from doctrine, it is
known, that it is lawful in a natural
sense, but not in a spiritual sense. Je
sus said to the disciples, When the
Son of man shall sit upon the throne
of his glory, ye also shall sit upon
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes
of Israel, Matt. xix. 28. From these
words, it may be concluded, that the
disciples ofthe Lord are also to judge,
when yet they can judge no one ; doc
trine, therefore, will reveal this myste
ry, by this, that the Lord alone, who
is omniscient, and knows the hearts of
all, will judge, and is able to judge;
and that, by his twelve disciples, is
meant the church as to all the truths
and goods which it has from the Lord
by the Word ; whence doctrine con
cludes, that those are to judge every
one, according to the words of the
Lord in John, iii. 17, 18 ; xii. 47, 48.
There are many other things in the
Word similar to these, from which it
is very manifest, that the Word, with
out doctrine, is not understood.
227. The Word, by doctrine, is not
only understood, but it also shines in
the understanding ; for doctrine is like
a chandelier with lighted candles ; a
man then sees many things, which he
had not seen before, and also under
stands those things, which he had not
understood before : obscure and dis
cordant passages he either does not
see and passes by, or he sees and ex
plains them so that they may be in
accordance with doctrine. That the
Word is seen from doctrine, and ex
plained according to it, is testified by
experience in the Christian world. All
the Reformed see the Word from their
doctrine, and they explain the Word ac
cording to it ; in like manner, the Roman
Catholics from theirs, and according to
it ; yea, the Jews from theirs, and accord
ing to it ; consequently they see falses
from false doctrine, and truths from true
doctrine. Hence it is manifest, that
rue doctrine is like a lantern in the
dark, and like a guide-post in the ways.

228. From these things, it may be
evident, that those who read the Word,
without doctrine, are in the dark con
cerning every truth, and that their
mind is wandering and uncertain,
prone to errors, and also inclinable to
heresies, which they embrace, if favor
and authority support them and their
fame be not endangered; for the
Word is to them like a candlestick
without light, and they see in the
shade, as it were, many things ; and
yet they see scarcely any thing, for
doctrine alone is the candle. I have
seen such explored by the angels, and
it was found that they could confirm
from the Word whatever they would,
and. that they do confirm, particularly,
those things which are of their love,
and of the love of those whom they fa
vor. But I saw them stripped of their
garments, a sign that they were with
out truths ; garments there are truths.
229. (2.) That Doctrine should
be derived from the Sense of the
Letter of the Word, and confirmed
by it.
The reason is, because the Lord
is there present, and teaches and illus
trates ; for the Lord never performs
any thing except in fullness, and the
Word, in the sense of the letter, is in
its fullness, as was shown above ;
thence it is, that doctrine should be
derived from the sense of the letter.
The doctrine of genuine truth may al
so be fully derived from the literal
sense of the Word ; for the Word, in
that sense, is like a man clothed,
whose face is bare, and whose hands
also are bare. All the things whicli
appertain to the faith and life of man,.
consequently to his salvation, are there
naked or bare, but the rest are clothed;
and in many places where they are
clothed, they appear through the cloth
ing as objects appear to a woman
through thin silk before her face. The
truths of the Word, also, as they are
multiplied from the love of them, and
as by this they are arranged in order.
shine and appear more and more
clearly. 230. It may be supposed, that the
doctrine of genuine truth might be

or the Word of the Lord.

183

obtained by the spiritual sense of the
Word, which is given by the science
of correspondences ; but doctrine is
not obtained by that, but it is only
illustrated and corroborated; for, as
was before said, n. 208, a man, by
some correspondences which are
known, may falsify the Word, by con
joining and applying them to confirm
that which is fixed in his mind from
a principle which he has imbibed.
Besides, the spiritual sense is not giv
en to any one, except by the Lord
alone, and it is guarded by Him, as
the angelic heaven is guarded ; for
this is in it.
231. (3.) That genuine Truth, which
should be of Doctrine, in the Sense
of the Letter of the Word, does
not appear to any others, than those
who are in Illustration from the
Lord. Illustration is from the Lord alone,
and with those who love truths because
they are truths, and make them uses
of life ; with others, dlustration in the
Word is not given. That illustration
is from the Lord alone, is, because the
Word is from Him, and thence He is
in it. That those have illustration,
who love truths because they are
truths, and make them uses of life, is,
because they are in the Lord, and the
Lord in them ; for the Lord is the
Truth itself, as was shown in the chap
ter concerning the Lord ; and the
Lord is then loved, when man lives ac
cording to his divine truths, and so
when uses are performed from them, ac
cording to these words in John : In that
day, ye shall know that ye are in Me,
and I in you. He who hath my com
mandments, and doeth them, loveth Me ;
and I will love him, and will manifest
Myself to him; and I will come to
him, and make an abode with him, xiv.
20, 21, 23. These are they who are
in illustration, when they read the
Word, and with whom the Word
shines and becomes translucent. The
reason why the Word, with those, shines
and becomes translucent, is, because
there is a spiritual and a celestial
sehse in every part of the Word, and
these senses are in the light of heaven ;

wherefore, through these senses, and
their light, the Lord flows into the nat
ural sense of the Word, and into the
light of this with man ; thence man
acknowledges the truth from an interi
or perception, and then sees it in his
thought, and this as often as he is in
the affection of truth, for the sake of
truth; for perception comes from af
fection, and thought from perception,
and thus acknowledgment is made,
which is called faith.
232. The contrary happens to those,
who read the Word from the doctrine
of a false religion, especially to those
who confirm that doctrine from the
Word, and then look to their own glo
ry, and to the riches of the world.
With these, the truths of the Word are
as in the shade of night, and falses as
in the light of day ; they read truths,
but they do not see them ; and if they
see the shadow of them, they falsify
them. These are they, concerning
whom the Lord says, that They have
eyes, and they do not see, and ears, and
they do not understand, Matt. xiii. 14,
15. Thence their light, in spiritual
things, which are of the church, be
comes merely natural, and the sight
of their mind, like that of one who
sees spectres in the bed when he
wakes up ; or like that of one walking
in the night, who believes himself
awake when he is asleep.
233. It has been given me to speak
with many after death, who believed
that they should shine like the stars in
heaven, because, as they said, they
had accounted the Word holy, had of
ten read it through, had collected
thence many things, by which they
had confirmed the tenets of their faith,
and therefore had been celebrated as
learned men; whence they believed
that they should be Michaels and Ra
phaels. But many of them were ex
amined, as to the love from which they
studied the Word ; and it was found
that some studied it from the love of
themselves, that they might be wor
shipped as primates of the church ;
and some from the love of the world,
that they might gain riches ; when
these, also, were examined, as to what

184

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

they knew from the Word, it was
found that they knew nothing thence
of genuine truth, but only such as is
called truth falsified, which in itself is
the false in a state of putridity, for in
heaven it stinks ; and it was said to
them, that they had this because they
themselves and the world were the
ends, when they read the Word, and
not the truth of faith and the good of
life ; and when self and the world
become ends, then the mind, in read
ing the Word, is fixed in self and
in the world ; and thence they think
continually from their proprium, and
the proprium of man is in thick dark
ness, as to all the things which are of
heaven and the church ; in which state
man cannot be led by the Lord, and
elevated into the light of heaven ; con
sequently he cannot receive any influx
from the Lord through heaven. I have
also seen these admitted into heaven,
and when there they were found to be
without truths, they were cast down ;
but still there remained with them
a conceit that they were deserving.
The case was different with those who
had studied the Word from the affec
tion of knowing truth, because it is
truth, and serves for the uses of life,
not only of their own, but also of their
neighbor's : those I have seen elevated
into heaven, and thus into the light in
which the divine truth there is ; and
then, at the same time, exalted into
angelic wisdom, and into its happiness,
in which the angels of heaven are.
234. VI. That by the Sense of
the Letter of the Word, there
is Conjunction with the Lord, and
Consociation with the Angels.
That by the Word, there is con
junction with the Lord, is, because He
is the Word, that is, the Divine Truth
itself and the Divine Good therein ;
that conjunction is by the sense of the
letter, is, because the Word, in that
sense, is in its fullness, in its holiness,
and in its power, as was shown above,
in its proper article. This conjunction
does not appear to man, but it is in the
affection of truth, and in the percep
tion of it. That by the sense ofthe
letter, there is consociation with the

angels of heaven, is, because the sph>
itual sense and the celestial sense are
within that sense, and the angels are
in those senses; the angels of the
Lord's spiritual kingdom, in the spirit
ual sense ofthe Word, and the angels
of his celestial kingdom, in its celestial
sense : these two senses are evolved from
the natural sense of the Word, whilst
man, who accounts the Word holy, is
reading it. The evolution is instantane
ous ; consequently consociation is also.
235. That the spiritual angels are
in the spiritual sense ofthe Word, and
the celestial angels in its celestial
sense, has been manifested to me by
much experience. It was given to per
ceive, that, while I was reading the
Word in the sense of its letter, com
munication was made with the heav
ens, now with this society there, now
with that : the things which I under
stood according to the natural sense,
the spiritual angels understood accord
ing to the spiritual sense, and the ce
lestial angels according to the celestial
sense, and this in an instant ; and be
cause this communication has been
perceived several thousands of times,
I have not any doubt left concerning
it. There are also spirits who are be
low the heavens, and who abuse this
communication ; for they recite some
sayings from the sense of the letter of
the Word, and immediately observe
and note the society with which com
munication is made : this, also, I have
often seen and heard. From these
things, it has been given to know by
lively experience, that the Word, as
to the sense of its letter, is a divine
medium of conjunction with the Lord,
and of consociation with the angels of
heaven. 236. But it shall be illustrated by
examples, how the spiritual angels
perceive their sense, and the celestial
angels theirs, from the natural sense,
when man reads the Word. Let four
commandments of the decalogue be
for examples; as, the Fifth Com
mandment, Thou shalt not kill. By
this, man not only understands to kill,
but also to cherish hatred and breathe
revenge even to death ; a spiritual an-

or the Word of the Lord.

185

gel, for kitting, understands to act the
devil and destroy the sou] of man ; but
a celestial angel, for killing, under
stands to cherish hatred towards the
Lord and the Word. The Sixth
Commandment, Thou shalt not com
mit adultery. Man, by committing adul
tery, understands to commit whoredom,
to do obscene things, to speak lascivious
words, and to entertain filthy thoughts ;
a spiritual angel, for committing adulte
ry, understands to adulterate the goods
of the Word", and to falsify its truths ;
but a celestial angel, for committing
adultery, understands to deny the Di
vine of the Lord, and to profane the
Word. The Seventh Commandment,
Thou shalt not steal. Man, by steal
ing, understands, to steal, to defraud,
and, under any pretence, to take away
from the neighbor his goods ; a spiritu
al angel, for stealing, understands to
deprive others of the truths and goods
of their faith, by falses and evils ; but a
celestial angel, for stealing, under
stands to attribute to himself those
things which are the Lord's, and to
claim to himself his righteousness and
merit. The Eighth Commandment,
Thou shalt not bear false witness. Man,
by bearing false ivitncss, understands,
also, to tell lies, and to defame any
one ; a spiritual angel, for bearing false
witness, understands to say, and to per
suade others to believe, that the false is
true, and evil is good, and vice ver
sa; but a celestial angel, for bearing
false witness, understands to blaspheme
the Lord and the Word. From these
examples, it may be seen how the spir
itual and the celestial are evolved and
extracted from the natural sense of the
Word, within which they are ; and,
what is wonderful, the angels extract
their senses, without knowing what the
man is thinking; but still the thoughts
of angels and men make one by corre
spondences, like end, cause and effect;
ends, also, are actually in the celestial
kingdom, causes in the spiritual king
dom, and effects in the natural king
dom ; thence, now, the consociation of
men with angels is by means of the
Word. 237. That a spiritual angel extracts
24

and calls forth from the sense of the
letter of the Word spiritual things, and
a celestial angel, celestial things, is, be
cause those' things are according to
their nature, and are homogeneous.
That it is so, may be illustrated by sim
ilar things in the three kingdoms of na
ture, the animal, the vegetable and the
mineral. In the Animal Kingdom ;
From the food, when it has become
chyle, the vessels derive and call forth
their blood, the nervous fibres, their
juice, and the substances which are
the origins of the fibres, their spirit. In
the Vegetable Kingdom ; A tree,
with its trunk, branches, leaves and
fruit, stands upon its root; and from
the ground, by means of the root, it ex
tracts and calls forth a grosser juice for
the trunk, branches and leaves, a
purer, for the fleshy part ofthe fruit, and
the purest, for the seeds within the fruit.
In the Mineral Kingdom ; In the bo
som ofthe earth, in some places, there
are minerals impregnated with gold,
silver, copper and iron; from the va
pors and effluvia from rocks, gold, sil
ver and iron, respectively, derive their
proper elements, and the watery ele
ment carries them round about.
238. The Word, in the letter, is like a
cabinet, in which lie in order precious
stones, pearls and diadems; and when a
man accounts the Word holy, and reads
it, for the sake of the uses of life, the
thoughts of his mind are, comparatively,
like one who holds such a cabinet in
his hand, and sends it to heaven, and
it is opened in its ascent, and the pre
cious things therein come to the angels,
who are interiorly delighted with see
ing and examining them. This de
light of the angels is communicated to
man, and makes consociation, and also
a communication of perceptions. For
the sake of this consociation with an
gels, and, at the same time, conjunc
tion with the Lord, the Holy Supper
was instituted, in which the Bread be
comes, in heaven, divine good, and
the Wine becomes divine truth, both
from the Lord. Such correspondence
is from creation, to the end that the an
gelic heaven, and the church upon earth
and the spiritual world in general,

186

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

may make one with the natural world,
and that the Lord may conjoin Himself
with both at the same time.
239. The reason, also, why the con
sociation of men with angels is effected
by the natural or literal sense of the
Word, is, because, in every man, there
are, from creation, three degrees of life,
the celestial, the spiritual and the natu
ral ; but man is in the natural degree as
long as he is in the world, and then so
far in the angelic-spiritual as he is in
genuine truths, and so far in the celes
tial as he is in a life according to them ;
but still he does not come into the spir
itual and celestial themselves, till after
death, because these two are included
and concealed in his natural ideas ;
wherefore, when the natural goes off
by death, the spiritual and the celestial
remain, from which the ideas of his
thought are then produced. From
these things, it may be evident, that in
the Word alone there is spirit and life,
as the Lord says : The ivords which I
speak unto you are spirit and life,
John vi. 63. The ivater which I will
give unto you shall become a fountain
of water, springing up into eternal life,
iv. 14. Man doth not live by bread
alone, but by every word proceeding
from' the mouth of God, Matt. iv. 4.
Work for the meat which endureth unto
eternal life, which the Son of Man will
give to you, John vi. 27.
240. VII. That the Word is in
all the Heavens, and that thence
is angelic Wisdom.
That the Word is in the heavens, has
been hitherto unknown ; nor could it
be made known so long as the church
was ignorant that angels and spirits are
men, altogether similar, in face and
body, to men in our world ; and that
there are with them things similar to
the things which are with men, in all
respects, with this difference only, that
they are spiritual, and that all the
things that are with them, are from a
spiritual origin ; and that men in the
world are natural, and that all the
things with them, are from a natural
origin. As long as this was concealed,
it could not be known, that the Word
is also in the heavens, and that it is read

by the angels there, and also by the
spirits who are under the heavens.
But lest this should be concealed forev
er, it has been given me to be in com
pany with angels and spirits, and to
speak with them, and to see the things
that are with them, and afterwards to
relate many things which I have seen
and heard; this has been done in a
work concerning Heaven and Hell,
published at London in the year 1758;
from which it may be seen, that angels
and spirits are men, and that there are
with them, in abundance, all the things
that there are with men in the world.
That angels and spirits are men, may be
seen in that work, n. 73 to 77, and n.
453 to 456 ; that there are with them
things similar to the things that are
with men in the world, n. 170 to 190;
and also that there is divine worship,
and that there is preaching in the
temples with them, n. 221 to 227 ; and
that there are writings and also books,
n. 253 to 264 ; and that the Sacred
Scripture or the Word is there, n. 259.
241. As to what respects the Word
in heaven, it is written in a spiritual
style, which differs entirely from a
natural style. The spiritual style con
sists of mere letters, each of which in
volves some particular sense ; and
there are little lines, curvatures and
dots above and between the letters and
in them, which exalt the sense. The
letters with the angels of the spiritual
kingdom are like the letters used in
printing, in our world, and the letters
with the angels of the celestial king
dom, are, with some, like Arabic let
ters, and with some like the old He
brew letters, but inflected above and
below, with marks above, between and
within ; each of these also involves an
entire sense. Because their writing is
such, therefore the names of persons and
places in the Word with them are ex
pressed by signs ; thence it is understood
by the wise, what spiritual and celestial
thing is signified by each ; as by Moses,
the Word of God written by him, and in
a general sense, the historical Word ;
by Elijah, the prophetical ; by Abra
ham, Isaac and Jacob, the Lord as to
the celestial Divine, the spiritual Di-

or the Word of the Lord.

187

vine and the natural Divine ; by Aaron,
the priestly office ; by David, the kingly
office, both of the Lord ; by the names
of the sons of Jacob, or of the twelve
tribes of Israel, various things of heav
en and the church ; similar things by
the names of the twelve disciples of the
Lord ; by Zion and Jerusalem, the
church as to doctrine from the Word ;
by the land of Canaan, the church it
self; by the places and cities there, on
this side and beyond the Jordan, vari
ous things which are of the church and
its doctrine. It is similar with num
bers ; these are not in the copies of the
Word which are in heaven, but, instead
of them, the things to which the num
bers correspond. From these things it
may be evident, that the Word, in heav
en, is, as to the literal sense, similar, and
at the same time corresponding to our
Word, and thus that they are one. This
¦s wonderful, that the Word in the heav
ens is so written, that the simple under
stand it in simplicity, and the wise in
wisdom ; for there are many curvatures
and marks above the letters, which, as
was said, exalt the sense; the sim
ple do not attend to them, nor do they
know them, but the wise attend, each
one according to his wisdom, even to
the highest. A copy of the Word,
written by angels inspired by the Lord,
is preserved amongst every larger soci
ety, in its sacred repository, lest the
Word, as to some point, should in other
places be altered. The Word which is
in our world, is similar to the Word in
heaven, in this, that the simple under
stand it in simplicity, and the wise in
wisdom ; but this is effected in a differ
ent manner.
242. That the angels have all their
wisdom by the Word, they themselves
confess; for as far as they are in the
understanding of the Word, so far they
are in light. The light cf heaven is
divine wisdom, which to their eyes is
light. In the sacred repository in
which a copy of the Word is laid up,
the light is flammeous and bright,
exceeding every degree of the light
which is out of it in heaven. The wis
dom of the celestial angels exceeds the
wisdom of the spiritual almost as much

as the wisdom of these angels exceeds
the wisdom of men ; and this because
the celestial angels are in the good of
love from the Lord, and the spiritual
angels are in the truths of wisdom from
the Lord ; and where the good of love
is, there wisdom resides at the same
time ; but where truths are, there re
sides no more of wisdom, than there
does, at the same time, of the good of
love. This is the reason why the Word,
in the Lord's celestial kingdom, is
written differently from the Word in
his spiritual kingdom ; for, in the Word
of the celestial kingdom, the things ex
pressed are the goods of love, and the
marks are affections of love ; but in the
word of the spiritual kingdom, the
things expressed are the truths of wis
dom, and the marks are interior per
ceptions of truth. From these things
it may be concluded, what wisdom
there is concealed in the Word, which
is in the world, for in it all angelic
wisdom, which is ineffable, is conceal
ed; and the man who is made an an
gel by the Lord, through the Word,
comes into that wisdom after death.
243. VIII. That the Church is
from the Word, and that it is such
with Man as is his Understanding
of the Word.
That the church is from the Word,
does not fall into doubt ; for it has been
shown above, that the Word is the di
vine truth, n. 189 to 192; that the
doctrine of the church is from the
Word, n. 225 to 233 ; and that con
junction with the Lord is by the Word,
n. 234 to 239; but that the under
standing ofthe Word makes the church,
may be a matter of doubt, because
there are those who believe that they
are of the church, because they have
the Word, read it or hear it from a
preacher, and know something of the
sense of its letter ; but how this and
that in the Word is to be understood,
they do not know, and some do not
care; wherefore it will here be con
firmed, that the Word does not make
the church, but the understanding of it,
and that the church is such, as is the
understanding of the Word with those
who are in the church.

188

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

244. That the church is according
to the understanding of the Word, is,
because the church is according to the
truths of faith and the goods of charity,
and these two are universals which are
not only scattered about through all
the literal sense of the Word, but they
are also concealed within, like precious
things in treasuries. Those things
which are in its literal sense, appear to
every man, because they flow in directly
into the eyes ; but those things which
are hid in the spiritual sense do not
appear, except to those who love truths
because they are truths, and do goods
because they are goods ; to these the
treasure is manifested, which the literal
sense covers and guards ; and these are
the things which, essentially, make the
church. 245. That the church is according
to its doctrine, and that doctrine is from
the Word, is known ; but still doctrine
does not make the church, but sound
ness and purity of doctrine, conse
quently the understanding of the
Word; but doctrine does not institute
and make the particular church, which
is with every single man, but faith
and a life according to it ; in like man
ner, the Word does not institute and
make the church, in particular, with
every man, but a faith according to the
truths, and a life according to the goods,
which he derives thence and applies
to himself. The Word is like a mine,
in which gold and silver are at the bot
tom in all abundance ; and like a mine
in which, more and more interiorly,
stones more and more precious are
concealed : these mines are opened
according to the understanding of
the Word. Without an understanding
of the Word, such as it is in itself, in
its bosom and in its depth, it would
no more make the church with man,
than those mines in the continent of
Asia could make an European rich,
unless he were among those who possess
and work them. The Word, with those
who search for the truths of faith, and
the goods of life thence, is like the
treasures with the king of Persia, the
Great Mogul, or the emperor of China ;
and the men of the church are like the

officers placed over them, to whom per
mission is given to take thence, for theii
uses, as much as they please ; but those
who only possess the Word, and read it,
and yet do not seek after genuine truths
for faith, and genuine goods for life, are
like those, who from hearsay, know that
so great treasures are there, but do not
receive from them any money. Those
who possess the Word, and do not de
rive thence any understanding of gen
uine truth, and will of genuine good
are like those who believe themselves to
be rich, from having borrowed money
of others, or having in possession the
farms, houses and merchandise of others :
that this is fanciful every one sees. They
are also similar to those who go dress
ed in fine clothes, and ride in gilded
chariots, with attendants before, behind
and at the sides, and yet not any of
those things are their own property.
246. Such was the Jewish nation:
wherefore that nation, because it pos
sessed the Word, was likened by the
Lord to a rich man, who was clothed
in purple and fine linen, and fared sump
tuously every day ; and yet he had not
derived from the Word so much of
good and truth, as to show mercy to
poor Lazarus, who lay before his gate
full of sores. That nation not only did
not appropriate to itself any truths from
the Word, but it appropriated falses in
such abundance, that, at length, not
any truth appeared to them ; for truths
are not only covered over by falses, but
they are also obliterated and rejected :
thence it was, that they did not ac
knowledge the Messiah, although all
the prophets had announced his advent.
247. In many places in the proph
ets, the church, with the Israelitish and
Jewish nation, is described as being
entirely destroyed and annihilated by
this, that they falsified the meaning or
understanding of the Word ; for noth
ing else destroys the church. The
understanding ofthe Word, as well the
true as the false, is described in the
prophets by Ephraim, particularly in
Hosea ; for by Ephraim, in the Word,
is signified the understanding of the
Word in the church. Since the un
derstanding of the Word makes the

or the Word, ofthe Lord.

189

church, therefore Ephraim is called in
the Word a dear son, and a pleasant
child, Jerem. xxxi. 21 ; the first
born, 20; the strength of the
head of Jehovah, Psalm lx. 9, cviii.
9 ; powerful, Zech. x. 7 ; filled with
the bow, ix. 13 : and the sons of
Ephraim are called armed, and shoot
ers with the bow, Psalm Ixxviii. 9 ;
for by the bow is signified doctrine
from the Word fighting against falses.
Therefore, also, Ephraim was removed
to the right hand of Israel, and blessed;
and also he was accepted instead of
Reuben, Gen. xlviii. 5, 11, and the fol
lowing verses. And therefore Ephraim,
with his brother Manasseh, was exalted,
by Moses, in the benediction of the sons
of Israel, under the name of Joseph, their
father, above all, Deut. xxxiii. 13 to
17. But what the church is, when the
understanding of the Word is lost, is
also described by Ephraim, in the
prophets, particularly in Hosea, as in
these passages ; Israel and Ephraim
will fall together. Ephraim will be for
a wilderness. Ephraim is oppressed
and shaken in judgment, Hosea v.
5, 9, 1 1 , 12, 13, 14. What shall I do
to thee, O Ephraim, because thy holi
ness, like the morning cloud, and like
the early falling dew, goeth away ? vi.
4. They shall not dwell in the land of
Jehovah ; Ephraim shall return into
Egypt, and in Assyria he shall eat
what is unclean, ix. 3 ; the land of Je
hovah is the church ; Egypt is the sci
entific of the natural man ; Assyria is
reasoning thence ; from which two
together, the Word, as to the interior
understanding of it, is falsified ; there
fore it is said, that Ephraim shall re
turn into Egypt, and in Assyria he shall
eat what is unclean. Ephraim feedeth
on the wind, and followeth after the
east wind. Every day he multiplieth
falsehood and vastation ; he maketh a
covenant with A ssyria, and oil is carri
ed into Egypt, Hosea xii. 2. To feed
on the wind, to follow after the east
wind, and to multiply falsehood and
vastation, is to falsify truths, and thus
to destroy the church. The like is
signified by the whoredom of Ephraim ;
for whoredom signifies the falsification

of the understanding of the Word, that
is, of its genuine truth, as in these pas
sages : - I" know Ephraim, that he hath
altogether committed whoredom, and Is
rael is defiled, Hosea v. 3. In the
house of Israel, I have seen a horrible
thing ; there Ephraim committed whore
dom, and Israel is defiled, vi. 10. Israel
is the church itself, and Ephraim is the
understanding ofthe Word, from which
and according to which the church is ;
wherefore it is said, Ephraim has com
mitted whoredom, and Israel is defiled.
Since the church, with the Israelitish
and Jewish nation, was utterly destroy
ed by falsifications of the Word, there
fore it is said concerning Ephraim, /
will give thee up, Ephraim,! will deliver
thee up, Israel, like Admah, and I ivill
set thee as Zeboim, Hosea xi. 8. Now,
because the prophet. Hosea, from the first
chapter to the last, treats concerning
the falsification of the genuine under
standing of the Word, and concerning
the destruction of the church thereby,
and because by whoredom is signified
the falsification ofthe truth there, there
fore it was commanded that prophet,
that he should represent the state ofthe
church, by taking to himself a harlot lo
wife, and begetting children of her, Ho
sea i. ; and again, that he should take
a woman, an adulteress, iii. These
passages have been cited, that it may be
known and confirmed from the Word,
that the church is such, as the under
standing ofthe word in it ; excellent and
precious, if the understanding be from
the genuine truths of the Word, but
destroyed, yea, filthy, if from those that
are falsified.
248. IX. That the Marriage of
the Lord and the Church, and
thence the marriage of the good
and the True, is in every Part of
the Word.
That the marriage of the Lord and
the church, and thence the marriage
of the good and the true, is in every
part ofthe Word, has not hitherto been
seen ; nor could it be seen, because the
spiritual sense of the Word has not be
fore been disclosed, and that marriage
cannot be seen, except by that ; for
there are two senses in the Word,

190

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

concealed in the sense of its letter,
which are called the spiritual and the
celestial. In the spiritual sense, in the
Word, those things which are of it re
fer themselves chiefly to the church ;
and in the celestial, chiefly to the Lord ;
and also in the spiritual sense, those
things which are of it refer themselves
to the divine truth, and in the celestial,
to the divine good ; thence, there is in
the Word that marriage. But this does
not appear to any one except to him,
who, from the spiritual and celes
tial senses, knows the significations of
words and names ; for some words and
names are predicated of good, and some
of truth, and some include both ; where
fore, without that knowledge, that mar
riage in every part of the Word cannot
be seen ; this is the reason, why this
arcanum was never before discovered.
Since there is such a marriage in every
part ofthe Word, therefore many times,
in the Word, there are two expressions,
which appear like repetitions of one
thing ; but yet they are not repetitions,
but one refers itself to good, and the
other to truth, and both, taken together,
make their conjunction, and so one
thing. Thence also is the divine ho
liness of the Word ; for, in every divine
work, there is good conjoined to truth,
and truth conjoined to good.
249. It is said, that the marriage of
the Lord and the church, and thence
the marriage of the good and the true,
is in every part of the Word, because,
where the marriage ofthe Lord and the
church is, there also is the marriage of
the good and the true, for this marriage
is from that ; for when the churcli, or
the man ofthe church, is in truths, then
the Lord flows into his truths with good,
and vivifies them ; or, what is the same,
when the man ofthe church is in the un
derstanding of truth, then the Lord, by
the good of charity, flows into his under
standing, and thus infuses life into him.
There are two faculties of life with
every man, which are called the under
standing and the will : the understand
ing is the receptacle of truth, and
thence of wisdom ; and the will is the
Teceptacle of good, and thence of char
ity ; these two faculties should make

one, that man may be a man of the
church ; and they do make one when
man forms the understanding from gen
uine truths and this is done to appear
ance as by himself, and when his will
is filled with the good of love, this is
done by the Lord ; thence man has the
life of truth, and the life of good ; the
life of truth in the understanding, and
the life of good. in the will, which, when
they are united, do not make two, but
one life. This is the marriage of the
Lord and the church, and also the mar
riage of the good and the true with
man. 250. That there are in the Word
two expressions, which appear like rep
etitions of the same thing, may be
seen by readers who attend to it; as,
brother and companion, poor and needy,
wilderness and desert, void and emp
tiness, foe and enemy, sin and iniquity,
anger and wrath, nation and people, joy
and gladness, mourning and weeping,
justice and judgment, &c, which ap
pear like synonymous expressions, when
yet they are not so; for brother, poor,
wilderness, foe, sin, anger, nation, joy,
mourning and justice, are predicated of
good, and in the opposite sense, of evil ;
but companion, needy, desert, emptiness,
enemy, iniquity, wrath, people, gladness,
weeping and judgment, are predicated
of truth, and in the opposite sense, of
the false ; and yet it appears to the rea
der, who does not know this arcanum,
that poor and needy , wilderness and des
ert, void and emptiness, &c, are one
thing, and yet they are not ; but they
become one thing by conjunction. In
the Word, also, many things are joined
together, as fire and flame, gold and sil
ver, brass and iron, wood and stone,
bread and wine, purple and fine linen,
&c. ; because fire, gold, brass, wood,
bread and purple, are predicated of
good ; but flame, silver, iron, stone, wa
ter, wine, andfine linen, are predicated of
truth. In like manner, it is said, that
men should love God with the whole
heart and with the whole soul ; and al
so, that God will create in man a new
heart and a new spirit ; for heart is pred
icated of the good of love, and soul
and spirit of the truths of faith. There

or the Word ofthe Lord.

191

are also words, which, because they
partake of both, as well of the good as
the true, are used by themselves with
out others adjoined ; but these and ma
ny more things are not apparent, except
to the angels, and to those who, while
they are in the natural sense, are also
in the spiritual sense.
251. It would be tedious to show
from the Word, that there are two such
expressions in the Word, which appear
like repetitions of the same thing, for it
would fill many pages ; but, that doubt
may be removed, I will adduce the pas
sages where nation and people, and
where joy and gladness are used to
gether. The passages where nation
and people are named, are these ; Ah
sinful nation, a people laden with in
iquity , Isaiah i. 4. The people walk
ing in darkness, saw a great light;
thou hast multiplied the nation, ix. 1,
2. Assyria, the rod of mine anger ;
I will send him against a hypocritical
nation, / will give him a charge
against the people of my wrath, x. 5,
6. It shall come to pass in that day,
the nations shall seek the Root of
Jesse, which standethfor a sign of the
people, xi. 10. Jehovah, who smileth
the people with an incurable wound,
ruling the nations with anger, xiv. 6.
In that day shall be brought, as an of
fering to Jehovah of hosts, a people
distracted and peeled, and a nation
marked out and trampled upon, xviii. 2.
The strong people shall honor thee,
the city of powerful nations shall fear
thee, xxv. 3. Jehovah will destroy the
covering upon all people, the veil upon
all nations, xxv. 8. Approach, ye
nations, and hearken, ye people,
xxxiv. 1. I have called thee for a cov
enant of the PEOPLE, for alight of THE
nations, xiii. 6. LetallTiiE nations be
gathered together, and let the people
come together, xliii. 9. Behold, I will
lift up my hand towards the nations,
and my standard towards the people,
xlix. 22. I have given Him for a wit
ness to the people, a Prince and a
Lawgiver to the nations, liv. 4, 5. Be
hold a people coming from the land of
the north, and a great nation from the
sides of the land, Jerem. vi. 22, 23. I

will not make thee hear the calumny of
the nations any more, and thou shalt
not bear the reproach of the people
any more, Ezek. xxxvi. 15. All peo
ple and nations shall worship Him,
Dan. vii. 14. Let not the nations
make a by-word concerning them, and
say among the people, Where is their
God ? Joel ii. 7. The remains of
my people shall spoil them, and the res
idue of my nation shall inherit them,
Zeph. ii. 9. Many people and numer
ous nations shall come to seek Jehovah
in Jerusalem, Zech. viii. 22. Mine eyes
have seen thy salvation, which thou hast
prepared before the face of all people,
a light for the enlightening of the na
tions, Luke ii. 30, 31, 32. Thou
hast redeemed us by thy blood, out of
every people and nation, Rev. v. 9.
Thou, must again prophesy over people
and nations, x. 11. Thou wilt set me
for the head of the nations ; a people
which I had not known will serve me,
Psalm xviii. 43. Jehovah frustrateth
the counsel of the nations, He sub-
verteth the thoughts of the people,
xxxiii. 10. Thousettestus as a proverb
among the nations, a shaking of the
head among the people, xliv. 14.
Jehovah will subdue the people under
us, and the nations under our feet ;
Jehovah reigneih over the nations, the
voluntary of the people are gathered
together, xlvii. 3, 8, 9. The people
will confess Thee, and the nations
will sing praise, because Thou wilt
judge the people in uprightness, and
wilt lead the nations upon the earth,
Ixvii. 3, 4. Remember me, Jehovah, in
the good pleasure of thy people, that
I may be gladin the joy of thy nations,
cvi. 4, 5 : besides in other places. The
reason why nations andpeople are men
tioned at the same time, is, because, by
nations, are meant those who are in good,
and in the opposite sense, those who are
in evil ; and by people, those who are in
truths, and in the opposite sense, those
who are in falses ; wherefore those who
are ofthe Lord's spiritual kingdom, are
called people, and those who are of the
Lord's celestial kingdom, are called
nations ; for all in the spiritual king
dom are in truths, and thence in intel-

192

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

ligence ; but all in the celestial king
dom are in goods, and thence in wisdom.
252. It is similar with many others ;
as that where joy is mentioned, glad
ness also is mentioned, as in these
passages : Behold joy and gladness
to slay an ox, Isaiah xxii. 13. They
shall obtain joy and gladness, and
sorrotv and sighing shall flee away,
xxxv. 10; li. 11. Gladness and joy
are cut off from the house of our God,
Joel i. 16. The voice of joy shall
cease, and the voice of gladness,
Jerem. vii. 34; xxv. 10. The fast of
the tenth shall be to the house of Judah
for joy and gladness, Zech. viii. 19.
Be glad in Jerusalem., and rejoice in
her; Isaiah lxvi. 10. Rejoice and be
glad, O daughter of Edom, Sam. iv.
21. The heavens shall be glad, and
the earth shall rejoice, Psalm lxviii. 3.
They will make me hear joy and glad
ness, li. 10. Joy and gladness shall
be found in Zion, confession and the
voice of singing, Isaiah li. 3. There
shall be gladness, and many shall
rejoice at his birth, Luke i. 14. I
will make the voice of joy and the voice
of gladness cease; the voice of the
bridegroom and the voice of the bride,
Jerem. vii. 34 ; xvi. 9 ; xxv. 10. There
shall yet be heard, in this place, the
voice of joy, and the voice of glad
ness, and the voice of the bridegroom,
and, the voice of the bride, xxxiii. 10,
11 : and in other places. The reason
that both, joy as well as gladness, are
mentioned, is, because joy is predicat
ed of good, and gladness of truth,
or joy of love, and gladness of wisdom ;
for joy is ofthe heart, and gladness of
the spirit ; or joy is of the will, and
gladness is ofthe understanding. That
the marriage of the Lord and the
church is also in these, is manifest from
this, that it is said, The voice of joy
and the voice of gladness, the voice of
the bridegroom and the voice of the
bride, Jerem. vii. 34 ; xvi. 9 ; xxv. 10 ;
xxxiii. 10, 11: and the Lord is the
bridegroom., and the church is the
bride. That the Lord is the bride
groom, may be seen in Matt. ix. 15;
Mark ii. 19, 20 : Luke v. 3 : and that
the church is the bride, Rev. xxi. 2,

9 ; xxii. 17. Wherefore John the Bap.
tist said concerning Jesus, He who hath
the bride is the bridegroom, John iii. 29.
253. On account ofthe marriage of
divine good and divine truth, in every
part of the Word, it is said, in very
many places, Jehovah God, and also,
Jehovah and the Holy One of Israel,
as if they were two, when yet they are
one ; for by Jehovah is meant the
Lord, as to the divine good of divine
love, and by God and by the Holy
One of Israel is meant the Lord, as
to the divine truth of the divine wis
dom. That Jehovah and God, and
Jehovah and the Holy One of Israel,
are mentioned in very many places, in
the Word, and yet one is meant, may
be seen in the Doctrine concerning
the Lord the Redeemer.
254. X. That Heresies may be
TAKEN FROM THE SENSE OF THE LET
TER of the Word, but that to con
firm THEM IS HURTFUL.
It was shown above, that the Word
cannot be understood without doctrine,
and that doctrine is like a candle, that
genuine truths may be seen ; and this
because the Word was written by mere
correspondences ; thence it is, that
many things there are appearances of
truth, and not naked truths ; and many
things are written according to the
capacity of the merely natural man,
and yet so that the simple may under
stand them in simplicity, the intelligent
in intelligence, and the wise in wis
dom. Now, because the Word is
such, appearances of truth, which are
truths clothed, may be taken for naked
truths, which, when they are confirm
ed, become fallacies, which in them
selves are falses. From this, that ap
pearances of truth may be taken for
naked truths, and confirmed, have
sprung all the heresies which have
been and still are in the Christian
world. Heresies themselves do not
condemn men ; but confirmations ofthe
falsities, which are in a heresy, from
the Word and by reasonings from the
natural man and an evil life, do con
demn. For every one is born into the
religion of his country or of his parents,
is initiated into it from infancv, and

or the Word of the Lord.

193

afterwards retains it ; nor can he extri
cate himself from its falses, both on ac
count of business in the world, and on
account of the weakness of the under
standing in perceiving truths of that
sort ; but to live wickedly and confirm
filses, even to the destruction of genu
ine truth, this does condemn. For he
who continues in his religion, and be
lieves in God, and in Christendom
believes in the Lord, and esteems
the Word holy, and from religion
lives according to the commandments
of the decalogue, he does not swear
to falses ; wherefore, when he hears
truths, and in his own way perceives
them, he can embrace them, and thus
be led out of falses ; but not he who
had confirmed the falses of his religion,
for the false, when confirmed, remains,
and cannot be extirpated ; for a false,
after confirmation, is as if one had
sworn to it, particularly if it coheres
with the love of himself, or with the
pride of his own intelligence.
255. I have spoken with some in
the spiritual world, who lived many
ages ago, and confirmed themselves in
the falses of their own religion, and I
have found that they still remained firm
ly in the same ; and I have also spoken
with some there, who were in the same
religion, and thought like those, but
had not confirmed its falses in them
selves ; and I have found, that, when
instructed by the angels, they have re
jected falses and received truths ; and
that these were saved, but not those.
Every man is instructed by the
angels after death, and those are
received who see truths, and from
truths, falses ; but those only see
truths who have not confirmed them
selves in falses ; but those who -have
confirmed themselves are not willing
to see truths ; and if they do see, they
turn themselves back, and then either
laugh at them or falsify them ; the
genuine cause is, that confirmation
enters the will, and the will is the
man himself, and it disposes the un
derstanding according to its pleasure ;
but bare knowledge only enters the
understanding, and this has not any
authority over the will, and so is not
25

in man, otherwise than as one who
stands in the entry, or at the door, and
not as yet in the house.
256. But this may be illustrated by
an example. In the Word, there is,
in many places, attributed to God,
anger, wrath, revenge, and that He
punishes, casts into hell, tempts, and
many like things ; he .who believes
this in simplicity, and like a child,
and on this account fears God, and
takes heed to himself not to sin against
Him, is not condemned on account of
that simple belief. But he who confirms
in himself those things to such a de
gree, as to believe that anger, wrath,
revenge, and thus such things as are
of evil, are with God, and that, from
anger, wrath and revenge, He punishes
man, and casts into hell, he is con
demned, because he has destroyed the
genuine truth, which is, that God is
love itself, mercy itself, and goodness
itself; and, being these, He cannot be
angry, wrathful and revengeful. That
these things are attributed to God,
in the Word, is, because it appears
so : such things are appearances of
truth. 257. That many things, in the sense
of the letter of the Word, are appear
ances of truth, in which genuine truths
lie concealed ; and that it is not hurt
ful to think and also to speak in sim
plicity, according to the appearances
of truth ; but that it is hurtful to con
firm them, since, by confirmation, the
divine truth, which is concealed with
in, is destroyed, may also be illustrat
ed by an example in nature ; which is
presented, because what is natural
more clearly illustrates and teaches,
than what is spiritual. It appears to
the eye as if the sun were carried
around the earth every day, and also
once every year ; hence it is said,
that the sun rises and sets ; that it
makes morning, noon, evening and
night ; and also the times of spring,
summer, autumn and winter, and thus
days and years : when yet the sun
stands still, for it is an ocean of fire,
and the earth revolves every day, and
is carried about the sun every year
The man who, from simplicity and

194

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

from ignorance, thinks that the sun is
carried about the earth, does not
destroy the natural truth, which is,
that the earth is turned about its axis,
and every year is carried along the
ecliptic. But he who confirms the
apparent motion of the sun, by rea
sonings from the natural man ; and
still more he who does so by the
Word, because it is there said, that
the sun rises and sets, weakens the
truth and disperses it ; and afterwards
he can scarcely see it, although it
should be shown to the eye, that the uni
versal starry heaven is, in like manner,
carried around every day and every
year, to appearance, and yet not even
one star is removed from its fixed place,
in relation to another. That the sun
is moved, is an apparent truth, but
that it is not moved, is a genuine truth ;
yet every one speaks according to the
apparent truth, in saying that the sun
rises and sets ; and this is allowable,
because it cannot be otherwise ; but to
think according to that, from confir
mation, blunts and darkens the ration
al understanding.
258. The reason why it is hurtful
to confirm the appearances of truth,
which are in the Word, since thereby
fallacy is produced, and thus the di
vine truth, which is concealed within,
is destroyed, is, because each and every
part of the sense of the letter of the
Word communicates with heaven ; for,
as was shown above, in each and eve
ry part of the sense of its letter, there
is a spiritual sense, and this is opened
when it passes from man to heaven ;
and all the things of the spiritual
sense are genuine truths ; wherefore,
when man is in falses, and applies the
sense of the letter to them, then
falses are therein ; and when falses
enter, truths are dissipated, which is
done in the way from man to heaven.
And this is done,- comparatively, as
when a shining bladder, filled with
gall, is thrown to another, which
is burst in the air, before it comes
to him, and the gall is scattered
about ; whereupon the other, when
he perceives the air infected with the
gall, turns himself away, and also

shuts his mouth, lest it should touch
his tongue. It is also like a bottle
hooped with twigs of cedar, in which
there is vinegar full of little worms ;
and the bottle is burst in the way, and
its stench is perceived by another,
who then immediately, from nausea,
dissipates its stench by some ven
tilator, lest it should enter into his
nostrils. It is also like an al
mond in the shell, within which, in
stead of the almond, is a snake just
born, and the shell is broken, and the
little snake appears to be carried by
the wind towards the eyes of another ;
that this turns himself away, lest it
should be done, is plain of itself. It
is the same with the reading ofthe Word
by a man who is in falses, and who
applies to his falses some things of the
sense of the letter of the Word ; which
is then rejected in its way to heav
en, lest any such thing should flow in
and infest the angels; for the false,
when it touches the truth, is like the
point of a needle when it touches the
fibril of a nerve, or the pupil of the
eye ; that the fibril of the nerve in
stantly rolls itself back into a spiral, and
betakes itself within itself, is known ;
and in like manner, that the eye,
at the first touch, covers itself with
its eyelids. From these things, it is
manifest, that truth falsified takes away
communication with heaven, and closes
it. This is the cause that it is hurtful
to confirm any heretical false.
259. The Word is like a garden,
which may be called a heavenly para
dise, in which are delicacies and de
lights of every kind ; delicacies from
the fruits, and delights from the flow
ers ; in the middle of which are trees
of life, and beside them fountains of
living water, and around the garden
are forest trees. The man who,
from doctrine, is in divine truths, is in
the middle, where are the trees of life,
and he actually enjoys its delicacies
and delights ; but the man who is not
in truths from doctrine, but only from
the sense of the letter, is in the cir
cumference, and sees only the things
of the forest. But he who is in the
doctrine of a false religion, and who

or the Word of the Lord.

195

has confirmed its false in himself, is
not even in the forest, but out of it, in
a sandy plain, where there is not any
grass. That such also is the state of
those after death, is shown in a work
CONCERNING HeAVEN AND HeLL.
260. Moreover, it is to be known,
that the sense of the letter of the Word
is a guard for the genuine truths which
are concealed within, lest they should
be injured ; and it is a guard in this,
that this sense may be turned hither
and thither, and explained according
to apprehension, and yet its inter
nal not be hurt or violated. For
it does no hurt, that the sense of the
letter is understood otherwise by one
than by another ; but it is hurtful, if
a man introduces falses, which are
contrary to divine truths, which is
done only by those who have confirm
ed themselves in falses ; by this, vio
lence is done to the Word. Lest this
should be done, the sense of the let
ter operates as a guard, and it operates
as a guard with those who are in falses
from religion, and do not confirm its
falses. The sense of the letter of the
Word, as a guard, is signified in the
Word by cherubs,and it is also described
there by them. This guard is signified
by the cherubs, which, after Adam with
his wife was cast out of the garden of
Eden, were placed at its entrance, con
cerning which these things are read :
When Jehovah God had driven out
the man, He caused cherubs to dwell at
the east of the garden of Eden, and
the flame of a sword, turning itself
hither and thither, to guard the way
of the tree of life, Gen. iii. 23, 24.
What these words signify, no one can
see, unless he knows what is signified
by cherubs, and what by the garden of
Eden, and by the tree of life there,
and then what by the flame of a sword,
turning itself hither and thither.
Each of these is explained in the
Arcana Coslestia, published at Lon
don, upon that chapter ; where it is
shown, that by cherubs is signified a
guard ; by the way of the tree of life
is signified entrance to the Lord, which
men have through the truths of the
spiritual sense of the Word; by the

flame of a sword turning itself, is
signified divine truth in ultimates,
which is like the Word in the
sense of the letter, which can be so
turned. The like is meant by the
cherubs of cold placed upon the two
extremities of the propitiatory, which
was upon the arkin the tabernacle, Exod.
xxv. 18 to 21. By the ark was signi
fied the Word, because the decalogue
in it was the primitive of the Word ;
by the cherubs there was signified a
guard; wherefore the Lord spoke
with Moses between them, Exod. xxv.
22, xxxvi. 9 ; Num. vii. 89 ; and He
spoke in the natural sense ; for He does
not speak with man, except in fullness ;
and in the sense of the letter, divine
truth is in its fullness ; see above, n.
214 to 224. Nor is any thing else
signified by the cherubs upon
the curtains of the tabernacle, and
upon the veil, Exod. xxvi. 31 ; for
the curtains and veils of the taber
nacle signified the ultimates of heaven
and the church, and so also of the
Word; see above, n. 220; in like
manner, by the cherubs carved
upon, the walls, and upon the doors of
the temple of Jerusalem, 1 Kings vi.
29, 32, 35 ; see above, n. 221 ; and al
so by the cherubs in the new temple,
Ezek. xii. 18, 19, 20. Since by cher
ubs was signified a guard, that the
Lord, heaven, and divine truth such as
it is interiorly in the Word, may not
be approached immediately, but medi
ately through ultimates, therefore it is
thus said concerning the king of Tyre :
Thnu, who sealest up the measure, who
art full of wisdom, and perfect in beau
ty, hast been in the garden of Eden ;
every precious stone was thy covering.
Thou, O cherub, art the outspreading
of one that cover eth ; I have lost thee, 0
covering cherub, in the midst of the
stones of fire, Ezek. xxviii. 12, 13, 14,
16. By Tyre, is signified the church,
as to the knowledges of truth and good,
and thence by the king of Tyre, the
Word, where and whence those knowl
edges are. That the Word in its ul
timate is here signified by him, and a
guard by cherub, is manifest ; for it is
said, Thou who sealest up the measure,

196

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

every precious stone was thy covering,
thou cherub, the outspreading of one that
covereth; as also, O covering cherub.
That by precious stones, which are
also there named, are meant those
things which are of the sense of the
letter, may be seen above, n. 217,
218. Since by cherubs is signified
the Word in the ultimates, and also a
guard, therefore it is said in David,
Jehovah bowed the heavens, and came
down, and he rode upon a cherub,
Psalm xviii. 9, 10. Shepherd of Is
rael, who sittest upon the cherubs,
shine forth, lxxx. 1. Jehovah sitteth
upon the cherubs, xcix. 1. To ride
upon cherubs, and to sit upon them, is
upon the ultimate sense of the Word.
Divine truth in the Word, and its qual
ity, are described. by the four animals
which are also called cherubs, in Eze
kiel, i., ix. and x. ; and also by the
four animals in the midst ofthe throne,
and near the throne, Rev. iv. 6, and
the following verses. See the Apoc
alypse Revealed, published by me
at Amsterdam, n. 239, 275, 314.
261. XI. That the Lord, in the
World, fulfilled all Things of
the Word, and thereby became
the Word, that is, the Divine
Truth, even in Ultimates.
That the Lord, in the world, ful
filled all things of the Word, and that
He thereby became the Divine Truth,
or the Word, even in ultimates, is
meant by these words in John : And
the Word became flesh, and dwelt among
us, and ice saw his glory, the glory as
of the Only-begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth, i. 14. To be
come flesh is to become the Word in
ultimates. What the Lord was, as the
Word in ultimates, He showed to the
disciples, when He was transfigured,
Matt. xvii. 2, and the following verses ;
Mark ix. 2, and the following ; Luke
ix. 28, and the following: and it is
there said, that Moses and Elijah were
seen in glory. By Moses is meant the
Word which was written by him, and
the historical Word in general; and
by Elijah, the prophetical Word. The
Lord, as the Word in ultimates, was
also represented before John, Rev. i.

13 to 16; where all things of the
description of Him signify the ulti
mates of divine truth, or ofthe Word.
The Lord had indeed been the Word
or the divine truth before, but in
firsts ; for it is said, In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and God was the Word, John
i. 1,2; but when the Word became
flesh, then the Lord became the
Word, even in the ultimates : it is
from this, that He is called the First
and the Last, Rev. i. 8, 11, 17; ii.8;
xxi. 6 ; xxii. l2, 13 ; Isaiah xliv. 6.
262. That the Lord fulfilled all
things of the Word, is manifest from
the passages where it is said, that the
law and the Scripture were fulfilled
by Him, and that all things were ac
complished ; as from these : Jesus said,
Think not that I have come to de
stroy the law and the prophets ; I have
not come to destroy, but to fulfill,
Matt. v. 17, 18. Jesus entered into the
synagogue, and rose up to read; then
mas delivered to Him the book of Isaiah
the prophet ; and He opened the book,
and found the place written, The Spirit
of Jehovah is upon Me, because He
hath anointed Me ; He hath sent Me
to bring good news to the poor, to heal
the broken in heart, to preach deliver
ance to the bound, and sight to the
blind ; lo proclaim the acceptable year
of the Lord. Afterwards, closing
the book, He said, This day is this
Scripture fulfilled in your ears,
Luke iv. 16 to 21. That the Scrip
ture might be fulfilled, He that eat-
cth bread with Me, hath lifted up his
heel upon Me, John xiii. 18. No one
of them is lost, except the son of per
dition, THAT THE SCRIPTURE MIGHT
BE FULFILLED, Xvii. 12. TlIAT THE
Word might be fulfilled, which He
spoke, Of those whom thou gavest Me,
I have not lost one, xviii. 19. Jesus
said to Peter, Put away thy sword in
to its place ; how then would the
Scripture be fulfilled, that thus it
must be done ? But this was done, that
the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Matt. xxvi. 52, 54, 56 The Son of
man goeth away , as it is written con
cerning Him, that the Scriptures

or the Word of the Lord.

197

might be fulfilled, Mark xiv. 21,
24. Thus the Scripture was ful
filled, ivhich said, He was reckoned
with the impious, Mark xv. 28 ; Luke
xxii. 37. That the Scripture might
be fulfilled, They divided to them
selves my garments, and upon my ves
ture they cast lots, John xix. 24.
After this, Jesus knowing that all
things were now accomplished, that
the Scripture might be fulfilled,
xix. 28. When Jesus had, received the
vinegar, He said, It is finished, that
is, fulfilled, xix. 30. These things
were done, that the Scripture might
be fulfilled, Ye shall not break a
bone in Him ; and again, another Scrip
ture saith, They shall see Him whom
they have pierced, xix. 36, 37. That
all the Word was written concerning
Him, and that He came into the world
that He might fulfill it, He also taught
the disciples, before He went away, in
these words : He said to them, O fools,
and slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets have spoken ; was it not neces
sary for Christ to suffer this, and enter
into glory ? And beginning with Moses
and all the prophets, He expoundedto
them, if! all the Scriptures concern
ing Himself, Luke xxiv. 25, 26, 27.
Moreover, Jesus said, that all the
things must be fulfilled, which
*ere written in the law of moses,
xnd in the prophets, and in the
Psalms, concerning Me, xxiv. 44, 45.
That the Lord, in the world, fulfilled all
things of the Word, even to its least
particulars, is manifest from these his
words: Verily, I say to you, until
Heaven and earth pass away, one jot
or one tittle shall not pass away
ejrom the law, until all things are
done, Matt. v. 18. From these things,
now, it may be clearly seen, that by
(his, that the Lord fulfilled all things
of the law, is not meant, that He
[fulfilled all the precepts of the
decalogue, but all things of the Word.
That all things of the Word al
so are meant by the law, may be
evident from these passages: Jesus
said, Is it not written in your law,
I said, Ye are gods, John x. 34 ; this
is written. Psalm Ixxxii. 6 ; The mul

titude answered, We have heard out of
the law, that Christ abideth forever,
John xii. 34 ; this is written, Psalm
Ixxxix. 29 ; ex. 4 ; Dan. vii. 14 : That
the Word written in their law might
be fulfilled, They hated Me without a
cause, John xv. 25; this is written,
Psalm xxxv. 19 : It is easier for heav
en and earth to pass away, than for
one tittle ofthe law to fail, Luke xvi.
17. By the law there, as also every
where else, is meant the whole
Sacred Scripture.
263. How the Lord is the Word, is
understood by few ; for they think that
the Lord can, by the Word, enlighten
and teach men, and yet cannot thence
be called the Word ; but let them
know, that every man is his own will,
and his own understanding, and thus
one distinct from another ; and because
the will is the receptacle of .love, and
thus of all the goods which are of that
love, and the understanding is the re
ceptacle of wisdom, and thus of all things
of truth which are of that wisdom, it
follows, that every man is his own love
and his own wisdom ; or, what is the
same, his own good and his own truth.
Man is not man from any thing else,
and not any thing else with him is
man. With respect to the Lord, He
is Love itself and Wisdom itself, thus
Good itself and Truth itself, which
He became by means of his fulfilling
all the good and all the truth which is
in the Word ; for he who thinks and
speaks nothing but truth, becomes that
truth ; and he who wills and does
nothing but good, becomes that good ;
and the Lord, because He fulfilled all
the divine truth and the divine good
which are in the Word, as well those
which are in its natural sense as those
which are in its spiritual sense, He be
came Good itself and Truth itself, con
sequently the Word.
264. XII. That before this Word,
which at this Day is in the World,
there was a Word, which is lost.
That before the Word given by Mo
ses and the prophets to the Israelitish
nation , worship by sacrifices was known ,
and that they prophesied from the mouth
of Jehovah, may appear evident from

198

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

what is related in the books of Moses.
That worship by sacrifices was
known, is evident from these things :
It was commanded, that the sons of
Israel should overthrow the altars of
the nations, and break in pieces their
images, and cut down their groves,
Exod. xxxiv. 13 ; Deut. vii. 5 ; xii. 3.
That Israel in Shittim began to com
mit whoredom with the daughters of
Moab, that they called the people to
the sacrifices of their gods, and that
the people did eat, Num. xxv. 1, 2, 3.
That Balaam, who was from Syria,
caused altars to be built, and sacri
ficed oxen and sheep, xxii. 40 ; xxiii. 1,
2, 14, 29, 30. That he also prophesi
ed concerning the Lord, saying,
That a star should arise from Jacob and
a sceptre from Israel, xxiv. 17. And
THAT HE PROPHESIED FROM THE MOUTH
of Jehovah, xxii. 13, IS ; xxiii. 3, 5, 8,
16, 26; xxiv. 1, 13. From which it is
manifest, that there was among the
nations divine worship, very similar to
the worship instituted by Moses with
the Israelitish nation. That it was al
so before the time of Abraham, appears
evident from the words in Moses, Deut.
xxxii. 7, 8 ; but more evidently from
Melchizedek, king of Salem, in that
he brought forth bread and wine,
and blessed Abram ; and that Abram
gave him tithes of all, Gen. xiv. 18 to
20 ; and that Melchizedek represent
ed the Lord, for he is called a priest to
the Most High God, Gen. xiv. 18 ; and
it is said in David concerning the
Lord, Thou art a priest forever, after
the manner of Melchizedek, Psalm ex. 4.
Thence it was, that Melchizedek
brought forth bread and wine, as the
most holy things of the church, as they
are holy in the Sacred Supper. These,
besides many other things, are stand
ing proofs, that, before the Israelitish
Word, there was a Word, from which
were such revelations.
265. That there was a Word among
the ancients, is evident in Moses, by
whom it is mentioned, and something
taken from it, Num. xxi. 14, 15, 27
to 30; and that the historicals
of that Word were called the Wars
of Jehovah, and the propheticals, the

Enunciations. From the historicals
of that Word, this passage was tak
en by Moses; Therefore it is said
in the Book of the Wars of
Jehovah, I walked into {the sea)
Suph, and the rivers of Arnon, and the
channel of the rivers, which turned
aside where Ar is inhabited, and stop*
ped at the border of Moab, Num. xxi.
14, 15. By the wars of Jehovah, in
that Word, as in ours, are meant and
described the combats of the Lord
with the hells, and victories over them,
when He was to come into the world.
The same combats also are meant and
described in many places in the histor
icals of our Word, as in the wais of
Joshua with the nations of the land of
Canaan, and in the wars of the judges
and of the kings of Israel. From the
propheticals of that Word, these things
were taken ; Therefore the Enun-
ciators say, Go into Heshbon; the
city of Sihon shall be built and strength
ened; for a fire went out of Heshbon,
and a flame out of the city of Sihon ; it
hath devoured Ar of Moab, the posses
sors of the heights of Arnon. Wo
to thee, O Moab ; thou hast perished,
O people of Chemosh; he hath given
his sons fugitives, and his daughters in
to captivity to Sihon, Icing of the Am-
orite. We have despatched them with
weapons. Heshbon hath perished even
to Dibon, and we have laid waste even
to Nophah, which is even to Medebah\
Num. xxi. 27 to 30. The translator^
render them Composers of Proverbs
but they should be called Enuncia
tors, or Prophetical Enunciations
as may appear evident from the signifi
cation of the word Moshalim in tb i
Hebrew tongue, which means not onl; '
proverbs, but also prophetical enuncia
tions, as in Num. xxiii. 7, 18. xxiv. 31
15, where it is said, that Balaam utter-J
ed his Enunciation, which was pro-s
phetical, even concerning the Lord.
His enunciation is called Moshal, in |
the singular. It may be added, that'
those things, taken thence by Mo
ses, are not proverbs, but prophecies.
That that Word was likewise divinely
inspired, is manifest in Jeremiah, where
almost the same things are said —

or the Word ofthe Lord.

199

A fire has gone out from . Heshbon,
and a flame from among Sihon, which
hath devoured the corner of Moab, and
the crown of the head of the sons of
Shaon. Wo to thee, O Moab; the
people of Chemosh have perished; for
thy sons have been carried into captivi
ty, and thy daughters into captivity,
xlviii. 45, 46. Besides those, a pro
phetical book ofthe ancient Word, call
ed the book of Jasher, or the book
of the Upright, is mentioned by David
and by Joshua. By David ; David
lamented over Saul and over Jonathan,
and wrote to teach the sons of Judah
the bow; see what is written in the
book of Jasher, 2 Sam. i. 17, 18;
and by Joshua; Joshua said, Sun,
rest in Gibeon, and moon in the
valley of Ajalon; is not this written
in the book of Jasher? Joshua
x. 12.
266. From these things it may be
evident, that there was an ancient
Word in the world, particularly in Asia,
before the Israelitish Word. That this
Word is preserved in heaven, with
the angels, who lived in those ages,
and also that it is still, at this day,
among the nations in Great Tartary,
may be seen in the third Relation,
after this chapter concerning the Sa
cred Scripture.
267. XIII. That by the Word,
those also have llght, who are
out of the Church, and have not
the Word.
Conjunction with heaven cannot be
given, unless there be somewhere in
the earth a church, where the Word is,
and the Lord is known by it ; because
the Lord is the God of heaven and
earth, and without the Lord there is
no salvation.
That by the Word, there is conjunc
tion with the Lord and consociation
with the angels, may be seen above,
n. 234 to 240. It is enough that
there be a church, where the Word
is; although it be of few respect
ively, still, by the Word, the Lord is
present in the whole world, for by it
heaven is conjoined to the human
race. 268. But how the presence and con

junction of the Lord and heaven is
given in all countries, by means of the
Word, shall be told. The whole an
gelic heaven, before the Lord, is as one
man, and so also is the church upon
earth. That they also actually ap
pear as a man, may be seen in the
Work concerning Heaven and Hell,
n. 59 to 87. In that man, the church
where the Word is read and the Lord
is known by it, is as the heart and as
the lungs; the Lord's celestial king
dom as the heart, and his spiritual
kingdom as the lungs. As, from these
two fountains of life in the human
body, all the rest of the members.
viscera and organs subsist and live,
so also all those in every part of the
world, with whom there is religion,
and one God is worshipped, and who
live well, and thereby are in that man,
and resemble the members and viscera
out of the thorax, in which are the
heart and lungs, subsist and live from
the conjunction of the Lord and heaven
with the church by means of the
Word; for the Word, in the Chris
tian church, is life to the rest from the
Lord through heaven, just as the life
of the members and viscera of the
whole body is from the heart and
lungs ; there is also similar communi
cation, which also is the reason why the
Christians among whom the Word is
read constitute the breast of that man ;
they are also in the midst of all, and
around them are the Papists ; around
these are the Mahometans, who ac
knowledge the Lord as the greatest
Prophet, and as the Son of God ; after
these are the Africans; and the peo
ple and nations in Asia and the Indies
make the last circumference.
269. That it is so in the whole heav
en may be concluded from the like in
every society of heaven ; for every so
ciety is a heaven in a less form, which
also is like a man. That it is so, may
be seen in the Work concerning Heav
en and Hell, n. 41 to 87. In every
society of heaven, those who are in the
middle of it, in like manner, resemble
the heart and lungs, and with them is the
greatest light ; the light itself and the
perception of truth thence, propagates

iOO

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

itself from that middle to the circumfer
ences every way, thus to all who are in
the society, and makes their spiritual life.
It was shown, that when those who
were in the middle and constituted the
province of the heart and lungs, and
with whom was the greatest light,
were taken away, those who were
around were in the shade of the
understanding, and then in so little
perception of truth, that they lament
ed ; but as soon as those returned, the
light was seen, and they had percep
tion of truth as before. A comparison
may be made with the heat and light
from the sun of the world, which give
vegetation to trees and shrubs, even
to those which stand at the sides and
under a cloud, provided the sun be
risen. Thus the light and heat of
heaven are from the Lord as the sun
there, which light, in its essence, is
divine truth, from which is all the
intelligence and wisdom of angels and
men. Wherefore it is said, concern
ing the Word, that it was with God
and ivas God; that it enlighteneth
every man that cometh into the world;
and that that light, also, appearclh in
darkness, John i. 1,5,9. By the word
there, is meant the Lord as to Divine
Truth. 270. From these things it may be
evident, that the Word, which is with
the Protestants and the Reformed,
enlightens all nations and people, by
spiritual communication ; also that it
is provided by the Lord, that there
should always be on the earth a church,
where the Word is read, and by it the
Lord may be made known. Where
fore, when the Word was almost re
jected by the Papists, by the divine
providence of the Lord the Reforma
tion took place ; and thence the Word
was drawn, as it were, from its con
cealment, and sent into use. When
also the Word with the Jewish nation
was entirely falsified and adulterated,
and, as it were, made none, then it
pleased the Lord to descend from heav
en, and to come, as the Word, and to
fulfill it and thereby to renew and
restore it and again to give light to
the inhabitants of the earth, accord

ing to these words of the Lord :—
The people sitting in darkness saw a
great light; and to those sitting in
the region and shadow of death, light
hath arisen, Isaiah ix. 2; and Matt.
iv. 16.
271. Since it was foretold, that, at
the end of this church, darkness also
would arise from not knowing the Lord,
that He is the God of heaven and earth,
and from the separation of faith from
charity, lest thereby the genuine un
derstanding of the Word should per
ish, and so too the church, therefore it
has pleased the Lord now to reveal the
SPIRITUAL SENSE OF THE WORD, and
to show that the Word, in that sense,
and from it, in the natural sense, con
tains innumerable things, by which
the light of truth from the Word,
almost extinguished, may be restored. -
That, at the end of this church, the
light of truth would be almost extin
guished, is foretold in many places
in the Revelation, and also it is meant
by these words of the Lord : Imme
diately after the affliction of those
days, the sun will be darkened, and the
moon will not give her light, and the
stars will fall from heaven, and the pow
ers of the heavens will be shaken ; and
then they will sec the Son of Man, com
ing in the clouds of heaven, with glory
and virtue, Matt. xxiv. 29, 30. By
sun there is meant the Lord as to
love ; by moon, the Lord as to faith ;
by stars, as to the knowledges of
truth and good ; by the Son of Man,
the Lord as to the Word ; by clouds,
the sense of the letter of the Word ;
by glory, the spiritual sense of the
Word, and its transparence through
the sense of its letter ; and by virtue its
power. 272. By much experience, it has
been given me to know, that through
the Word man has communication
with heaven. While I read through
the Word, from the first chapter of
Isaiah even to the last of Malachi, and
the Psalms of David, and kept the
thought in their spiritual sense, it
was given me to perceive clearly, that
every verse communicated with some
society of heaven, and thus the

or the Word of the Lord.

201

Word with the universal heaven ;
from which it was manifest, that, as
the Lord is the Word, heaven also is
the Word, since heaven is heaven
from the Lord, and the Lord by the
Word, is the all in all of heaven.
273. XIV. That, unless there
were a Word, no one would know
God, Heaven and Hell, and Life
after Death, and still less the
Lord. Since those who maintain, have
also confirmed with themselves, that
man, without the Word, might know
the existence of God, and also of heav
en and hell, and the other things which
the Word teaches, therefore, it is not
proper to argue with them from the
Word, but from the natural light of
reason ; for they believe not the Word,
but themselves. Inquire from the light
of reason, and you will find, that there
are two faculties of life with man,
^iriiich are called the understanding
andt^he will; and that the understand
ing is r . ibject to' the will, and not the
will to jC?nV understanding ; for the un-
derstaPr'n^ff only teaches and shows
what T> be done from the will.
Thenc3 onc.e|s, that many, who are of an
and understand, better
the moral duties of life,
t live according to them ;
e otherwise, if they willed
them. liT^quire, also, and you will find,
that the v^fviU of man is his proprium,
and that t'jds from nativity is evil, and
that thenc'n%e is the false in the under
standin.

acute ,a P1'
than <brew
still dt™C1'
it woulcn a'
,w

out the?.'
man froi1
stand ar
the prop"
there bi'

leJ When you shall have found
e things, you will see, that

himself, wishes not to under-
y thing else, than what is from
rium of his will ; and that unless
some other source, whence he
may kr'#ow it, man from the proprium
of his f will, would not wish to under
stand e jny thing, but what is of himself
induce world. Whatever is above,
is in thick darkness ; as when he sees
the sun, moon and stars, if by chance
he should then think concerning their
origin, he could not think otherwise
than that they are from themselves.
Could they think more deeply than
many learned men in the world, who,
26

although they know from the Word,
that ail things were created by God,
still acknowledge nature ? What, then,
would these have done, if they had
known nothing from the Word? Do
you believe that the ancient philoso
phers, as Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca,
and others, who have written concern
ing God and concerning the immortal
ity of the soul, took it first from their
own understanding ? No ; but from
others, by tradition, from those who
knew it first from the ancient Word,
of which we have spoken above. Nei
ther do writers on natural theology
draw any such thing from themselves,
but only confirm those things, whicli
they know from the church in which the
Word is, by rational arguments ; and
there may be those among them, who
confirm, and yet do not believe them.
274. It has been given me to see
people born in islands, rational as to
civil affairs, who know nothing at all
concerning God ; those, in the spiritu
al world, appear like sphinxes; but,
because they were born men, and
thence in a capacity of receiving spirit
ual life, they are instructed by the an
gels; and by means of knowledges
concerning the Lord, as Man, they are
vivified. What man is of himself,
evidently appears from those who are
in hell, among' whom are also some
prelates and scholars, who are not will
ing even to hear concerning God, and,
therefore, neither can they name God.
I have seen these and conversed with
them ; and I have also conversed with
those who came into the fire of anger
and wrath, when they heard any one
speaking concerning the Lord. Con
sider, therefore, what the man would
be, who has heard nothing concern
ing the Lord, when such are some, who
have talked about God, written about
God, and preached about God. That
they are such, is from the will, which
is evil ; and this, as was said before,
leads the understanding, and takes
away the truth, which is there from the
Word. If man could, of himself, have
known that there is a God, and that
there is a life after death, why did
he not know, that man is man after

202

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

death ? Why does he believe that his
soul or spirit is like wind or ether,
which does not see with eyes, and hear
with ears, and speak with a mouth, be
fore it is conjoined and grows with its
carcass and with its skeleton? Suppose,
therefore, a doctrine hatched from ra
tional light alone, would it not be, that
self should be worshipped, as was done
for ages, and also at this day is done
by those who know, from the Word,
that God alone is to be worshipped ?
Other worship cannot be given from
the proprium of man, not even the wor
ship ofthe sun and moon.
275. That from the most ancient
times there was religion, and the in
habitants ofthe world everywhere knew
concerning God, and something con
cerning life after death, was not from
themselves, or from their own intelli
gence, but from the ancient Word, of
which we have treated above, n. 264
to 266 ; and afterwards from the Is
raelitish Word. From these two
Words, religions emanated into the
Indies, and their islands, and through
Egypt and Ethiopia into the kingdoms
of Africa, and from the maritime parts
of Asia into Greece, and thence into
Italy. But, because the Word could
not be written otherwise than by rep
resentatives, which are such things in
the world as correspond to heavenly
things, and thence signify them, there
fore the religious things of the gentile
nations were turned into idolatries, and
in Greece, into fables ; and the divine
attributes and properties, into so many
gods, over whom they made one su
preme, whom they called Jove, perhaps
from Jehovah. It is known that they
had knowledge concerning paradise,
concerning the deluge, concerning the
sacred fire, and concerning the four ages,
from the first, or the golden, to the last,
or the iron, as in Daniel, ii. 31 to 35.
276. Those who believe that they
can, from their own intelligence, pro
cure for themselves knowledges con
cerning God, concerning heaven and
hell, and concerning the spiritual things
which are of the church, do not know
that the natural man, viewed in himself,
is contrary to the spiritual, and that,

therefore, the spiritual things, which
enter, he wishes to extirpate or in
volve in fallacies, that are like worms,
which consume the roots of herbs and
grain. They may be likened to those
who dream that they are sitting upon
eagles, and borne up on high ; or en
winged horses, and are flying over mourn
Parnassus to Helicon; and they an:
actually like Lucifers in hell, who t- tili
call themselves there sons of the morn,
ing, Is. xiv. 12. And they are liks
those in the valley of the land of Shi
nah, who undertook to build a tower,
whose head should be in heaven, Gen.
xi. 2, 4; and they trust in themselves
like Goliah, not foreseeing that they
may, like him, be prostrated by a sling-
stone driven into the forehead. I will
tell what lot awaits them after death;
first they become as drunk ; after
wards as insane, and at last sottish,
and sit in darkness. Let them there
fore beware of such a delirium. s '
 yrlF
Imi
Wl. To the above I shallof thc\A the
following Relations. — Fii/, and ti One
day, in the spirit, I ramblU, and cAoiigh
various places in the spirip the pow-A,
in order that I might obserpce n ; and rep
resentations of heavenly thitS/an, com- icb,
in many places, are there \ith glorifoiiei;
and in a certain house, wl»30. B; there
were angels, I saw great fd as^ses, in
which silver was stored uprco fa," in great
abundance ; and because f dgesjtey were
open, it was perceived as if iof -/(every one
might take out, yea, steal lycfc the silver
there laid up ; but near thlsWi^e j
sat two youths, who were jpf
The place where they werAro; depos
ited appeared like a mange¥«ir in a
stable. In the next room wew re seen
modest virgins, with a chastlt e wife ;
and near that room stood twloo little
children : and it was said, thaist they
were not to be played with? ¦>?$!&
ishly, but were to be dealt with
wisely. Afterwards there appeared
a harlot, also a horse lying dead.
After these things were seen, I was
instructed, that by them was repre
sented the natural sense of the
Word, in which there is a spir-

or the Word of the Lord.

203

itual sense. Those great purses,
full of silver, signified knowledges of
truth in great abundance ; that they
were open and yet guarded by
youths, signified, that every one might
take thence the knowledges of truth,
but that there should be care, lest
any one violate the spiritual sense,
in which are mere truths ; the man
ger, as in a stable, signified spiritual
nourishment for the understanding; a
manger signifies this, because a horse,
which eats out of it, signifies the
understanding ; the modest virgins,
who were seen in the next room, signi
fied the affections of truth ; and the
chaste wife, the conjunction of good
and truth ; the little children signified
the innocence of wisdom, for the angels
of the highest heaven, who are the
wisest, from innocence, appear, at a
distance, like little children; the har
lot with the dead horse, signified
the falsification of truth by many at
this day, by which all understanding
of truth perishes ; a harlot signifies falsi
fication, and a dead horse, no under
standing of truth.
278. Second Relation. There
was once sent down to me from heav
en a piece of paper, inscribed with
Hebrew letters, but written as with
the ancients, with whom those letters,
which at this day are in some part lin
ear, were curved with little horns
[turning upwards. And the angels,
who were then with me, said that
they knew entire senses from the let
ters themselves, and that they knew
these, especially, from the flexures of
the lines and of the points of the let
ter ; and they explained what they sig
nified separately, and what conjointly;
saying that the H, which was added to
the names of Abram and Sarai, signi
fied infinite and eternal. They also
explained to me the sense of the
Word in Psalm xxxii. 2, from the let
ters only, or syllables ; that the sense
of them in the sum was, that the
Lord is merciful, also to those
who do evil. They informed me
that writing, in the third heaven, con
sisted of letters, inflected and variously
curved, of which each contained a

certain sense ; and that the vow
els there were for sound, which corre
sponds to affection ; and that, in that
heaven, they cannot utter the vow
els j and e, but instead of them, y
and eu; and that the vowels a, o
and u were in use with them, because
they give a full sound ; also that they
did not express any of the consonants
roughly, but softly; and that thence
it is, that some Hebrew letters arc
pointed within, as a sign that they are
uttered softly ; saying that rough
ness in letters was in use in the spiritu
al heaven, because there they are in
truths, and truth admits of the
rough, but not good, in which the
angels of the Lord's celestial king
dom, or third heaven, are. They
also said, that they had with them the
Word, written with inflected letters, with
significant little horns and points ; from
which it was manifest, what these
words ofthe Lord signify  Not an iota
nor a tittle [or little horn] shall past
from the law, until all things are
done, Matt. v. 18 ; also, It is easier for
heaven and earth to pass away, than
for one point of the law to fail, Luke
xvi. 17.
279. Third Relation. Seven
years ago, when I was collecting
the things which Moses wrote from
those two books called the Wars of
Jehovah, and the Enunciations,
Num. xxi., some angels were present,
and said to me, that those books were
the ancient Word, the historicals
of which were called the Wars
of Jehovah, and the Prophetic
als were called the Enuncia
tions ; and they said that that Word
was still preserved in heaven, and in
use among the ancients there, with
whom that Word was when they were
in the world. Those ancients, with
whom that Word is still in use in heav
en, were in part from the land of Ca
naan and from its confines, as from
Syria, Mesopotamia, Arabia, Chaldea,
Assyria, Egypt, Zidon, Tyre and Nin
eveh ; the inhabitants of all which
kingdoms were in representative wor
ship, and thence in the science of cor
respondences. The wisdom of that

204

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

time was from that science, and by it
they had interior perception and com
munication with the heavens. Those
who knew the correspondences of that
Word, were called wise and intelligent,
and afterwards diviners and Magi.
But because that Word was full of such
correspondences as remotely signified
celestial and spiritual things, and
thence began to be falsified by many ;
therefore, by the divine providence of
the Lord, in course of time that dis
appeared, and another Word, written
by correspondences not so remote, was
given, and this by the prophets among
the sons of Israel. In this Word were
retained many names of places, not
only which were in the land of Ca
naan, but also which were round
about in Asia, all which signified
things and states of the church ; but
the significations were from that an
cient Word. For that reason, Abram
was commanded to go into that land,
and his posterity from Jacob were in
troduced into it.
Concerning that ancient Word
which had been in Asia before the Is
raelitish Word, it is permitted to relate
this news, that it. is still reserv
ed there, among the people who live
in Great Tartary. I have conversed
with spirits and angels who were
thence, in the spiritual world ; who in
formed me that they possess the
Word, and that they have possessed
it from ancient times, and that they
perform their divine worship according
to this Word, and that it consists of
mere correspondences. They said
that in it also is the book of Ja
sher, which is mentioned in Joshua
x. 12, 13,' and in the second book of
Samuel, i. 17, 18 ; and also, that with
them are the books called the Wars
of Jehovah, and the Enunciations,
which are mentioned by Moses, Num.
xxi. 14, 15, and 27 to 30 ; and when
I read to them the words which Moses
had taken thence, they looked to see
if they were there, and found them ;
hence it was manifest to me, that the
ancient Word is still with them. In
conversing with them, they said that
they worship Jehovah, some as an in

visible God, and some as visible.
They further told me, that they dc
not suffer foreigners to come among
them, except the Chinese, with whom
they cultivate peace, because the Cl.;-
nese emperor is from their country ;
and also that they are so populous, that
they do not believe any country in
the whole world to be more populous ;
which also is credible, from the wall
of so many miles, which the Chinese
formerly built for their protection
against invasion from them. Moreover,
I heard from the angels, that the first
chapters of Genesis, which treat con
cerning the creation, concerning Adam
and Eve, concerning the garden of
Eden, and concerning their sons and
posterity till the flood, and likewise
concerning Noah and his sons, are al
so in that Word ; and thus that they
were copied thence by Moses. The
angels and spirits from Great Tartary
appear in the southern quarter, on the
side ofthe east, and are separated from
the- rest by their dwelling in a higher ex
panse, and by their not admitting any
to them from the Christian world ; and
that if any ascend, they guard them,
that they may not go away. The
reason of this separation, is, because
they possess another Word.
280. Fourth Relation. I once
saw, at a distance, walks between rows
of trees, and the youths collected
there in groups, so many clubs of
persons, conversing on the things of
wisdom ; this was in the spiritual world.
I approached, and when I was near, I
saw one whom the rest venerated as
their primate, because he excelled
them in wisdom. He, when he saw
me, said, " I wondered, when I saw
you in the way coming up, that you
now passed into my sight, and now pass
ed out of it, or that you was now
seen by me, and suddenly not seen ;
certainly you are not in the same state
of life as our people." Smiling at
this, I replied, " I am not a puppet-
man, nor a Vertumnus (or a Proteus),
but I am, by turns, now in your light,
and now in your shade ; thus a foreign
er and also a native here." Upon this,
that wise one looked at me, and said.

or the Word of the Lord.

205

" You speak strange and wonderful
things ; tell me who you are." And I
said, " I am in the world in which you
were, and from which you have de
parted, which is called the natural
world ; and I am also in the world in
which you are, which is called the
spiritual world. Thence it is, that I
am in a natural state, and at the same
time in a spiritual state ; in a natural
state with men of the earth, and in a
spiritual state with you ; and when I
am in a natural state, I am not seen by-
you ; but when in a spiritual state,
I am seen: that I am such, has been
given by the Lord. It is known
to you, enlightened man, that a man
of the natural world does not see a
man of the spiritual world, nor the
reverse ; wherefore, when I had let
my spirit into the body, I was not seen
by you, but when I had let it out of the
body, I was seen ; and this exists from
the distinction between spiritual and
natural." When he heard the dis
tinction between spiritual and nat
ural, he said, " What is the distinc
tion ? Is it not as between more and
less pure? Thus, what is the spirit
ual, but the purer natural?" And I
replied, " The distinction is not such ;
the natural can never by subtilization
approximate to the spiritual, so as to
become the same ; for the distinction
is such as between prior and posteri
or, between which no finite ratio is
given ; for the prior is in the posterior,
as the cause in its effect ; and the
posterior is from the prior, as the effect
from its cause. Hence it is, that the
one does not appear to the other."
To this the wise one said, " I have
meditated on this distinction, but hith
erto in vain. Would that I might per
ceive it." And I said, ',' You shall not
only perceive the distinction between
spiritual and natural, but you shall
also see it." And then I said this:
"You are in a spiritual state when
with your companions, but in a natu
ral state with me ; for you speak
with your companions in spiritual lan
guage, which is common to every spir
it and angel, but with me you speak in
my native language : for every spirit

and angel, speaking with man, speaks
his own language ; thus French with a
Frenchman, Greek with a Grecian,
Arabic with an Arabian, and so forth.
That you may know therefore the
distinction between spiritual and nat
ural, as to languages, do thus: Go in
to your companions, and speak some
thing there, and retain the words, and
return with them in your memory, and
utter them before me." And he did
so, and returned to me with those
words in his mouth, and uttered them ;
and they were words altogether foreign
and strange, which are not given in
any language of the natural world.
From this experiment, several times re
peated, it was clearly manifest, that all
in the spiritual world have a spiritual
language, which has nothing in com
mon with any natural language ; and
that every man after death comes of
himself into that language. I once
also have experienced, that the very
sound of spiritual language, differs so
much from the sound of natural lan
guage, that a spiritual sound, how
ever ioud, cannot be heard at all
by a natural man, nor a natural
sound by a spiritual man. After
wards I asked him and the bystand
ers to go in among their companions,
and write some sentence upon pa
per, and come out with that paper
to me, and read it. They did so,
and returned with the paper in their
hand ; but when they would read,
they could not ; since that writing
consisted only of some alphabetical
letters with curvatures above, each of
which signified some sense of a
thing. Because every letter in the
alphabet signifies there some sense,
it is manifest whence it is, that the
Lord is called the Alpha and the Ome
ga. When they had gone in again
and again, and written and returned,
they found that that writing involv
ed and comprehended innumerable
things, which any natural writing
could never express ; and it was said
that this is so, because the spiritual man
thinks things incomprehensible and
ineffable to the natural man ; and that
these cannot be brought into other

206

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

writing, and into other language.
Then, because those standing by were
not willing to comprehend that spir
itual thought so far exceeded natural
thought, that it is respectively ineffa
ble, I said to them, " Make the exper
iment ; enter into your spiritual society,
and think of some thing, and retain it,
and return and express it before me."
And they entered in, thought, retained,
and came out ; and when they would
express the thing thought of, they could
not ; for they did not find any idea of
natural thought adequate to any idea
of purely spiritual thought, and so not
any words expressing it ; for the ideas
of thought become words of speech.
And afterwards they went in again,
and returned, and confirmed them
selves, that spiritual ideas were super
natural, inexpressible, ineffable and in
comprehensible to the natural man ;
and because they are so super-emi
nent, they said, that spiritual ideas or
thoughts, in respect to natural, were
ideas of ideas, and thoughts of thoughts ;
and that by them therefore were express
ed qualities of qualities, and affections
of affections ; consequently, that spirit
ual thoughts were the beginnings and
origins of natural thoughts. Thence
also it was manifest, that spiritual wis
dom was the wisdom of wisdom, thus
inexpressible to any wise man in the
natural world. Then it was said from
the superior heaven, that there is a
wisdom still more interior or superior,
which is called celestial, whose relation
to spiritual wisdom, is like the relation
of this to natural ; and that these flow
in, in order, according to the heavens,
from the divine wisdom of the Lord,
which is infinite. To this the man
speaking with me said, "I see this,
because I have perceived, that one
natural idea is the continent of many
spiritual ideas, and also that one spir
itual idea is the continent of many ce
lestial ideas. From this, also, follows
this consequence, that a thing divided
does not become more and more sim
ple, but more and more multiple, be
cause it draws nearer and nearer to the
Infinite, in whom are all things infinite-
y." These things being done, I said

to the by-standers, " You see, from
these three experimental proofs, what
the distinction is between spiritual
and natural, and also the cause
why the natural man does not appear
to the spiritual, nor the spiritual man
to the natural, although each is in a
perfect human form, and from this
form it seems to him as if the one
might see the other ; but the inte
rior things, which are of the mind,
are what make that form, and the
mind of spirits and angels is
formed from spiritual things, and the
mind of men, as long as they
live in the world, from natural things
After this, a voice was heard from the
superior heaven, saying, to one who
stood by, " Ascend hither." And he
ascended and returned and said, that
" The angels did not before know the
differences between the spiritual and
the natural, because no opportunity
of comparison had been before given,
with any man, who was in both worlds
at the same time ; and those differences
cannot be known without comparison
and relation."
Before we separated, we conversed
again on this subject ; and I said, that
" These distinctions exist from nothing
else, than because you, in the spir
itual world, are substantial and not
material ; and substantial things are
the beginnings of material things.
What is matter, but an aggregation of
substances? You, therefore, are in
principles, and thus in singulars ; but
we are in things derived and compos
ed ; you are in particulars, but we
in generals; and as generals cannot
enter into particulars, so neither can
natural things, which are material, en
ter into spiritual things, which are sub
stantial ; just as the cable of a ship
cannot enter or be drawn through tht
eye of a sewing needle, or as a nerve
cannot be inserted into one ofthe fibres
of which it consists. This, now, is
the cause that the natural man can
not think those things which the spirit
ual man thinks, and thence cannot
speak them. Wherefore Paul calls
those things, which he heard from the
th'td heaven, ineffable. Add to this,

or the Word ofthe Lord.

207

that to think spiritually is to think
without time and space, and that to
think naturally is to think with time
and space ; for something from time
and space adheres to every idea of nat
ural thought, but not to any spiritual
idea. The cause is, that the spir
itual world is not in space and time, as
the natural world is, but it is in the ap
pearance of these two ; in this also
thoughts and perceptions differ : where
fore, you can think concerning the
essence and omnipresence of God from
eternity, that is, concerning God before
the creation of the world ; because you
think concerning the essence of God
without time, and concerning his om
nipresence without space, and thus
you comprehend such things as trans
cend the natural ideas of man." I
then related, that I once thought con
cerning the essence and omnipres
ence of God from eternity, that is, con
cerning God before the creation ofthe
world ; and that, because I could not
yet remove spaces and times from the
ideas of my thought, I became anxious,
since the idea of nature entered instead
of God ; but it was said to me, " Re
move the ideas of space and time, and
you will see." And it was given me
to remove them, and I saw ; and from
that time I have been able to think of
God from eternity, and not at all of na
ture from eternity, because God is in
all time without time, and in all space
without space ; but nature in all time
is in time, and in all space is in space;
and nature with its time and space
could not but begin, but not God,
who is without time and space ; where
fore nature is from God, not from eter
nity, but in time together with its
time and space.
281. Fifth Relation. Since it
has been given me by the Lord, to be
at the same time in the spiritual world
and in the natural world, and thence to
s-peak with angels as with men, and
thereby to know the states of those,
who after death flow into that hitherto
unknown world; for I have spoken
with all my relations and friends, and
likewise with kings and generals, as
also with the learned, whc have de

ceased, and this now continually for
twenty-seven years ; therefore I am
able to describe, from lively experience,
the states of men after death, both of
those who have lived well and of those
who have lived ill. But here I shall
only relate some things concerning
the state of those who have confirmed
themselves from the Word in falses of
doctrine, who are those, in particular,
who have done it in favor of justifica
tion by faith alone. The successive
states of these are as now follows : I. As
soon as they are deceased, and revive
as to the spirit, which takes place com
monly the third day after the heart has
ceased to beat, they appear to them
selves in a like body as before in
the world, so much so that they
do not know otherwise than that they
are still living in the former world ;
nevertheless not in a material body, but
in a substantial body, which, to their
senses appears like material, although
it is not. II. After some days, they
see that they are in a world where va
rious societies are instituted, which
world is called the world of spirits,
and is in the middle between heaven
and hell. All the societies there,
which are innumerable, are wonder
fully arranged in order, according
to natural affections, good and evil.
The societies arranged according to
good natural affections, communicate
with heaven, and the societies arranged
according to evil affections, communi
cate with hell. III. A novitiate spirit,
or spiritual man, is led about and brought
into various societies, as well good as
evil, and is explored whether he is
affected with goods and truths, and in
what manner, or whether he is affect
ed with evils and falses, and in what
manner. IV. If he is affected with
goods and truths, he is led away from
evil societies, and is led into good soci
eties, and also into various ones, un
til he comes into a society correspond
ing to his own natural affection, and
there he enjoys the good corresponding
to that affection, and this until he puts
off the natural affection and puts on
the spiritual, and then he is elevated
into heaven; but this is done with

208

Concerning the Sacred Scripture,

those who have in the world lived the
life of charity, and thus also the life of
faith ; whicli is, that they have believ
ed in the Lord, and shunned evils as
sins. V. But those who have confirm
ed themselves in falses by rational
things, especially by the Word, and
so have lived no other than a merely
natural, thus an evil life, (for falses
accompany evils and evils adhere
to falses,) these, because they are
not affected with goods and truths, but
with evils and falses, are led away from
good societies, and are led into evil so
cieties, and also into various ones, un
til they come into some one correspond
ing to the concupiscences of their own
love. VI. But, because in the world
they had feigned good affections
in externals, although in their inter
nals there were nothing but evil
affections or concupiscences, they
are kept by turns in externals ; and
those who in the world had been
over bodies of men, are appointed
over societies here and there in the
world of spirits, greater or less,
according to the magnitude of the
duties which they had previously
fulfilled. But, because they neither
love what is true, nor love what
is just, nor can be enlightened
so that they may know what is true
and just, therefore, after some days,
they are deposed. I have seen
such transferred from one society
into another, and an administration
given to them in each, but after a
short time as often deposed. VII.
After frequent abdications, some from
weariness do not wish, and some from
fear of the loss of fame, do not dare,
to seek any more for offices ; where
fore they go away and sit down sor
rowful ; and then they are led away
into a desert, where are cottages, which
they enter, and there some work is giv
en them to do ; and as they do it, they
receive food, and if they do not do it,
they are hungry and do not receive
any ; wherefore necessity compels them.
The food there is similar to the food in
our world, but it is from a spiritual ori
gin, and is given from heaven by the
Lord to all, according to the uses which

they do ; to the idle, because they are
useless, it is not given. VIII. After
some time, they scorn their work, and
then go out of the cottages ; and if
they were priests, they wish to build ;
and then instantly appear piles of
hewn stone, bricks, beams, boards, and
also heaps of reeds and rushes, of clay,
• lime and bitumen ; when they see
which, the lust of building is enkindled,
and they begin to build a house, by
taking now a stone, now a timber,
now a reed, now mortar ; and they
put one upon another, without order,
though in their view with order;
but what they build in the day
time, falls down in the night ; yet
the following day they gather from the
fallen rubbish, and build again, and
this even till they are tired of building ;
this is done from correspondence, which
is, that they had heaped up texts
from the Word for confirming the
falses of faith, and their falses no oth
erwise build up the church. IX. Af
terwards they go' away through weari
ness, and sit down solitary and idle';
and because food is not given from
heaven to the idle, as was said, they
begin to be hungry, and to think of
nothing else than how they shall get
food and appease their hunger. When
they are in this state, some come to
them, of whom they ask alms; and
they say, "Why do you sit thus
idle ? Come with us into our houses,
and we will give you work to do,
and will feed you." And then they
get up joyfully, and go along with
them into their houses, and there to
each is given his work, and for the
work food is given. But, because
all who have confirmed themselves in
falses of faith, cannot do works of good
use, but works of evil use, neither
do them faithfully but fraudulently, as
also unwillingly, therefore they leave
their works, and only love to converse,
to talk, to walk, and to sleep ; and be
cause they cannot then any longer he
induced by their masters to work,
therefore they are dismissed as useless.
X. When they are dismissed, their eyes
are opened, and they see a way leading
to a certain cavern ; when they come to

or the Word ofthe Lord.

209

which, a door is opened, and they en
ter, and ask whether there is food
there ; and when it is answered, that
there is food there, they request to
be permitted to remain there, and
it is said, that it is permitted ; and
they are led in, and the door is
shut after them. And then the over
seer of that cavern comes and says to
them, " You cannot go out any more ;
see your companions, they all labor,
and as they labor, food is given them
from heaven ; I tell you this that you
may know." And also their compan
ions say, " Our overseer knows for
what work every one is fit, and such he
enjoins on each daily ; and on the day
that you perform it, food is given to you ;
and if not, neither food nor clothing is
given ; and if any one does evil to
another, he is thrown to a corner of
the cavern into a kind of bed of cursed
dust, where he is miserably tortured ;
and this even until the overseer sees in
him a sign of penitence, and then he is
released, and it is commanded him to do
his work." And it is also said to him,
that every one is permitted, after his
work, to walk, to converse, and after
wards to sleep ; and he is led along
farther into the cavern, where are har
lots, some one of whom each is permit
ted to take to himself, and to call her his
woman ; but it is forbidden under a
penalty to commit whoredom promis
cuously. Of such caverns, which are
27

nothing but eternal work-houses, hell
consists. I.t has been given me to enter
into some, and see, in order that I
might make it known ; and they
were all seen as vile ; neither did one
of them know whom, or in what em
ployment, he had been in the world ;
but the angel, who was with me,
said to me, that this had been in the
world a servant, this a soldier, this an
officer, this a priest, this in dignity,
this in opulence ; and yet they all
know no otherwise, than that they had
been slaves and like companions ;
and this, because they had been in
wardly alike, although outwardly
unlike ; and the interiors consociate
all in the spiritual world.
With respect to the hells in general,
they consist merely of such caverns or
work-houses, but different where sa
tans are from where devils are : those
are called satans, who have been in
falses and thence in evils, and those
devils, who have been in evils and
thence in falses. Satans appear in
the light of heaven livid like corpses,
and some black like mummies ; but
devils appear, in the light of heaven,
darkly ignited, and some black like
soot; but all, as to their faces and
bodies, monstrous : but in their own
light, which is like the light from
ignited coals, not as monsters, but as
men; this is given them, that they
may be consociated.

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

CHAPTER V

THE CATECHISM OR DECALOGUE EXPLAINED AS TO ITS EXTER-
NAL AND INTERNAL SENSE.

282. There is not a nation in the
whole world which does not know, that
it is evil to kill, to commit adultery, to
steal, and to testify falsely ; and also,
unless these evils were guarded against
by laws, that kingdom, republic, and
any established society whatever, would
be done with. Who, then, can sup
pose, that the Israelitish nation was
so stupid above others, that it did
not know that those things were
evils? On which account one may
wonder that those laws, universally
known in the world, were pro
mulgated with so great a miracle
from mount Sinai by Jehovah himself.
But hear ; they were promulgated with
so great a miracle, that they might
know, that those laws were not only
civil and moral laws, but also divine
laws ; and that to do contrary to them,
was not only to do evil against the
neighbor, that is, a fellow citizen
and society, but was also to sin
against God. Wherefore those laws,
by promulgation from mount Sinai by
Jehovah, were made also laws of reli
gion. It is evident, that whatever Je
hovah commands, He commands, that
it may be of religion, and thus that it
is to be done for the sake of salvation.
But before the commandments are ex
plained, something is to be premised
concerning their holiness, that it
may be manifest that religion is in
them.
283. That the Decalogue was
Holiness itself in the Israelitish
Church. The commandments of the deca
logue, because they were the first-fruits
ofthe Word, and thence the first-fruits

of the church about to be instituted
with the Israelitish nation, and because
they were, in a short summary, an
assemblage of all things of religion,
by which conjunction of God with
man and of man with God is given,
therefore they were so holy, that
nothing is holier. That they were
most holy, is evidently manifest from
these things following : That the Lord
Jehovah himself descended upon mount
Sinai in fire and with angels, and
thence promulgated them with a
living voice, and that the mountain
was hedged around, lest any should
draw near and die. That neither the
priests nor the elders approached, but
Moses alone. That those command
ments were written upon two tables of
stone, by the finger of God. That when
Moses brought down those tables the
second time, his face beamed. That
the tables were afterwards laid up in
the ark, and the latter inmostly in
the tabernacle, and over it was set
the propitiatory, and upon this were
placed cherubs of gold ; that this
inmost in the tabernacle, where the
ark was, was called the holy of holies.
That without the veil, within which that
ark was, were arranged many things,
which represented the holy things of
heaven and the church, which were the
table overjaid with gold, upon which
was the bread of faces ; the golden al
tar, upon which incense was burned ;
and the golden candlestick with seven
lamps ; also the curtains round about,
of fine linen, purple and scarlet. The
holiness of the whole of this taber
nacle was from nothing else, than
from the law which was in the ark.

is to its External and Internal Sense.

211

On account of the holiness of the tab
ernacle, from the law in the ark, all
the Israelitish people by command en
camped around it, in order, according
to the tribes, aiid marched in order af
ter it; and then a cloud was over it
by day, and a fire by night. On ac
count of the holiness of that law, and
the presence of Jehovah in it, Jehovah
spoke with Moses upon the propitiatory
between the cherubs, and the ark was
called Jehovah there. That it was not
lawful for Aaron to enter within the
veil, except with sacrifices and incense,
lest he should die. On account of the
presence of Jehovah in that law and
around it, miracles also were done by
the ark in which that law was ; as that
the waters of the Jordan were divided ;
and, while the ark rested in the middle of
it, the people passed over on dry ground.
That by its being carried around, the
walls of Jericho fell^down. That Da-
gon, the god of the Philistines, first fell
on his face before it, and afterwards,
being severed from the head with
the two palms of the hands, lay upon
the threshold of the temple. That
on account of it, the Bethshemites
were smitten, to several thousands.
That Uzzah, because he touched
it, died. That this ark was intro
duced by David into Zion, with a
sacrifice and jubilations ; and after
wards by Solomon into the temple
at Jerusalem, where it made its se
cret recess, besides many other
things; from which it is manifest,
that the decalogue was holiness itself
in the Israelitish church.
284. The things which are adduced
above concerning the promulgation, ho
liness and power of that law, are found
in these passages in the Word : That
Jehovah descended upon mount Sinai in
fire, and that then the mountain smoked
and trembled, and that there were thun-
derings, lightnings, a heavy cloud, and
the voice of a trumpet, Exod. xix. 16 to
18. Deut. iv. 11 ; v. 19 to 23. That
the people, before the descent of Jeho
vah, prepared and sanctified, themselves
for three days, Exod. xix. 10, 11, 15.
That the mountain was hedged around,
in order that no one should approach

to the bottom of it, and come near,
lest he die; and that the priests
might not, but Moses alone, xix. 12, 13,
20 to 23 ; xxiv. 1, 2. The law promul
gated from mount Sinai, xx. 2 to 14.
Deut. v. 6 to 18. That the law was
written upon two tables of stone, ana
that it was written by the finger of God,
Exod. xxxi. 18 ; xxxii. 15, 16. Deut.
ix. 10. That when Moses brought
those tables down from the mountain
the second time, his face beamed so
that he covered his face with a veil,
while he talked with the people, Exod.
xxxiv. 29 to 35. That the tables
were laid up in the ark, xxv. 16;
xl. 20; Deut. x. 5; 1 Kings viii. 9.
That over the ark was given the pro
pitiatory, and that upon this were
placed cherubs of gold, Exod. xxv.
17 to 21. That the ark, with the
propitiatory and the cherubs, was
put into the tabernacle; and that it
made the first, and thus the inmost of
it ; and that the table, overlaid icith
gold, upon which was the bread of
faces and the altar of gold for incense,
and the candlestick with lamps of gold,
made the external of the tabernacle:
and the ten curtains of fine linen,
purple and scarlet, the most exter
nal cf it, xxv. 1 to the end ; xxvi. 1
to the end; xl. 17 to 28. That the
place where the ark was, was called the
holy of holies, xxvi. 33. That the
whole people of Israel encamped arouna
the tabernacle, in order, according to
the tribes, and marched in order after
it, Num. ii. 1 to the end. That there
was then over the tabernacle, a cloud by
day, and a fire by night, Exod. xl. 38.
Num. ix. 15, 16 to the end ; xiv. 14.
Deut. i. 33. That Jehovah spoke with
Moses over the ark between the cherubs,
Exod. xxv. 22. Num. vii. 89. That
the ark, from the law in it, was called
Jehovah there ; for Moses said, when
the ark went forward, Arise , Jehovah ;
and when it rested, Return, Jehovah,
Num. x. 35, 36, &c. 2 Sam. xi. 2.
Ps. exxxii. 7, 8. That on account of
the holiness of that law, it was not
lawful for Aaron to enter within the
veil, except with sacrifices and incense,
Lev. xvi. 2 to 14, and the following

212

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

verses. That from the presence of the
Lord's power in the law which was
in the ark, the waters of the Jordan
were separated; and whilst it rested
in the midst, the people passed over
on dry ground, Josh. iii. 1 to 17 ;
iv. 5 to 20. That at carrying around
the ark, the walls of Jericho fell down,
Josh. vi. 1 to 20. That Dagon, the
god of the Philistines, fell down upon
the ground, before the ark, and after
wards lay upon the threshold of the
temple, severed from the head, and the
palms of the hands being cut off, 1
Sam. v. That the Bcthshemites, on
account of the ark, were smitten, to
several thousands, v. and vi. That
Uzzah, because he touched the ark,
died, 2 Sam. vi. 7. That the ark
was introduced into Zion by David,
with sacrifices and jubilations, vi. 1
to 19. That the ark was introduced
by Solomon into the temple of Jeru
salem, where it made the secret recess,
I Kings vi. 19, and the following vers
es ; viii. 3 to 9.
285. Since through that law there
is conjunction of the Lord with man
and of man with the Lord, it is
therefore called the covenant, and
the testimony ; the covenant, because
it conjoins, and the testimony, because
it confirms the articles ofthe covenant ;
for covenant, in the Word, signifies
conjunction, and testimony, the con
firmation and attestation of its articles.
On this account those tables were two,
one for God, and the other for man.
Conjunction is effected by the Lord,
but only when man does the things
which are written in his table ; for the
Lord is continually present, and wishes
to enter ; but man, from the freedom
which he has from the Lord, must
open ; for He says, Behold I stand at
the door and knock; if any one hear
my voice, and open the door, I will go
in to him, and sup with him, and he
with Me, Rev. iii. 20. That the ta
bles of stone, on which the law was
written, were called the tables of
the covenant, and that the ark was
from them called the ark of the
covenant, and the law itself the cov
enant, may be seen, Num. x. 33;

Deut. iv. 13, 23 ; v. 2, 3"; ix i) ; Josh.
iii. 11 ; 1 Kings viii. 19, 21 ; Rev. ix.
19 ; and elsewhere. Since covenant
signifies conjunction, therefore it is
said concerning the Lord, That He
shall be for a covenant to the people.
Isaiah xiii. 6 ; xlix. 9 : and He is call
ed the Angel of the covenant, Mai.
iii. 1 ; and his blood, the blood of the
covenant, Matt. xxvi. 28 ; Zech. ix. 1 1 ;
Exod. xxiv. 4 to 10 : and therefore
the Word is called the Old Covenant
and the New Covenant ; for covenants
are made for the sake of love, friend
ship, consociation and conjunction.
286. So great holiness and so great
power were in that law, because it was
a summary of all things of religion ; for
it was written upon two tables, one of
which contains, in a summary, all
things which regard God ; and the
other, in a summary, all things which
regard man : therefore the com
mandments of that law are called
The Ten Words, Ex. xxxiv. 28:
Deut. iv. 13 ; ix. 4. They were so
called, because ten signifies all, and
words signify truths ; for there were
more than ten words. That ten
signifies all, and that tithes were
instituted on account of that signi
fication, may be seen in the Apoca
lypse Revealed, n. 101; and that
that law is a summary of all things
of religion, will be seen in what
follows. 287. That the Decalogue, in the
Sense of the Letter, contains the
general precepts of doctrine and
Life ; but, in the Spiritual and Ce
lestial Sense, all universally.
It is known, that the decalogue is
called, in the Word, by way of emi
nence, the Law, because it contains
all things which are of doctrine and
life ; for it contains not only all things
which regard God, but also all which
regard man ; wherefore that law was
written upon two tables, one of which
treats of God, the other of man. It
is also known, that all things of
doctrine and life have reference to
love to God and love towards the
neighbor; all things of these loves
are contained in the decalogue

as to its External and Internal Sense.

213

That the whole Word teaches nothing
else, is evident from these words of the
Lord : Jesus said, Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God from thy whole heart, and
tn thy whole soul, and in thy whole
mind; and the neighbor as thyself ; on
these two commandments hang the law
and the prophets, Matt. xxii. 37 to 40.
The law and the prophets signify the
whole Word. And again : A certain
lawyer, tempting Jesus, said, Master,
what shall I do, that I may inherit
eternal life ? And Jesus said to him,
What is written in the law ? How
readest thou ? And he, answering, said,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
from thy whole heart, and from thy
whole soul, and from thy whole strength,
and from thy whole mind ; and the neigh
bor as thyself . And Jesus said, Do this,
and thou shalt live, Luke x. 25 to
28. Now, because love to God and
love towards the neighbor are all things
of the Word ; and the decalogue, in the
first table, contains in a summary all
things of love to God ; and in the
second table, all things of love to
wards the neighbor ; it follows, that
it contains all things which are of
doctrine and life. From a sight ofthe
two tables, it is manifest, that they
were so conjoined, that God from his
table may look to man, and, that man
from his may look to God, recipro
cally ; and thus that there is a re
ciprocal looking, which is such,
that God, on his part, never ceases
to look at man, and to work
such things as are of his salvation ;
and if man receives and does those
things which are in his table, recip
rocal conjunction is effected, and then
it is done according to the words of the
Lord to the lawyer, Do this, and thou
shalt live.
288. In the Word, the law is often
mentioned ; and it shall be said what is
meant by it in a strict sense, and what
is meant by it in a wider sense, and
what in the widest sense. In a strict
sense, by the law is meant the deca
logue ; in a wider sense, are meant the
statutes given by Moses to the sons of
Israel ; and in the widest, is meant
the whole Word. That by the

LAW, IN A STRICT SENSE, IS MEANT
the decalogue, is known ; but that ¦
BY the law, in a wider sense, are
MEANT THE STATUTES GIVEN BY Mo-
ses to the sons of Israel, is evident
from the statutes singly in Exodus,
in that they are called the law ; as,
This is the law of the sacrifice, Lev.
vii. 1. This is the law ofthe sacrifice
of peace-offerings, vii. 7, 11. This is
the law of the bread-offering, vi. 7, and
the following verses. This is the law
for the ivhole burnt-offering, for the
bread-offering , for the sacrifices of sin
and trespass, and for consecrations, vii.
37. This is the law of the beast and
of the bird, xi. 46, and the following
verses. This is the law of one bring
ing forth, for a son and a daughter,
xii. 7. This is the law of leprosy, xiii
59 ; xiv. 2, 32, 54, 57. This 'is the
law of one affected with the flux, xv.
31. This is the law of jealousy, Num.
v. 29, 30. This is the law of the Naz
arite, vi. 13, 21. This is the law of
cleansing, xix. 14. This is the law
concerning the red heifer, xix. 2. The
law for the king, Deut. xvii. 15 to 19.
Yea, the whole book of Moses is callea
the law, xxxi. 9, 11, 12, 26; besides
also in the New Testament, as Luke
ii. 22 ; xxiv. 44 ; John i. 46 ; vii. 22,
23 ; viii. 5, and in other places. That
these statutes are meant by the works
of the'law, by Paul, where he says, that
man is justified by faith, without the
works ofthe law, Rom. iii. 28, is plainly
manifest from what there follows ; and
also from his words to Peter, whom he
censured for Judaizing, where he says,"
three times in one verse, that no one is
justified by the works of the law, Gal.
ii. 14 to 16. That by the law, in
THE WIDEST SENSE, IS MEANT THE
whole Word, is manifest from these
passages : Jesus said, Is it not written
in your law, Ye are gods, John x.
34. This is written, Psalm lxxxii. 6.
The multitude answered, We have
heardfrom the la w, that Christ abideth
forever, John xii. 34. This is written,
Psalm Ixxxix. 29; ex. 4; Dan. vii. 14.
That the Word written in their
law might be fulfilled, They hated Me
without cause, John xv. 25 This is

214

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

written, Psalm xxxv. 19. The Phar
isees said, Hath any one of the rulers
believed on Him ? But the multitude
which knoweth not the law, John vii.
48, 49. It is easier for heaven and
earth to pass away, than for one tittle
of the law to fail, Luke xvii. 17. By-
the law there, is meant the whole Sa
cred Scripture ; besides in a thousand
places in David.
289. That the decalogue, in the
spiritual and celestial sense, con
tains, universally, all the precepts
of doctrine and of life, thus all
things of faith and charity, is because
the Word, in the sense of the letter,
in every and each thing of it, or in
the whole and in every part, contains
two interior senses ; one which is call
ed spiritual, and another which is call
ed celestial; and because, in these
senses, divine truth is in its light, and
divine goodness in its heat. Now, be
cause the Word, in the whole and in
every part, is such, it is necessary that
the ten commandments ofthe decalogue
be explained according to those three
senses, which are called natural, spir
itual, and celestial. That the Word
is such, may be evident from the
things which have been demonstrated
above, in the chapter concerning the
Sacred Scripture, or the Word, n.
193 to 208.
290. No one, unless he knows what
the Word is, can get at any idea, that
there is infinity in every part of it ; that
is, that it contains innumerable things,
which not even the angels can draw out.
Every thing there may be likened to a
seed, which may grow up from the
ground into a great tree, and produce
abundance of seeds, from which again
may be similar trees, which together
make a garden ; and from the seeds
of this, other gardens ; and thus to
infinity. Such is the Word of the
Lord, in every part, and such es
pecially is the decalogue ; for this, be
cause it teaches love to God and love
towards the neighbor, is a short sum
mary of the whole Word. That the
Word is such, the Lord also explains
by a similitude, thus : The kingdom of
God is like a grain of mustard-seed,

which one, taking, sowed in his field;
which is less than all seeds, but when it
hath grown up, it is greater than the
herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the
winged tribes of heaven come and nest in
its branches, Matt. xiii. 31, 32 ; Mark
iv. 31,32; Luke xiii. 18, 19. Com
pare also Ezekiel xvii. 2 to 8. That
there is such an infinity of spiritual
seeds, or truths, in the Word, may be
evident from the wisdom of the angels,
which is all from the Word ; this increas
es with them to eternity, and the wiser
they become, the more clearly they
see that wisdom is without end, and
perceive that themselves are only
in its entrance, and that they can
not, as to the minutest particular,
attain to the divine wisdom of the
Lord, which they call an abyss. Now,
since the Word is from this abyss, be
cause from the Lord, it is manifest,
that in all parts of it there is a kind
of infinity.
The First Commandment.
There shall not be to thee another God
before my faces.
291. These are the words ofthe first
commandment, Exod. xx. 3 ; Deut. v.
7 ; by which, in the natural sense,
which is the sense of the letter, is first
of all meant, that idols are not to be
worshipped ; for it follows, Thou shalt
not make to thee a carving, or any
figure, which is in the heavens
above, and which is in the earth be
neath, and ivhich is in the waters under
the earth; thou shalt not bow down
thyself to them, and shalt not wor
ship them, because I, Jehovah, am
thy God, a jealous God, Exod.
xx. 3, 4, 5, 6. That by this
commandment it is first of all
meant, that idols are not to be wor
shipped, was because, before this
time, and after it, even to the coming
ofthe Lord, there was idolatrous wor
ship in a great part of Asia : the cause
of that worship was, that all the
churches, before the Lord, were repre
sentative and typical ; and the types
and representations were such, that di
vine things were set forth under various

as to its External and Internal Sc

215

ngures and images, which the people,
when their significations were oblit
erated, began • to worship for gods.
That the Israelitish nation also was
in such worship when in Egypt, may
be evident from the golden calf which
they worshipped in the wilderness in
stead of Jehovah ; and that afterwards
they were not alienated from that wor
ship, is evident from many places in the
Word, both historical and prophetical.
292. By this commandment, There
shall not be to thee another God before my
faces,in the natural sense, is also meant,
that no man, dead or alive, is to be wor
shipped as a god ; which also was done
in Asia and around it, in various places.
Many gods of the nations were no oth
er; as Baal, Ashtaroth, Chemosh,
Milcom, Beelzebub ; and at Athens
and Rome, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune,
Pluto, Apollo, Pallas, &c. ; some of
whom they worshipped first as saints,
afterwards as divinities, and lastly as
gods. That they also worshipped liv
ing men as gods, is evident from the
edict of Darius the Mede, that no
one, within thirty days, should ask
any thing of God, but of the king
alone ; if otherwise, he should be
cast into a den of lions, Dan. vi. 8 to
the end.
293. In the natural sense, which is
the sense of the letter, is also meant
by this commandment, that not any
one, except God, and that not any thing,
except that which proceeds from God,
is to be loved above all things, which is
also according to the words ofthe Lord,
Matt. xxii. 35 to 37 ; Luke x. 25 to
28; for he who and that which is
loved above all things, is to the
lover a god and divine; as, whoso
ever loves himself above all things,
or also the world, to him himself or
the world is his god ; which is the
cause, that the same do not in heart
acknowledge any god ; they therefore
are conjoined with their like in hell,
where are collected all who have loved
themselves and the world above all
things. 294. The spiritual sense of this
commandment is, that no other God
than the Lord Jesus Christ is to be

worshipped, because He is Jehovah,
who came into the world, and made re
demption, without which not any man,
nor any angel, could have been saved.
That besides him there is no other God,
is evident from these passages in the
Word : It shall be said in that day,
Behold, this is our God, whom we have
expected that he should deliver us ; this is
Jehovah, whom we have expected; let us
exult andbc gladin his salvation, Isaiah
xxv. 9. The voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Prepare ye a way for Jeho
vah, make smooth in the desert a path
for our God; for the glory of Jehovah
shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see
together. Behold! the Lord Jehovah
cometh in the Mighty One, He shall
feed his flock like a shepherd, xl. 3, 5,
11. Only in thee is God; besides,
there is no God ; verily thou art a God
concealed, O God of Israel, the Sav
ior, xiv. 14, 15. Am not I Jehovah,
and there is no God else beside Me ?
a just God and a Savior there is not
beside- Me! xiv. 21, 22. I am Jeho
vah, and beside me there is no Savior,
xliii. 11 ; Hosea xiii. 4. That all
flesh may know, that I Jehovah am thy
Savior, and thy Redeemer, Isaiah
xlix. 26 ; lx. 16. As for our Redeem
er, Jehovah of hosts is his name, xlvii.
4 ; Jer. 1. 34. Jehovah, my Rock and
my Redeemer, Psalm xix. 14. Thus
said Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Ho
ly One of Israel, I am Jehovah thy
God, Isaiah xlviii. 17; xliii. 24; xlix.
7. Thus said Jehovah, thy Redeem
er, I am Jehovah, that maketh all
things, even alone by Myself, xliv. 24.
Thus said Jehovah, the King of Israel,
and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts, I
am the First and the Last, and beside
Me there is no God, xliv. 6. Jehovah
of hosts is his name, and thy Redeem
er, the Holy One of Israel, shall be
called the God of the whole earth, liv.
8. Abraham doth not know us, Israel
doth not acknowledge us ; Thou, Jeho
vah, art our Father, our Redeemer,
from an age is thy name, Ixiii. 16.
A Child is born to us, a Son is given to
us, whose name is Wonderful, Counsel
lor, God, Hero, Father of eternity,
the Prince of peace, ix 6. Behold the

216

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

days will come, when I shall raise up to
David a righteous Branch, who shall
reign King,- and this is his name, Je
hovah our righteousness, Jer. xxiii.
5, 6; xxxiii. 15, 16. Philip said to
Jesus, Show us the Father. Jesus said
to him., He who seeth Me, seeth the Fa
ther. Believest thou not that I am in
the Father, and the Father in Me ?
John xiv. 8, 9. In Jesus Christ all
the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth
bodily, Col. ii. 9. We are in the.
Truth, in Jesus Christ ; This is the
true God and eternal life. Little chil
dren, keep yourselves from idols, 1
John v. 20, 21. From these passages
it is clearly manifest, that the Lord our
Savior is Jehovah Himself, who is at
the same time the Creator, Redeemer,
and Regenerator. This is the spiritu
al sense of this commandment.
295. The celestial sense of this
commandment is, that Jehovah the
Lord is Infinite, Immense and Eternal;
that He is Omnipotent, Omniscient and
Omnipresent ; that He is the First and
the Last, the Beginning and the End;
who Was, Is, and Will Be ; that He is
Love itself, and Wisdom itself, or Good
itself and Truth itself; consequently,
Life itself; thus the Only One, from
whom are all things.
296. All who acknowledge and wor
ship any other God, than the Lord the
Savior Jesus Christ, who is Himself Je
hovah God in the human form, sin
against this first commandment ; just
so also do those who persuade them
selves that there are three divine per
sons actually existing from eternity.
These, as they confirm themselves in
that error, become mo're and more nat
ural and corporeal, and then they can
not comprehend, internally, any divine
truth ; and if they hear and receive it,
still they defile and disguise it with
fallacies. They may, therefore, be com
pared to those who live in the lower
story of a house ; or in a room under
ground, and on that account do not
hear any thing that those who are in
the second and third story say to each
other, because the covering over head
prevents the sound from penetrating.
The human mind is like a house of

three stories, in the lowest of which
are those who have confirmed them
selves in favor of three Gods from eter
nity ; in the second and third stories
are those who acknowledge and be
lieve in one God, under a visible human
form, and the Lord God the Savior to
be that God. The sensual and corpo
real man, because he is merely natural,
viewed in himself, is altogether an an
imal, and only differs from a brute ani
mal, in that he is able to speak and
reason ; wherefore he is like one living
in a menagerie where are beasts of eve
ry kind, and where he sometimes acts
the lion, and sometimes the bear, and
sometimes the tiger, leopard or wolf;
yea, he can also act the sheep, but
then he laughs in his heart. The
merely natural man does not think
concerning divine truths, except from
the things of the world, thus from
the fallacies of the senses; for he
cannot elevate his mind above them.
Wherefore the doctrine of his faith
may be compared to a pudding made
of chaff, which he eats as a dainty, or
as it was commanded Ezekiel, the
prophet, that he should mix wheat, bar
ley, beans, lentiles and spelt, with man's
or cow's dung, and make for himself
bread and cakes, and thus represent
the church, such as it was with
the Israelitish nation, Ezek. iv. 9,
and the following verses. It is similar
with the doctrine of the church, which
is founded and built upon three divine
persons from eternity, each of whom
singly is God. Who would not see
the enormity of that faith, if it should
be exhibited, such as it is in itself, in a
picture before the eyes, as if the three
should stand in order by each other,
the first distinguished by a sceptre and
crown ; the second holding in his right
hand a book, which is the Word, and
in his left, a cross of gold sprinkled
with blood ; and the third girded with
wings, standing upon one foot, in the
effort of flying and operating ; over
which is written, These three Per
sons, being as many Gods, are one
God. What wise man, seeing this
picture, would not say with himself,
Oh, what a fantasy ! But he would

as to its External and Internal Sense.

217

say otherwise, if he should see the
picture of one divine Person, with rays
of heavenly light around the head,
with this superscription, This is our
God, at the same time, Crea
tor, Redeemer and Regenerator,
thus the Savior. Would not that
wise man kiss this picture, and carry it
home in his bosom, and with the sight of
it, delight both his own mind, and the
minds of his wife and children and ser
vants ?
The Second Commandment.
Thou shalt not take the Name of Jeho
vah thy God in vain ; because Jeho
vah will not hold him guiltless, who
taketh his name in vain.
297. By taking the name of Jehovah
God in vain, in the natural sense,
whicli is the sense of the letter, is
meant the name itself, and the abuse
of it, in various conversations, especially
in falsehoods or lies, and in oaths with
out cause, and for the purpose of ex
culpation in evil intentions, which
are execrations, and in tricks and in
cantations. But to swear by God and
his holiness, the Word and the Gos
pel, at coronations, at inaugurations
into the priesthood, at inductions into
offices of trust, is not to take the name
of God in vain, unless the swearer after
wards rejects his engagements as vain.
But the name of God, which is itself
horjy is to be constantly used in the
holy things which are of the church,
as in prayers, psalms, and in all wor
ship ; and also in preaching, and in
writing on ecclesiastical affairs : the
reason is, because God is in all things
of religion, and when He is rightly
invoked, He is present by his name,
and hears ; in these things the name of
God is hallowed. That the name of
Jehovah God is in itself holy, is evident
from that name, in that the Jews, since
their first time, have not dared, and do
not dare, to say Jehovah, and that, on
their account, neither would the evan
gelists and apostles ; wherefore, instead
of Jehovah, they said ,'jOrd; as is
evident from various passages, tran-
28

scribed from the Old Testament into
the New ; where, instead of Jehovah,
Lord is named, as Matt. xxii. 35;
Luke x. 27 ; compared with Deut. vi.
5; and in other places. That the
name Jesus is in like manner holy, is
known from the apostle saying, that
at that name the knees in the heavens
and in the earths are and must be bowed;
and moreover, that it can be named by
no devil in hell. The names of God,
which are not to be taken in vain, are
several, as Jehovah, Jehovah God,
Jehovah of hosts, the Holy One of
Israel, Jesus Christ, and the Holy
Spirit. 298. In- the spiritual sense, by the
name of God, is meant all that which
the church teaches from the Word, and
by which the Lord is invoked and
worshipped ; all those things are the
name of God, in the complex; where
fore by taking the name of God in vain,
is meant, to take any thing thence in
frivolous conversation, falsehoods, lies,
execrations, tricks and incantations;
for this is also to revile and blaspheme
God, thus his name. That the Word,
and whatever of the church is thence,
and thus all worship, is the name of
God, may be evident, from these pas
sages : From the rising of the sun my
name shall be invoked, Isaiah xii. 25.
From the rising of the sun even to its
setting, my name shall be great among
the nations ; and in every place, incense
shall be offered to my name. Ye pro
fane my name, when ye say, The table
of Jehovah is polluted ; and ye snuff at
my name, when ye bring the torn, the
lame and the sick, Mai. i. 11, 12, 13.
All people walk in the name of their
God, and we will walk in the name of
Jehovah, our God, Mich. iv. 5. They
shall worship Jehovah in one place,
where He shall place his name, Deut.
x:;.. 6, 11, 13, 14, 18 ; xvi. 2, 6, 11, 15,
16; that is, where his worship is. Je
sus said, Where two or three are gath
ered together in my name, there I am in
the midst of them, Matt, xviii. 20. As
many as received Him, He gave to
them power that they might be sons of
God, believing in his name, John i.

218

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

12. He who doth not believe, is al
ready judged, because he hath not be
lieved in the name of the Only-begotten
Son of God, iii. 17. Believing, they
shall have life in his name, xx. 31.
Jesus said, I have manifested thy name
to men ; and I have made known to
them thy name, xvii. 26. The Lord
said, I have a feio names in Sardis,
Rev. iii. 4 ; besides in many other
places, in which, as in the preceding,
by the name of God, is meant the Di
vine, which proceeds from God, and by
which He is worshipped. But, by the
name of Jesus Christ, is 'meant all
of redemption, and all of his doc
trine, and thus all of salvation ; by
Jesus, all of salvation by redemption,
and by Christ, all of salvation by his
doctrine. 299. In the celestial sense, by
taking the name of God in vain, is
meant that which the Lord said to the
Pharisees : All sin and blasphemy shall
be remitted unto man, but the blasphe
my of the Spirit shall not be remitted,
Matt. xii. 31. By the blasphemy of
the Spirit, is meant blasphemy against
the divinity of the Lord's Human, and
against the holiness of the Word.
That the Divine Human of the Lord
is meant, by the name of Jehovah
God, in the celestial or highest sense,
is evident from these words : Jesus said,
Father, glorify thy name ; and a
voice came out from heaven, saying, I
have both glorified, and ivill glorify
again, John xii. 28. Whatsoever ye
shall ask in my name, this I will do, that
the Father may be glorified, in the Son ;
if ye shall ask any thing in my name,
I will do it, xiv. 13, 14. In the Lord's
Prayer, by Hallowed be thy name, in
the celestial sense, no other is signi
fied ; and also by name, Exod. xxiii. 21 ;
Isaiah Ixiii. 16. Since blasphemy
of the Spirit is not remitted to man, ac
cording to the words, Matt. xii. 31, 32 ;
and this, in the celestial sense, is meant,
therefore it is added to this command
ment, Because Jehovah will not hold him
guiltless ivho taketh his name in vain.
300. That by the name of any one
is not meant his name only, but also all

his quality, is manifest from names in
the spiritual world, where no man re
tains the name which he received at
his baptism, and from his father or an
cestors, in the world ; but every one there
is named according to his quality, and
the angels are called according to their
moral and spiritual life ; these also are
they who are meant by these words of
the Lord : Jesus said, I am the good
Shepherd; the sheep hear his voice, and
He calleth his own sheep by name, and
leadeth them out, John x. 3. And also
by these : I have a few names in Sardis,
who have not defiled their garments.
Whosoever overcometh, I will write up
on him the name of the city, New
Jerusalem, and my new name, Rev.
iv. 12. Gabriel and Michael are not
the names of two persons in heaven,
but by those names are meant all in
heaven, who are in wisdom concern
ing the Lord, and worship Him. < Also
by the name of persons and places in
the Word, are not meant persons
and places, but the things of the church.
In the natural world also, by name, is not
meant the name only, but, at the same
time, the quality ofthe person, because
this adheres to his name ; for it is said
in common discourse, " He does this
for the sake of his name, or for the
fame of a name ; This man has a great
name ;" by which is signified, that he
is celebrated for such things as are in
him, as for ingenuity, erudition, merit,
and so forth. Who does not know,
that he who defames and calumniates
any one, as to his name, defames and
calumniates also the actions of his life ?
They are conjoined in idea, thence the
fame of his name perishes. In like
manner whoever utters, disrespectful
ly, the aame of a king, a duke or a
giandee, casts reproach also upon their
majesty and dignity ; so also he, who
utters the name of any one with a tone
of contempt, at the same time vilifies
the actions of his life. The case is
similar with every person, whose name,
that is, whose quality and consequent
fame, according to the laws of all king
doms, it is not allowable to blast and
defame.

as to its External and Internal Sense.

219

The Third Commandment.
Remember the Sabbath Day, that thou
keep it holy; six days thou shalt labor
and do all thy work; but the sev
enth day is a Sabbath to Jehovah thy
God.
301. That this is the third command
ment, may be seen, Exod. xx. 8,9, 10;
and Deut. v. 12, 13. By this in the
natural sense, which is the sense of
the letter, is meant, that six days are
for man and his labors, and the sev
enth for the Lord, and for man's rest
from Him. Sabbath, in the original
tongue, signifies rest. The Sabbath,
among the sons of Israel, was the sanc
tity of sanctities, because it represented
the Lord ; the six days, his labors and
combats with the hells ; and the seventh,
his victory over them, and thus rest;
and because that day was representa
tive of the close of the whole redemp
tion of the Lord, therefore it was holi
ness itself. But when the Lord came
into the world, and thence the represen
tations of Him ceased, that day became
a day of instruction in divine things,
and thus also a day of rest from labors,
and of meditation on such things as
are of salvation and eternal life ; as al
so a day of love towards the neighbor.
That it became a day of instruction in
divine things, is manifest from this, that
the Lord on that day taught in the
temple and synagogues, Mark vi. 2 ;
Luke iv. 16, 31, 32 ; xiii. 10 ; and that
he said to the man who was healed,
Take up thy bed and walk ; and to the
Pharisees, That it was lawful for the
disciples on the Sabbath day to gather
the ears of corn and to eat, Matt. xii.
1 to 9 ; Mark ii. 23 to the end ; Luke
vi. 1 to 6 ; John v. 9 to 19 ; by which
particulars, in the spiritual sense, is
signified, to be instructed in doctrinals.
That that day became also a day of
love towards the neighbor, is e ident
from those things which the Loro did
and taught on the day of the kN jbath,
Matt. xii. 10 to 14 ; Mark iii. ', to 9 ;
Luke vi. 6 to 12; xiii. 10 to 18; xiv
1 to 7 ; John v. 9 to 19 ; vii. 22, 23 ,
ix. 14, 16. From these and the former
passages, it is manifest why the Lord

said, that He is Lord also of the
Sabbath, Matt. xii. 8 ; Mark ii. 28 ;
Luke vi. 5 ; and because He said this,
it follows that that day was representa
tive of Him.
302. By this commandment, in the
spiritual sense, is signified the ref
ormation and regeneration of man by
the Lord ; by the six days of labor,
the combat against the flesh and its
concupiscences, and, at the same time,
against the evils and falses which are
with him from hell ; and by the sev
enth day, is signified his conjunction
with the Lord, and thereby regenera
tion. That, as long as that combat con
tinues, man has spiritual labor, but
that, when he is regenerated, he has
rest, will be evident from those things
which will be said hereafter, in the
chapter concerning Reformation and
Regeneration, particularly from these
things there : I. That regeneration is
effected in a manner analogous to that
in which man is conceived, carried in
the womb, bom and educated. II.
That the first act of the new generation
is called reformation, which is of the
understanding ; and that its second is
called regeneration, which is of the
will, and thence of the understanding.
III. That the internal man first is to
be reformed, and by this the external.
IV. That then a combat arises bctzveen
the internal and the external man, and
that the one that overcomes rules over the
other. V. That the regenerate man
has a new will and a new understand
ing, &c. The reason why the reform
ation and regeneration of man are
signified by this commandment, in the
spiritual sense, is, because they coin
cide with the labors and combats of the
Lord with the hells, and with the vic
tory over them, and rest then ; for th>
Lord reforms and regenerates man.
and renders him spiritual, in the same,
manner in which He glorified his Hu
man, and made it Divine : this is what
is meant by following Him. That the
Lord had combats, and that they are
called labors, is manifest in Isaiah Iiii.
and Ixiii. ; and that similar things are
called labors, in relation to men, lxv
23; Rev. ii. 23.

220

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

303. In the celestial sense, by
this commandment, is meant conjunc
tion with the Lord, and then peace,
because protection from hell ; for by
the Sabbath, is signified rest, and in
this highest sense, peace ; wherefore
the Lord is called the Prince of Peace ;
and also He calls himself Peace, as is
evident from these passages : A. Child
is born to us, a Son is given to us, up
on ivhose shoulders shall be the gov
ernment, and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero,
the Father of eternity, the Prince
of Peace ; to the increase of his gov
ernment and peace there will be no
end, Isaiah ix. 6, 7. Jesus said, Peace
I leave to you, my peace I give to you,
John xiv. 27. Jesus said, I have spok
en these things, that in Me ye may
have peace, xvi. 33. How delight
ful, upon the mountains, are the feet
of Him ivho bringeth good tidings,
wlw publisheth peace, saying, Thy
King reigneth, Isaiah Iii. 7. Jehovah
will redeem my soul in peace, Psalm
lv. 18. The work of Jehovah is
peace, the labor of righteousness
is rest, and security forever, that
they may dwell in a habitation of
peace, and in tents of security,
and in tranquil resting places,
Isaiah xxxii. 17, 18. Jesus said to the
seventy whom He sent forth, Into
whatsoever house ye enter, first say,
Peace to this house ; and if a son of
peace be there, your peace shall rest
upon him, Luke x. 5, 6 ; Matt. x. 12,
13, 14. Jehovah will speak peace to
his people; righteousness and peace
shall kiss each other, Psalm lxxxv. 9,
10. When the Lord appeared to the
disciples, He said, Peace be with
you, John xx. 19, 21, 26. Moreover,
the state of peace, into which those who
are regenerated by the Lord are about
to come, is treated of in Isaiah lxv.
and lxvi., and in other places; and
those will come into it who are re
ceived into the New Church, which the
Lord is at this day instituting. What
the peace is in its essence, in which the
angels of heaven are, and those who are
in the Lord, may be seen in the work
concerning Heaven and Hell, n.

284 to 290. From these things also
it is manifest, why the Lord calls Him
self the Lord of the Sabbath, that is,
of rest and peace.
304. Celestial peace, which is in re
spect to the hells, that evils and falses
may not thence arise and invade, may
be compared with natural peace, in
many cases, as with peace after wars,
when every one lives in security with
respect to enemies, and safe in his
city, in his own house and in his own
farms and gardens. It is as the proph
et said, when he speaks naturally con
cerning celestial peace ; They shall sit
every man under his vine, and under
his fig-tree, and none shall terrify them,
Micah.iv. 4; Isaiah lxv. 21,22,23.
It may be compared also with recrea
tions of the mind and with rests, after
grievous labors, and with the consola
tions of mothers after parturition, when
their love, called storge, manifests its
delights. It may also be compared
with serenity after tempests, black '
clouds and thunders ; and likewise with
spring after a severe winter passed by ;
and then with the expressions of joy
from the tender plants in the fields,
and from the blossoms in gardens,
plains and woods. It may be com
pared also with the state of mind with
those, who, after storms and dangers
upon the sea. reach the port, and set
their feet upoi the expected land.
The Fourth Commandment.
Honor thy father and thy mother, that
thy days may be prolonged, and that
it may be well with thee upon the
earth. 305. This commandment is so read,
Exod. xx. 12, and Deut. v. 16. By
honoring thy father and thy mother,
in the natural sense, which is the
sense of the letter, is meant, to honor
parents, to obey them, to be attentive
to them, and to be grateful to them for
benefits, which are, that they feed and
clothe their children, and introduce
them into the world, that they may act
in it as civil and moral persons ; and
also into heaven, by the precepts
of religion ; thus they consult fot

as to its External and Internal Sense.

221

their temporal prosperity, and also for
their eternal felicity ; and they do all
these things from the love in which
they are from the Lord, whose office
they perform. In a respective sense,
is meant, the honor of guardians from
wards, if the parents are dead. In a
wider sense, by this commandment, is
meant, to honor the king and magis
trates, since they provide things neces-
saiy for all in common, which parents
do in particular. In the widest sense, by
this commandment, is meant, that men
should love their country, because this
nourishes them and protects them ;
wherefore country [patria] is called
from father [pater]. But honors
should be paid by parents to their
country, king and magistrates, and
mplanted by them in their children.
306. In the spiritual sense, by
honoring father and mother, is meant,
to adore and love God and the church.
In this sense, by father, is meant God,
who is the Father of all ; and by moth
er, the church. Infants and angels
in the heavens know no other father
and no other mother, since they are
born there anew of the Lord by the
church ; wherefore the Lord says, Call
no one your father on the earth ; for
one is your Father, who is in the heav
ens, Matt, xxiii. 9. These things were
said for infants and angels in heaven,
but not for infants and men on the
earth The Lord teaches the same
in the common prayer of Christian
churches : Our Father, who art in the
heavens, hallowed be thy name. That
by mother, in the spiritual sense, is
meant the church, is, because, as a
mother on the earth feeds her children
with natural food, so the church feeds
them with spiritual food ; wherefore,
also, the church is every where in the
Word called mother, as in Hosea :
Contend with your moth er ; she is not
my wife, and I am not her husband, ii.
2, 5; in Isaiah : Where is your mother' s
bill of divorcement, whom I have put
away ? 1. 1 ; and Ezek. xvi. 45 ; xix.
10. And in the evangelists : Jesus,
stretching out his hand to the disciples,
said, My mother and my brethren are
those who hear the Word of God and

do it, Matt. xii. 48, 49 ; Mark iii. 33,
34, 35 ; Luke viii. 21 ; John xix. 25.
26, 27.
307. In the celestial sense, by
father, is meant our Lord Jesus Christ;
and by mother, the communion of the
saints, by which is meant his church,
spread over all the world. That
the Lord is Father, is evident from
these passages : A Child is born to us,
a Son is given to us, whose name is
God, Hero, the Father of eterni
ty, the Prince of peace, Isaiah ix. 6.
Thou art our Father ; Abraham doth
not know us, and Israel doth not ac-
knowledge us : Thou art our Fa
ther, our Redeemer ; from an age is
thy name, Ixiii. 16. Philip said, Show
us the Father. Jesus saith to him, He
who seeth Me, seeth the Father ;
how, then, sayest thou, Show us the
Father ? Believe Me, that I am in
the Father, and the Father in Me,
John xv. 7 to 11 ; xii. 45. That by
mother, in this sense, is meant the
church of the Lord, is evident from
these passages : i" saw the holy city,
New Jerusalem, prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband, Rev. xxi
2. The angel said unto John, Come, 1
ivill show thee the bride, the Lamb's
wife. And he showed the city, the ho
ly Jerusalem, xxi. 9, 10. The time of
the marriage of the Lamb hath come,
and his wife hath prepared herself
Blessed are those who are called to the
marriage-supper of the Lamb, xix. 7,
9 ; and besides, Matt. ix. 15 ; Mark ii.
19, 20 ; Luke v. 34, 35 ; John iii. 29 ;
xix. 26, 27. That by New Jerusa
lem, is meant a New Church, which
the Lord is now instituting, may be
seen in the Apocalypse Revealed,
n. 880, 881 : this church, and not the
former, is wife and mother in this
sense. The spiritual offspring, which
are born of this marriage, are the goods
of charity and the truths of faith ; and
those who are in these, from the Lord,
are called children of the marriage,
children of God, and born of Him.
308. It is to be held, that there
continually proceeds from the Lord a
divine sphere of celestial love towards
all who embrace the doctrine of his

222

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

church, and who obey Him, as little.
children in the world obey father and
mother, apply themselves to Him, and
wish to be nourished, that is, instructed
by Him. From this celestial sphere
arises a natural sphere, which is of
love towards infants and children,
which is most universal, and not only
affects men, but also birds and beasts,
even to serpents ; and not only animate,
but also inanimate things. But that
the Lord might operate into these,
even as into spiritual things, He creat
ed the sun, which might be in the nat
ural world as father, and the earth as
mother ; for the sun is like a common
father, and the earth like a common
mother, from whose marriage exist all
the germinations that adorn the surface
of the globe. From the influx of that
celestial sphere into the natural world,
exist those wonderful progressions
of vegetation, from seed to the fruit,
and to new seeds. Thence also
it is, that there are many kinds of
shrubs, which, in the day time, turn,
as it were, their faces to the sun, and
turn them away when the sun sets ;
thence also it is, that there are flowers,
which, at the rising of the sun, open
themselves, and close themselves at
his setting ; and thence also it is, that
the nightingales sing sweetly at the
first dawn of the morning, and in like
manner after they have been fed by
their mother earth. Thus these and
those honor their father and their
mother. All these things are testimo
nies, that the Lord, by means of the
sun and the earth, in the natural world,
provides all things necessary for ani
mate and inanimate things. Where
fore it is said in David, Praise Jeho
vah from the heavens ; praise. Him,
sun and moon. Praise Him from the
earth, ye whales and abysses ; praise
Him, ye trees of fruit and all cedars ;
wild beast, and every beast, reptile, and
bird of toing, kings of the earth, and
all people, youths and virgins, Psalm
cxlvii. 7 to 12 ; and in Job : Ask, I
pray, the beasts, and they roill teach
thee; or the birds of heaven, and they
will show thee; or the shrub of the
earth, and it will instruct thee; and

the fishes of the sea will tell thee. Who
knoweth not from all these, that the
hand of Jehovah hath done that ? xii.
7, 8, 9. Ask, and they will teach, sig
nifies, Look at, attend to, and judge
from them, that the Lord Jehovah hath
created them.
The Fifth Commandment
Thou shalt not kill.
309. By this commandment, Thou
shalt not kill, in the natural sense,
is meant, not to kill a man, and not to
inflict on him any wound of which he
may die, and also not to mutilate his
body ; and moreover not to bring any
deadly evil upon his name and fame,
since fame and life with many go hand
in hand. In a wider natural sense, by
murders, are meant enmity, hatred, and
revenge, which breathe death; for
murder lies concealed within them, like
fire in wood under ashes ; infernal fire
is nothing else ; wherefore one is said
to be inflamed with hatred, and to burn
with revenge. These are murders in
intention, but not in act ; and if the
fear ofthe law, and of retaliation and re
venge, were taken from them, they
would burst forth into act ; especially if
there be treachery or ferocity in the in
tention. That hatred is murder, is evi
dent from these words of the Lord;
Ye have heard, that it was said by the
ancients, Thou shalt not kill; and who
soever shall kill, shall be obnoxious to
the judgment. But I say unto you,
that whosoever is angry with his broth
er rashly, shall be obnoxious to the fire
of hell, Matt. v. 21, 22. The reason
is, because all that is ofthe intention, is
also ofthe will, and thus in itself of the
deed. 310. In the spiritual sense, by
murders, are meant all methods of
killing and destroying the souls of men,
which are various and manifold ; as to
turn them away from God, religion, ana
divine worship, by injecting scandals
against them, and by advising such
things as create aversion and also abhor
rence. Such are all the devils and satans
in hell, with whom the violators and
prostitutors of the sanctities of the

as to its External and Internal Sense.

223

church, in this world, are conjoined.
Those who destroy souls by falses, are
meant by the king of the abyss, called
Abaddon or Apollyon, that is, the de
stroyer, in Rev. ix ; and in the prophetic
Word by the slain, as in these passages ;
Jehovah God said, Feed the sheep of the
slaughter, which their possessors have
slain, Zech. xi. 4, 5, 7. We have been
slain all the day, we have been account
ed as a flock for the slaughter, Psalm
xliv. 22. Jacob shall cause those who
are to come to take root; is he slain,
according lo the slaughter of those
slain by him ? Isaiah xxvii. 6, 7. The
thief cometh not, but that he may steal
and kill the sheep; I have com,e that
they may have life and abundance,
John x. 10 ; besides in other places, as
Isaiah xiv. 21 ; xxvi. 21 ; xxvii. 9 ; Jer.
iv. 31; xii. 3; Rev. ix. 4; xi. 7.
Thence it is, that the devil is called a
murderer from the beginning, John viii.
44. 311. In THE CELESTIAL SENSE, by
killing, is meant, to be angry, rashly,
with the Lord, to hate Him, and to
wish to blot out his name. These are
they concerning whom it is said, that
they crucify Him ; which also they
would do, in like manner as did the
Jews, if He should come into the world,
as he did before. This is meant by
the Lamb standing as it were slain,
Rev. v. 6 ; xiii. 8 ; and by one crucified,
Rev. xi. 8; Heb. vi. 6; Gal. iii. 1.
312. What the internal of man is,
unless it be reformed by the Lord, was
manifest to me from the devils and sa
tans in hell ; for they have it continually
in mind to kill the Lord ; and because
they cannot do this, they are in the en
deavor to kill those who are devoted to
the Lord ; but because they cannot do
this, like men in the world, they attempt
every method of destroying their souls,
that is, of destroying the faith and
charity with them. That hatred and
revenge with them appear like dark
fires and like bright fires ; hatred like
dark fires, and revenge like bright
fires ; yet they are not fires, but ap
pearances. The cruelties of their
hearts are sometimes seen above them
in the air like combats with the an

gels, and like the death and destruc
tion of them ; it is their anger and
hatred against heaven from which
such direful mockeries arise. More
over, they also appear at a distance like
wild beasts of every kind, as tigers,
leopards, wolves, foxes, dogs, crocodiles,
and like serpents of every kind ; and
when they see, in representative forms,
gentle beasts, they attack them in
fantasy, and attempt to kill them.
There came into my sight, as it were,
dragons, standing beside women, with
whom were infants, which they endeav
ored, as it were, to devour, according
to those things which are related in
Revelation xii ; which are nothing else
than representations of hatred against
the Lord and his New Church. That
the men in the world, who wish to de
stroy the church of the Lord, are simi
lar to them, is not apparent to their
companions, because the bodies, by
which they perform moral duties, ab
sorb and conceal those things; but still
they appear to the angels, who look not
at their bodies but at their spirits, in
like forms with those devils above de
scribed. Who could have known such
things, unless the Lord had opened
the sight of some one, and enabled him
to look into the spiritual world ? If this
had not been done, must not these
things, and others of the greatest im
portance, have been ¦ concealed from
men forever?
The Sixth Commandment.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
313. In the natural sense, by
this commandment, is meant, not only
to commit adultery, but also to will and
do obscene things, and thence to think
and speak lascivious things. That on
ly to lust is to commit adultery, is evi
dent from these words of the Lord ;
Ye have heard that it was said by the
ancients, Thou shalt not commit adul
tery. But I say unto you, that if any
one shall look upon a woman, belong
ing to another, so as to lust after her,
he hath already committed adultery with
her in his heart, Matt. v. 27, 28.
The reason is, because the lust becomes

224

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

as the deed, when it is in the will ; for
allurement enters only into the under
standing, but intention into the will,
and the intention of lust is the deed.
But more may be seen concerning these
things in the work concerning Conju-
gial Love, and concerning Scorta-
tory Love, published at Amsterdam in
the year 1768 ; which treats Concerning
the Opposition of Conjugial Love and
Scortatory, n. 423 to 443 ; Concerning
Fornication, n. 444 to 460 ; Concerning
Adulteries and theirKinds and Degrees,
n. 473 to 499 ; Concerning the Lust of
Defloration, n. 501 to 505 ; Concern
ing the Lust of Varieties, n. 506 to 510 ;
Concerning theLust of Violation, n. 5 1 1 ,
512 ; Concerning the Lus-t of seducing
Innocences, n. 513, 514; Concerning
the Imputation of each Love, Scortato
ry and Conjugial, n. 523 to 531. All
these things are meant by this com
mandment, in the natural sense.
314. In the spiritual sense, by
committing adultery, is meant to adul
terate the goods of the Word, and to
falsify its truths. That these things,
also, are meant by committing adultery,
has been hitherto unknown, because
the spiritual sense of the Word has
been hitherto concealed ; that no other
is signified in the Word, by commit
ting adultery [mcechari,adulterari~\, and
whoredom, is very manifest from these
passages; Run about through the streets
of Jerusalem, and seek if ye may find
a man who doeth judgment and
seeketh truth. When I fed them
to the full, they committed whore
dom, Jer. v. 1, 7. / have seen in the
prophets of Jerusalem a horrible obsti
nacy, in committing adultery and
going in falsehood, xxiii. 14. They
have done folly in Israel, they have
committed whoredom, and have
spoken my Word falsely, xxix.
23. They committed whoredom be
cause they forsook Jehovah, Hosea iv.
7. / will cut off the soul that hath
respect to diviners and soothsayers, to
go a whoring after them, Lev. xx. 6.
A covenant should not be made with the
inhabitants of the land, lest they should,
go a whoring after their gods,
Exod. xxxiv. 15. Since Babylon, above

all others, adulterates and falsifies the
Word, therefore she is called the
great Whore, and these things are
said concerning her in the Revela
tion ; Babylon hath made all nations
drink of the wine of the anger of her
whoredom, xiv. 8. The angel said, 1
will show thee the judgment of the
great Whore, with whom the kings of
the earth have committed whoredom, xvii,
1,2. He hath judged the great whore,
who hath corrupted the earth with
her whoredom, xix. 2. Since the Jewish
nation had falsified the Word, therefore
it was called by the Lord, an adulter
ous generation, Matt. xii. 39; xvi.
4 ; Mark viii. 38 ; and the seed of the
adulterer, Isaiah lvii. 3 ; besides in
many other places, where, by adulteries
and whoredoms, are meant adulterations
and falsifications of the Word, as Jer.
iii. 6, 8; xiii. 27; Ezek. xvi. 15, 16,
26, 28, 29, 32, 33 ; xxiii. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11,
14, 16, 17 ; Hosea v. 3 ; vi. 10 ; Na
hum iii. 1, 3, 4.
315. In the celestial sense, by
committing adultery, is meant to deny
the holiness of the Word, and to pro
fane it. That this is meant, in this
sense, follows from the former spiritu
al sense, which is, to adulterate its
goods and to falsify its truths. Those
deny and profane the holiness of the
Word, who in heart laugh at ev
ery thing of the church and of re
ligion ; for all things of the church
and of religion, in the Christian world,
are from the Word.
316. There are various causes
which make a man appear not only to
others, but also to himself, to be chaste,
and yet he is wholly unchaste ; for he
does not know, that lust, when it is in
the will, is the deed, and that it cannot
be removed, except by the Lord after
repentance. Abstinence from doing
does not make one chaste, but absti
nence from willing, when he can do,
because it is sin, does ; as, if any one
abstains from adulteries and whoredoms
only from fear of the civil law and its
penalties ; from fear ofthe loss of fame,
and thence of honor; from fear of
diseases from them ; from fear of
chidings at home from his wife, and

-s to its External and Internal Sense.

225

thence of unquietness of life ; from fear
of revenge from the husband and rela
tions and of whips from their servants ;
or from avarice ; or from weakness,
arising either from disease, or from
abuse, or from age, or from any other
cause of impotence ; yea, if he abstains
from them from any natural or moral
law, and not, at the same time, from a
spiritual law, he is still, inwardly, an
adulterer and a whoremonger ; for,
nevertheless, he believes that they
are not sins, and thence does not in
his spirit make them unlawful in the
sight of God, and thus in spirit he com
mits them, although not before the
world in the body ; wherefore, after
death, when he becomes a spirit, he
speaks openly in favor of them. More
over, adulterers may be compared with
covenant-breakers, who violate engage
ments ; and also with the satyrs and
priapuses of the ancients, who wander
ed in the woods, and cried, " Where are
virgins, brides and wives, with whom
we may sport?" Adulterers also, in the
spiritual world, actually appear like
satyrs and priapuses. They may be
compared, also, with he-goats which
stink ; as also with dogs which run
hither and thither through the streets,
and look about, and smell where dogs
are, with which they may wanton ;
and so forth. Their manly power,
when they become husbands, may be
compared to the blossoming of tulips
in the time of spring, which, after a
month of days, drop their blossoms,
and wither away.
The Seventh Commandment.
Thou shalt not steal.
317. In THE NATURAL SENSE, by
this commandment, is meant, accord
ing to the letter, not to steal, to rob, or
to act the pirate, in time of peace ; and,
in general, not to take away from any
one his goods secretly, or under any
pretext. It also extends itself to all
impostures, illegitimate gains, usuries
and exactions ; and also to fraudulent
practices in paying duties and taxes,
and in discharging debts. Workmen
offend against this commandment, who
29

do their work unfaithfully and dishon
estly ; merchants who deceive in mer
chandise, in weight, measure and
accounts; officers who deprive the
soldiers of their just wages ; judges
who judge for friendship, bribes, re
lationship, affinity, and other causes,
by perverting the laws or legal cases,
and thus deprive others of their
goods, which they rightfully pos
sess. 318. In THE SPIRITUAL SENSE, by
stealing, is meant to deprive others of
the truths of their faith, which is done
by false and heretical things. Priests
who minister only for the sake of gain,
or worldly honor, and teach>such things
as they see or may see from the Word,
are not true, are spiritual thieves, since
they take away from the people the
means of salvation, which are the
truths of faith. These also are called
thieves in the Word, in these passages :
He who entereth not through the door
into the sheepfold, but climbelh up
some other way, is a thief and a robber.
The thief cometh not but that he may
steal, kill and destroy, John x. 1, 10
Lay up treasures, not on the earth, but
in heaven, where thieves do not come
and steal, Matt. vi. 19, 20. If thieves
come to thee, if overthrowers by night,
how ivilt thou be cut off ! Will they
not steal what is enough for them,
Obad. 5. They will run about in the
city, they will run on the wall, they will
climb up into the houses, they will enter
through the windows, Joel ii. 9. They
have made a lie, and the thief cometh,
and the trdop spreadeth itself abroad,
Hosea vii. 1.
319. In THE CELESTIAL SENSE, by
thieves, are meant those who take
away divine power from the Lord, and
also those who claim to themselves his
merit and righteousness. These, al
though they adore God, still do not
trust Him, but themselves ; and also
they do not believe in God, but in
themselves. 320. ffcose who teach false and
heretical things, and persuade the
common people that they are true and
orthodox, and yet read the Word, and
thence may know what is false and

226

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

what is true ; and also those who con
firm the falses of religion by fallacies,
and seduce, may be compared with im
postors and impostures of every kind ;
which, because they are in themselves
thefts, in the spiritual sense, may be
compared with impostors who coin
false money, and gild it, or give it the
color of gold, and pass it for pure;
and also with those who know how to
cut and polish crystals, and harden
them dexterously, and sell them for
diamonds; as also with those who
carry sphinxes or apes, clothed like
men, and covered as to their faces, on
horses or mules, through cities, and
cry, that they are noblemen of ancient
ancestry. They are like those who
apply painted masks to their living
and natural faces, and conceal their
beauty. And they are like those who
show selenites and pellucid stones,
which shine as from gold and silver,
and sell them for stones of great value.
They may also be likened to those who,
by theatrical exhibitions, lead away
people from true divine worship, and
from temples to play-houses. Those
who confirm falses of every kind, es
teeming the truth of no value, and
who discharge the office of priest only
for the sake of gain and honor, and
thus are spiritual thieves, may be
likened to those thieves who carry
keys, with which they can open the
doors of all houses ; and also to leop
ards and eagles, which, with sharp
eyes, look about to see where is the
richest prey.
The Eighth Commandment.
Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor.
321. By bearing falsewitness against
the neighbor, or testifying falsely, in
THE NATURAL SENSE, is first of all
meant, to act as a false witness before
a judge, or before others not in a court
of justice, against any one who is
rashly accused of any evil, and to
asseverate this by the name of God
or any thing holy, or by himself, and
such things of himself as are of
the reputation of any one's name.

By this commandment, in a wider nat«
ural sense, are meant lies of every
kind, and politic hypocrisies, which
look to a bad end ; and also to tra
duce and defame the neighbor, so
that his honor, name and fame, on
which the character of the whole man
depends, are injured. In the widest
natural sense, are meant unfaithfulness,
stratagems, and evil purposes against
any one, from various origins, as from
enmity, hatred, revenge, envy, rival-
ship, &c. ; for these evils conceal within
them the testifying of what is false.
322. In the spiritual sense, by
testifying falsely, is meant, to per
suade that the false of faith is the true
of faith, and that the evil of life is the
good of life, and the reverse ; but to do
this and that from purpose, and not
from ignorance, thus to do them after
one knows what is true and good, but
not before ; for the Lord says, If ye were
blind, ye would not have sin; but now
ye say, that we see; therefore your
sin remaineth, John ix. 41. This
false is meant in the Word by a lie,
and the purpose by deceit, in these
passages : We make a league with
death, and with hell we make a vision ;
we have placed our trust in a lie, and
have been hid in falsity, Isaiah xxviii.
15. They are people of rebellion, ly
ing children ; they are not willing to
hear the law of Jehovah, xxx. 9. From
the prophet even to the priest, every one
maketh a lie, Jer. viii. 10. The inhab
itants speak a lie, and as to the tongue,
deceit is in their mouth, Micah. vi. 12.
Thou wilt destroy those who speak a
lie; Jehovah abhors a man of deceit,
Psalm v. 6. They have taught their
tongue to speak a lie; their habitation
is in the midst of deceit, Jer. ix. 15.
Because by a lie, is mlant the false,
therefore the Lord says, that the devil
speaketh a lie from his own, John viii.
14. A lie signifies what is false,
and false-speaking, also, in these
passages: Jer. ix. 4; xxiii. 14, 32;
Ezek. xiii. 15 to 19 ; xxi. 24 ; Hosea
vii. 1 ; xii. 1 ; Nahum iii. 1 ; Psalm
cxx. 2, 3.
323. In the celestial sense, by
testifying falsely, is meant, to bias-

as to its External and Internal Sense

227

pheme the Lord and the Word, and
thus to reject the Truth itself from the
church ; for the Lord is Truth itself,
and also the Word. On the other hand,
by testifying, in this sense, is meant,
to speak the truth ; and by testimony,
truth itself. Thence also it is, that
the decalogue is called the testimony,
Exod. xxiv. 16, 21, 22; xxx. 7, 8;
xxxii. 15, 16 ; xl. 20 ; Levit. xvi. 13 ;
Num. xvii. 19, 22, 25. And because
the Lord is the Truth itself, He says
concerning Himself, that He testifies.
That the Lord is Truth itself, John
xiv. 6 ; Rev. iii. And that He testi
fies and is witness of Himself, John
iii. 11; viii. 13 to 19; xv. 26; xviii.
37, 38.
324. Those who speak falses from
deceit or purpose, and pronounce them
with a pretended sound of spiritual
affection, and especially if they inter
mingle truths from the Word, which
they thus falsify, were called by the an
cients, enchanters ; concerning whom,
see Apocalypse Revealed, n. 462;
and also pythons and serpents of the
tree of the knowledge of good and
evil. These falsifiers, liars and de
ceivers may be likened to those who
speak courteously and kindly with en
emies, and, while they are speaking,
hold behind them a dagger, with which
they kill them. And they may be
compared to those who tinge their
swords with poison, and thus attack
their enemies ; and to those who min
gle wolf's-bane with water, and viru
lent poison with wine and sweetmeats.
They may be compared, also, to hand
some and alluring harlots, infected
with a malignant disease ; and also to
shrubs full of prickles, which, applied
to the nostrils,jiiurt the smelling fiords ;
as also to sweetened poison ; and also
to dung, which, being dried in the
time of autumn, spreads a fragrant
odor. Such are in the Word describ
ed by leopards ; see Apocalypse Re
vealed, n. 572.
The Ninth and Tenth Command
ments.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's

house ; thou shalt not covet thy
neighbor's wife, nor his servant, nor
his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor
any thing that is thy neighbor's.
325. In the Catechism which is at
this day in use, these are distin
guished into two commandments ; into
one, which makes the ninth, which is,
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's
house ; and into another, which makes
the tenth, which is, Thou shalt not
covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his ser
vant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his
ass, nor any thing that is thy neigh
bor's. Because these two command
ments make one thing, and in Exod.
xx. 14, and Deut. v. 18, one verse, I
have undertaken to treat of them both
together ; but not because I wish that
they may be joined together into one
commandment, but distinguished into
two, as before ; since those command
ments are called ten words, Exod.
xxxiv. 28 ; Deut. iv. 13 ; x. 4.
326. These two commandments
look to those commandments which
precede, and they teach and enjoin
that evils should not be done, as also
that they should not be lusted for ;
consequently, that they are not only
of the external man, but also of the
internal; for he who does not do
evils, and yet lusts to do them,
still does them. For the Lord says,
If any one lusteth after another's
wife, he hath already committed adul
tery with her in his heart, Matt. v. 27,
28. And the external man does not
become internal, or does not act as
one with the internal, until lusts are
removed. This also the Lord teaches,
saying, Wo unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, because ye cleanse the out
side of the cup and the platter, but
the insides are full of rapine and
intemperance. Blind Pharisee, cleanse
first the inside of the cup and the plat
ter, that the outside may be clean also,
Matt, xxiii. 25, 26 ; and, moreover, in
that whole chapter, from the begin
ning to the end. The internals, which
are pharisaical, are lusts for those
things which are commanded not to
be done, in the first, second, fifth,

228

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

sixth, seventh and eighth command
ments. It is known, that the Lord,
in the world, taught the internal
things ofthe church; and the internal
things of the church are, not to lust
for evils; and thus He taught, that the
internal and the external man make
one. This is to be born again, con
cerning which the Lord spoke to Nic-
odemus, John iii. ; and no one can be
born again, or be regenerated, except
by the Lord. That these two com
mandments may look to all those
which precede, that they should not
be lusted for, therefore house is first
named, afterwards wife, and then ser
vant, maid, ox and ass; and lastly,
all that is the neighbor's ; for the house
involves all the things which follow ;
for in it are the husband, wife, servant,
maid, ox and ass. The wife, who is
afterwards named, then involves those
things which follow; for she is mis
tress, as the husband is master, in the
house ; the servant and maid are under
them, and the oxen and asses under
these ; and lastly, all things which are
below or without, by its being said,
all that is thy neighbor's ; from which
it is manifest, that all the preceding
are looked to in these two command
ments, in general and in particular, in
a wide and in a strict sense.
327. In the spiritual sense, by
these commandments, are prohibited
all lusts which are contrary to the
spirit, thus which are contrary to
the spiritual things of the church,
which refer themselves, principally, to
faith and charity ; because, unless
lusts were subdued, the flesh would
rush, according to its liberty, into all
wickedness ; for it is known from Paul,
that the flesh lusteth against the spirit,
and the spirit against the flesh, Gal. v.
17; and from James: Every one is
tempted by his own lust, when he is en
ticed ; then lust, after it hath conceiv
ed, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it
is finished, bringeth forth death, James
i. 14, 15 ; and also from Peter : The
Lord rcscrveth the unrighteous unto
the day of judgment, to be punished;
especially those ivho walk after the
flesh in lust, 2 Pet. ii. 9, 10. In fine,

these two commandments, understood
in the spiritual sense, look to all those
things which have been before ad
duced in the spiritual sense, that
they should not be lusted for ; in like
manner, to all the things which have
been before adduced in the celestial
sense ; but to repeat them is unneces
sary. 328. The lusts of the flesh, of the
eyes, and of the other senses, separate
from the lusts, that is, the affections,
desires and delights of the spirit, are
altogether similar to the lusts of beasts ;
wherefore they are in themselves bes
tial ; but the affections of the spirit are
such as the angels have, and thence
they may be called truly human.
Wherefore, as far as any one indulges
the lusts of the flesh, so far he is a
beast and a wild beast; but as far as
he sacrifices to the desires of the spir
it, so far he is a man and an angel.
The lusts of the flesh may be compar
ed with dried and parched grapes, and
with wild grapes ; but the affections of
the spirit, with juicy and delicious
grapes, and also with the taste of the
wine pressed out of them. The lusts
of the flesh may be compared with
stables, in which are asses, he-goats
and hogs ; and the affections of the
spirit, with stables in which are noble
horses, and also sheep and lambs : they
differ also like an ass and a horse, a
he-goat and a sheep, and a hog and a
lamb ; in general, like dross and gold,
like lime and silver, and like a coral
and a ruby, &c. Lust and deed co
here like blood and flesh, and like
flame and oil ; for the lust is in the
deed, like the air from the lungs, while
one is breathing and speaking, and
like wind in the sail, while the vessel
continues sailing, and like water in a
wheel, from which are the motion and
action of a machine.
329. That the Ten Precepts of
the Decalogue contain all Things
which are of Love to God, and all
Things which are of Love toward
the Neighbor.
In eight precepts of the decalogue,
in the first, second, fifth, sixth, sev
enth, eighth, ninth and tenth, there

as to its External and Internal Sense.

229

is not any thing said which is of love to
God and of love towards the neighbor ;
for it is not said that God should be
loved, nor that the name of God should
be hallowed, nor that the neighbor
should be loved, so not that we should
deal sincerely and uprightly with him ;
but only, that Thou shalt have no oth
er God before my faces ; Thou shalt
not take the name of God in vain;
Thou shalt not kill ; Thou shalt not
commit adultery ; Thou shalt not steal ;
Thou shalt not testify falsely ; Thou
shalt not covet those things which
are thy neighbor's. Thus, in gene
ral, that evil should not be willed,
thought or done against God, nor
against the neighbor. But the reason,
why such things as are directly of love
and charity are not commanded, but
only such things as are opposite to
them, that they should not be done, is,
because as far as man shuns evils as
sins, so far he wills the goods which
are of love and charity. That the first
thing of love to God and of love towards
the neighbor, is, not to do evil, and
that the second thing of them is, to do
good, will be seen in the chapter con
cerning Charity. There are two
loves opposite to each other, the love
of willing and doing good, and the
love of willing and doing evil ; the
latter love is infernal, and the former
heavenly ; for all hell is in the love
of doing evil, and all heaven in the
love of doing good. Now, because
man is born into evils of every kind,
thence from birth he inclines to those
things which are of hell, and because
he cannot come into heaven, unless
he be born again, that is, regener
ated, it is necessary, that the evils
which are of hell should first be remov
ed, before he can will the goods which
are of heaven ; for no one can be
adopted by the Lord, before he is sep
arated from the devil. But how evils
are removed, and man brought to do
goods, will be demonstrated in the two
chapters, one concerning Repentance,
and the other concerning Reforma
tion and Regeneration. That evils
must first be removed, before the goods,
which man does, become good in the

sight of God, the Lord teaches in
Isaiah : Wash you, purify you, remove
the wickedness of your works from be
fore my eyes ; learn to do good ; then,
if your sins have been as scarlet, they
shall 'become white as snow; if they
have been red like crimson, they shall
be as wool, i. 16, 17, 18. Similar to
this is this in Jeremiah : Stand in
the gate qf the house of Jehovah,
and proclaim there this word: Thus
said Jehovah of hosts, the God of Is
rael, Make your ways and your works
good; trust not yourselves upon the
words of a lie, by saying, The temple
of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the
temple of Jehovah is here (that is, the
church) ; after stealing, killing, com
mitting adultery, and swearing by a
lie, will ye come and stand before Me,
in this house, upon which my name is
named, and say, We are delivered,
while ye do all these abominations ?
Hath this house become a den of rob
bers ? Behold, I also have seen, saith
Jehovah, vii. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11. That
before washing, or purification from
evils, prayers to God are not heard, is
also taught in Isaiah : Jehovah saith,
Ah sinful nation, a people heavy with
iniquity ; they have turned themselves
away backward. Wherefore, when ye
spread out your hands, I hide my eyes
from you; yea, if ye multiply prayer,
I do not hear, i. 4, 15. That love and
charity follow him who does the com
mandments of the decalogue by shun.
ning evils, is evident from these words
of the Lord in John : Jesus said, He
that hath my commandments, and doeth
them, he it is that loveth Me ; and he that
lovcili Me, will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him, and will manifest
Myself to him ; and We will make an
abode with him, xiv. 21, 23. By com
mandments, there, are meant, particu
larly, the commandments of the deca
logue, which are, that evils should
not be done, nor lusted for ; and
that thus the love of man to God,
and the love of God towards man,
follow as the good after evil is re
moved. 330. It was said, that as far as man
shuns evils, so far he wills goods ; th*

230

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

reason is, because evils and goods are
opposites, for evils are from hell, and
goods from heaven ; wherefore, as far
as hell, that is, evil, is removed, so far
heaven approaches, and man looks to
good. That it is so, is very manifest
from eight commandments of the dec
alogue, seen thus ; as, I. As far as any
one does not worship other gods, so far
he worships the true God. II. As far
as any one does not take the name of
God in vain, so far he loves those
things which are from God. III. As
far as any one is not willing to kill,
and to act from hatred and revenge, so
far he wishes well to the neighbor.
IV. As far as any one is not willing to
commit adultery, so far he is willing to
live chastely with a wife. V. As far
as any one is not willing to steal, so
far he practises sincerity. VI. As far
as any one is not willing to testify
falsely, so far he is willing to think
and speak truth. VII. and VIII. As
far as any one does not covet those
things which are the neighbor's, so far
he is willing that the neighbor should
enjoy his own. Hence it is evident,
that the commandments of the deca
logue contain all things which are of
love to God, and of love towards the
neighbor ; wherefore Paul says, He
that loveth another, hath fulfilled the
law ; for this, Thou shalt not commit
adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou
shalt not steal, Thou shalt not be a
false witness, Thou shalt not covet,
and if there be any other commandment,
it is comprehended in this word, Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Charity worketh no evil to the neigh
bor ; therefore charity is the fulfil
ment of the law, Rom. xiii. 8, 9,
10. To these should be added two
canons for the use of the New Church.
I. That no one can shun evils as sins,
and do goods, which are good in the
sight of God, from himself; but that,
as far as any one shuns evils as sins,
so far he does good, not from himself,
but from the Lord. II. That man
ought to shun evils as sins, and to fight
against them, as from himself; and
that if any one shuns evil from any
other cause whatever, than because

they are sins, he does not shun them,
but only causes them not to appear be
fore the world.
331. The reason that evil and good
cannot be together, and that as far as
evil is removed, good is looked to and
felt, is because, in the spiritual world,
there is exhaled from every one the
sphere of his love, which spreads itself
round about, and affects, and causes
sympathies and antipathies ; by these
spheres, the good are separated from
the evil. That evil must be removed,
before good is known, perceived and
loved, may be compared with many
things in the natural world, as with
these : No one can go to another, who
keeps a leopard and a panther in his
chamber, and because he gives them
food to eat lives securely with them,
unless he first removes those wild
beasts. What person, invited to the
table of a king and a queen, would not
first wash his face and hands, before
he comes to them ? And who enters
into the bed-chamber with his bride,
after the wedding, unless he have be
fore washed himself all over, and
clothed himself with the wedding gar
ment ? Who does not purify metallic
ores by fire, and separate them from
the dross, before he obtains pure gold
and silver? Who does not separate
the tares from the wheat, before he
carries it into the granary? And who
does not thresh his barley to separate
the grain from the bearded ears, be
fore he gathers it into the house ? Who
does not prepare his meat by boiling,
before it becomes eatable, and is set
upon the table ? Who does not shake
off the worms from the leaves of the
trees in the garden, lest the leaves
should be consumed, and thus the
fruit should perish? Who does not
dislike dirt in houses and in courts,
and remove it from them, especially
when a prince is expected, or a bride,
the daughter of a prince ? Who loves
a virgin, and intends marriage with
her, who is infected with malignant
diseases, or covered with pimples and
blotches, however she may paint her
face, dress herself splendidly, and en
deavor to infuse enticements of love by

as to its External and Internal Sense.

231

the charms of her conversation ? That
man ought to purify himself from evils,
and not wait that the Lord may do this
immediately, is, comparatively, as if a
servant, whose face and clothes are
daubed with soot and dung, should
come up to his master, and say,
"Wash me, sir." Would not the mas
ter say to him, " You foolish servant,
what do you say? See, there is wa
ter, soap and a towel. Have you not
hands and power to use them ? Wash
yourself." And the Lord God might
say, " The means of purification are
from Me, and also your will and your
power are from Me ; wherefore use
these my gifts and talents as your own,
and you will be purified," &c. That
the external man should be cleansed,
but by the internal, the Lord teaches
in Matt, xxiii., from the beginning to
the end.

332. To the above shall be added
Four Relations. First. Once I
heard vociferations, which bubbled
up, as it were, from below, through
the waters; one at the left hand, "O
how just !" another at the right hand,
" O how learned !" and a third from
behind, " O how wise !" And be
cause it fell into my thought, whether
there are also in hell those who are
just, learned and wise, I was affected
with a desire of seeing whether such are
there ; and it was said to me from heav
en, " You shall see and hear." And I
went out of the house in spirit, and saw
before me an opening ; thither I went,
and looked down, and behold a lad
der ; by this I descended ; and when I
was below, I saw a champaign country
covered over with shrubs, with thorns
and nettles intermixed ; and I asked
whether hell was here; they said,
" It is the lower earth, which is next
above hell." And then I proceeded
according to the exclamations, in or
der ; to the first, "O how just!"
and I saw a company of those who, in
the world, had been judges of friend
ship and bribes ; then to the second
exchmation, "O how learned!" and
I naw a company of those who in the

world had been reasoners ; and to the
third exclamation, "O how wise!"
and I saw a company of those who in
the world had been confirmers. But I
turned from these to the first, where
were the judges of friendship and
bribes, and who were proclaimed just.
And I saw at the side, as it were, an
amphitheatre, built of brick and cov
ered with black tiles ; and it was said
to me, that there was their Tribunal.
There were three entrances into it on
the north side, and three on the west
side, and none on the south and east
sides — a token that their judgments
were not judgments of justice, but judg
ments of will. In the midst of the am
phitheatre, there was seen a fire-place,
into which the servants, who tended the
fire, threw torches made of sulphur and
bitumen ; the light from which, darting
forth to the plastered walls, formed
pictured images of birds of the evening
and of night ; but that fire-place, and
the vibrations of light thence into the
forms of those images, were represen
tations of their judgments, in that they
could disguise the things of every
question, and induce upon them appear
ances according to favor. After half
an hour, I saw old and young men en
tering, in gowns and robes, who, lay
ing aside their caps, placed themselves
on seats at the tables to sit in judg
ment. And I heard and perceived
how dexterously and ingeniously, from
the aspect of friendship, they warped
and changed judgments into appear
ances of justice, and this so far, that
they themselves did not see what was
unjust otherwise than as just, and, re
ciprocally, what was just otherwise than
as unjust. Such persuasions concern
ing them appeared from their faces,
and were heard from the sound of their
speech. Then illustration from heav
en was given me, from which I per
ceived the things one by one, whether
they were of right or not of right ; and I
saw how industriously they covered
what was unjust, and induced upon it
the appearance of what was just ; and
from the laws they selected one which
favored, to which they bent the point in
question, and the rest, by artful reason

232

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

ings, they removed to the side. After
the judgment, the sentences were car
ried out to their clients, friends and fa
vorers ; and these, in order to return the
favor to them, for a long way exclaimed,
" O how just ! O how just !" After
this, I conversed with the angels of
heaven concerning them, and told them
some ofthe things seen and heard ; and
the angels said, that "such judges ap
pear to others as if endued with the great
est acuteness of understanding, when
yet they do not see any thing at all of
what is just and equitable. If you take
away friendship for any one, they sit
in judgment like statues, and only say,
' I accede ; I agree with this or that
man.' The reason is, because all
their judgments are judgments pre
viously formed, and a judgment pre
viously formed with favor follows the
cause from the beginning to the end
of it; hence they see nothing else than
what is of their friend ; at all that
which is against him, they turn aside
their eyes, and look from the corners
of them ; and if they take it up again,
they involve it in reasonings, as a spi
der does the captives in her web, and
consume it. Thence . t is, that if they
do not follow the web of their previous
judgment, they see nothing of right.
They have been explored to ascertain
whether they were able to see, and
they were found to be unable. The
inhabitants of your world will wonder
that it is so ; but tell them, that this is
a truth explored by the angels of heav
en. Since they see nothing of what is
just, we in heaven do not look upon
them as men, but as monstrous images
of man, of which those things which
are of friendship make the heads,
those things which are of injustice,
the breasts, those things which are of
confirmation, the hands and feet, and
those things which are of justice, the
soles of the feet, which, if they do not,
favor a friend, they supplant and tram
ple under feet. But you shall see what
they are, viewed in themselves, for
their end is near at hand;" and lo,
then suddenly the ground opened, and
the tables fell upon tables, and they,
together with the whole amphitheatre,

were swallowed up and cast into eav
erns, and imprisoned. And then it was
said to me, " Do you wish to see them
there 1" And lo, they were seen, as
to the face, as if from polished steel,
and as to the body from the neck to
the loins, like graven images clothed
with leopards' skins, and as to the feet,
like serpents ; and I saw the law-books,
which they had laid up on the ta
bles, turned into playing-cards ; and
now, instead of sitting as judges, the
employment given to them is, that they
should make vermilion into paint, with
which they daub the faces of harlots,
and thus turn them into beauties. Af
ter these things were seen, I wished to
go to the two other companies, to the
one where were merely reasoners, and
to the other where were merely con-
firmers. But it was said to me, "Rest
a little while ; angels from the so
ciety next above them shall be given
you as companions ; by these, light
will be given to you from the Lord,
and you will see wonderful things."
333. Second Relation. After some
time, I heard again from the lower earth
the same words as before, O how
LEARNED ! O HOW LEARNED ! And I
looked around to see who were present ;
and lo, there were angels, who were in
the heaven immediately above those
who cried, O how learned ! And I
conversed with them concerning the
cry, and they said that " those were the
learned, who only reason, whether
it be or be not, and rarely think
that it is so : wherefore they are like
winds which blow and pass away ; and
like bark around trees, which are with
out pith ; and like shells around al
monds without meat ; and like the rind
around fruit without the pulp ; for their
minds are without interior judgment,
and only united with the senses of the
body ; wherefore, if the senses them
selves do not judge, they are able to con
clude nothing ; in a word, they are mere
ly sensual, and by us they are called
Reasoners. They are called reasoners
because they never conclude anything,
but take up whatever they hear, and dis
pute whether it be, by continually con
tradicting. They love nothing more

as to its E eternal and Internal Sense.

233

than to attack truths, and thus to pull
them to pieces by discussing them.
These are they, who believe themselves
to be learned above all in the world.
On hearing these words, I requested
the angels to lead me to them, and
they led me to a cave, from which
went steps to the lower earth ; and we
descended and followed the cry, "O
how learned !" and lo ! there were
several hundreds standing in one
place, beating the ground. Wonder
ing at this, I asked, " Why do they
stand thus, and beat the ground with
their feet?" and added, "They can
thus excavate the ground with their
feet." At this the angels smiled, and
said, " It appears that they thus stand,
because they think nothing concerning
any thing, that it is so, but only, wheth
er it is so, and dispute ; and when the
thought proceeds no farther, they ap
pear only to tread and stamp upon one
spot, and not to proceed." And the
angels said, " Those who flow out of
the natural world into this, and hear
that they are in another world, gather
themselves into companies, in many
places, and ask, 'Where is heaven,
and where is hell ?' as also, ' Where
is God ?' and after they have been in
structed, they still begin to reason, to
dispute, and to debate, Whether
there is a God. They do this, be
cause there are, at this day, so many
naturalists in the natural world, and
these, among themselves and with oth
ers, when the conversation is concern
ing religion, propose this for discus
sion, and this proposition and dis
cussion are seldom terminated in the
affirmative of faith, that there is a God ;
and these afterwards consociate them
selves more and more with the evil ;
and this is done, because no one can
do any good from the love of good, ex
cept from God." Afterwards, I was led
down to the assembly ; and lo ! there ap
peared to me men, not unhandsome in
the face, and in clothes of ornament;
and the angels said, "They appear
such in their own light; but if light
out of heaven flows in, the faces are
changed, and also the clothes." And
it was done so, and then they appear-
30

ed with dark faces, clothed in black
sacks ; but this light being withdrawn,
they were seen as ¦ before. Then I
spoke with some of the assembly, and
said, " I heard the cry of the crowd
around you, 'O how learned!' where
fore, let us converse with you on things
which are of the deepest learning."
And they replied, " Say whatever you
please, and we will satisfy you." And
I asked, " What is the religion by
which man is saved?" And they
said, " We will divide this question in
to several; and, until we have con
cluded these, we cannot give an an
swer. And the discussion shall be,
1. Whether religion be any thing.
2. Whether salvation be or not. 3.
Whether one religion effect more
than another. 4. Whether there be a
heaven and a hell. 5. Whether there
be : eternal life after death ; besides
many more." And I asked concern
ing the first, Whether religion be any
thing. And they began to canvass
this with abundance of arguments ;
and I requested that they would refer
it to the assembly; and they referred
it ; and the common answer was, that
" This proposition needs so much in
vestigation, that it cannot be finished
in an evening." And I asked, " Can
it be finished by you within a year ?"
And one said, " It cannot within a
hundred years." And I said, " In
the mean time, you are without reli
gion ; and because salvation thence
depends, you are without the idea,
faith and hope of salvation." And he
replied, " Should it not be demonstrat
ed first, whether religion is, and what
it is, and whether it is any thing ? If
it is, it will be also for the wise ; if it is
¦not, it will be only for the common
people. It is known, that religion is
called a bond ; but it is asked, for
whom? If only for the common
people, it is not in itself any thing ; if
also for the wise, it is." On hear
ing these words, I said, " You are
any thing rather than learned, because
you cannot think any thing else, than
whether it be, and turn this both ways.
Can any one be learned, unless he
know something for certain, and pro-

234

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

ceed into it, as a man proceeds from
step to step, and successively into wis
dom? Otherwise, you do not touch
truths, even with the finger-nail ; but
you remove them more and more out
of sight. Wherefore, to reason only
whether it be, is to reason from a hat
which is never put on, or from a shoe
which is not tried on ; what thence
follows, but that you know not whether
any thing exist, or whether it be any
thing but an idea ; and so whether salva
tion be given, whether eternal life after
death, whether one religion be better
than another, whether there be a heav
en and a hell. You cannot think any
thing concerning these things, so long
as you halt at the first step, and beat
the sand there, and do not set one foot
before the other, and go forward. Take
heed to yourselves, lest your minds,
while they stand thus on the outside,
without judgment, should inwardly
grow hard, and become pillars of salt."
On saying these words, I departed, and
they from indignation threw stones
after me; and then they appeared to
me like graven images, in which there
is nothing of human reason. And I
asked the angels concerning their lot;
and they said, that the lowest of them
are let down into the deep, and there
into the desert, and are compelled to
carry packs ; and then, because they
cannot produce any thing from reason,
they prate and speak vain things ; and
there, at a distance, they appear like
asses carrying burdens.
334. Third Relation. After this,
one of the angels said, " Follow me to
the place where they cried, ' O how
wise !'" And he said, " You will see
prodigies of men ; you will see faces
and bodies, which are of a man,
and yet they are not men." And I
said, " Are they beasts, then ?" He
replied, " They are not beasts, but
men-beasts ; for they are such as can
not see at all, whether truth be truth
or not ; and yet they can make what
ever they please appear like truth ;
such with us are called Confirmers."
And we followed the cry, and came to
the place ; and lo ! a company of men,
and around the company a crowd,

and in the crowd some of noble de«
scent, who, when they heard that they
confirmed all things that they said,
and favored them with so manifest con
sent, turned themselves about, and
said, " O how wise !" But the angel
said to me, "Let us not go to them,
but let us call out one from the compa
ny ; and we called one out, and retired
with him, and spoke various things,
and he confirmed them one by one, so
that at length they appeared as true.
And we asked him whether he could
also confirm the contrary ; he said that
he could as well as the former. Then
he said, openly and from the heart,
"What is truth? Is there any truth
given in the nature of things, but what
man makes true? Say whatever you
please, and I will make it to be true."
And I said, " Make this true, That faith
is the all of the church." And he did it
so dexterously and ingeniously, that the
learned,who stood around, admired and
applauded him. Afterwards, I request
ed that he would make it true that char
ity was the all of the church ; and he
did ; and afterwards, that charity is
nothing of the church. And he clothed
and adorned both with appearances, so
that the by-standers looked at each oth
er, and said, " Is not this a wise man ?"
And I said, " Do you not know, that
charity is to live well, and that faith is
to believe well ? Does not he who lives
well, also believe well? And thus,
that faith is of charity, and charity of
faith? Do you not see that this is
true?" He replied, "I will make it
true, and I shall see." And he did,
and said, " Now I see." But present
ly he made the contrary of that to be
true, and then said, " I see also that this
is true." At this we smiled, and said,
"Are they not contraries? How can
two contraries be seen true ?" Being
indignant at this, he replied, " You
err ; they are both true, since nothing
else is true, but what man makes true."
There stood near a certain one, who,
in the world, had been an ambassador
of the first rank. He wondered at this,
and said, " I acknowledge that there
is something similar in the world ; but
still you are insane. Make it to be true

jts to its External and Internal Sense.

23.5

if you can, that darkness is light, and
light, darkness." And he replied, " I
shall do this easily. What are light
and darkness, but states of the eye ?
Is not light changed into shade, when
the eye comes from a sunny place, as
also when a man fixes his eye intense
ly on the sun ? Who does not know,
that the state ofthe eye is then changed,
and that thenco light appears like
shade ; and on the other hand, when the
state of the eye returns, that that shade
appears like light ? Does not an owl
see the darkness of night as the light
of day, and the light of day as the
darkness of night, and then the sun it
self altogether as an opaque and dusky
globe ? If any one had eyes like an owl,
what would he call light, and what
darkness? What then is light, but a
state of the eye ? And if it be only a
state of the eye, is not light darkness,
and darkness light ? Wherefore the one
is true, and the other is true." But,
because this confirmation confounded
some, I said, " I perceive that that con-
firmer does not know, that there is given
true light and fatuous light : and that
both those lights appear as if they were
lights, but still fatuous light in itself is
not light ; but, in respect to true light,
it is darkness. An owl is in fatuous
light, for there is within its eyes the de
sire of pursuing and devouring birds ;
and this light makes its eyes see in time
of night, just as cats do, whose eyes in
cellars appear like candles ; it is the fat
uous light, arising from the desire of
pursuing and devouring mice, which
produces that within in their eyes ;
thence it is manifest, that the light of
the sun is true light, and that the light
of lust is fatuous light." After this, the
ambassador requested the confirmer,
that he would make this as if true :
" That a crow is white and not black."
And he replied, " This, also, I shall do
easily." And he said, " Take a needle
or a knife, and open the quills and feath
ers of a crow ; then remove the quills
and feathers, and look at the crow's
skin ; is it not white ? What is the
black which is around but a shade,
from which we should not judge con
cerning the color of the crow ? That

black is only a shade, consult those
who are skilled in the science of op
tics, and they will say, ' Grind eithei
a black stone or glass into fine powder,
and you will see that the powder is
white.' " But the ambassador replied,
" Does not the crow appear black to
the sight ?" B ut the confi rmer replied ,
" Will you, who are a man, think any
thing from appearance ? You may, in
deed, speak from appearance, that a
crow is black, but you cannot think
that; as, for example, you may speak
from appearance, that the sun rises and
sets ; but, because you are a man, you
cannot think that, because the sun
stands unmoved, and the earth goes
forward. It is similar with the
crow. Appearance is appearance. Say
what you will, a crow is all over white ;
it also grows white, when it grows
old ; this I have seen." After this,
the bystanders looked at me ; where
fore I said, that it is true that the quills
and feathers of a crow inwardly par
take of whiteness, and also its skin ;
but this is the case not only with
crows, but also with all the birds in
the universe ; and every man distin
guishes birds by the appearance of
their color ; if this were not done, we
might say concerning every bird, that
it is white, which is absurd and ridicu
lous. Afterwards, the ambassador ask
ed, whether he could make it true,
That you are insane. And he said,
" I can, but I will not ; who is not
insane?" Then they requested him,
that he would say from the heart,
whether he was jesting, or whether he
believed that there is not any thing
true, except what man makes true.
And he said, " I swear that I believe
it." After this, that universal confirm
er was sent to the angels, who ex
plored him as to his quality ; and after
the exploration, they said, that he
did not possess a grain of under
standing, because all that which is
above the rational, with him, was clos
ed ; and only that which is below the
rational, was open ; above the rational
is spiritual light, and below the ration
al is natural light, and this light with
man is such, that he can confirm what-

236

The Catechism or Decalogue explained,

ever he pleases ; but if spiritual light
does not flow into natural light, man
does not see whether any truth is truth,
nor thence that any thing false is false ;
to see this and that, is from spiritual
light in natural light, and spiritual
light is from the God of heaven, who is
the Lord ; wherefore, that universal
confirmer is not a man nor a beast,
but a man-beast. I asked the angels
concerning the lot of such, whether
they caii be together with the living,
because the life of man is from spirit
ual light, and from this is his under
standing. And they said, that " Such,
when they are alone, cannot think
any thing, and thence speak ; but
that they stand mute like automatons,
and, as it were, in a deep sleep ; but
that they are awaked as soon as they
hear any thing;" and they added,
that " Those become such, who are in
wardly evil; into this, spiritual light
cannot flow from above, but only some
thing spiritual through the world,
whence they have the faculty of con
firming." These things being said, I
heard a voice from the angels who ex
plored him, saying, " Make a univer
sal conclusion from what has been
heard." And I made this, That it is
not the part of an intelligent man to be
able to confirm whatever he pleases ;
but that it is the part of an intelligent
man to be able to sec that the true is
true, and that the false is false, and to
confirm it. After this, I looked at the
company where the confirmers were
standing, and the crowd around them
were crying, " O how wise !" and lo !
a dark cloud covered them, and, in the
cloud, owls and bats were flying. And
it was said to me, " The owls and
bats, flying in that cloud, are corre
spondences, and thence appearances of
their thoughts ; since confirmations of
falsities, so that they appear like truths,
are represented in this world under
the forms of birds of night, whose eyes
are illuminated within by a fatuous
light, from which they see objects in
darkness, as in the light : such fatuous
spiritual light have those, who confirm
falses until they appear as truths,
and afterwards are believed to be

truths. All those are in vision from ,
behind, and not in any vision from be
fore. 335. Fourth Relation. Once, at
the dawn of day, when I awaked from
sleep, I saw before my eyes, as it were,
spectres in various shapes ; and after
wards, when it was morning, I saw
fatuous lights, in divers forms ; some
like sheets of paper full of writing,
which, being folded together again and
again, at length appeared like falling
stars, which in their descent vanished
in the air ; and some like open books,
some of which shone like little moons,
and some burnt like candles ; amongst
these, were books which raised them
selves up on high, and were lost in
the height, and others which fell
down to the earth, and were dissolved
there into dust. From these appear
ances, I conjectured, that below those
meteors there stood those who were
disputing about imaginary things,
which they esteemed of great moment ;
for, in the spiritual world, such phe
nomena appear in the atmospheres,
from the reasonings of those standing
below ; and presently the sight of my
spirit was opened to me, and I observed
a number of spirits, whose heads were
encircled with leaves of laurel, and
who were clothed in gowns adorned
with flowers, which signified that they
were spirits, who, in the natural world,
had been renowned for the fame of
erudition ; and ^because I was in the
spirit, I drew neijr and mingled myself
with the company ; and then I heard
that they were 'disputing sharply and
warmly among themselves, concerning
connate ideas ; whether there are
any in men from birth, as in beasts.
Those who denied, turned them
selves away from those who affirm
ed, and at length they stood sepa
rated from each other, like the pha
lanxes of two armies about to fight with
swords ; but because they had no
swords, they fought with the sharp
points of words. But then, on a sud
den, a certain angelic spirit stood up
in the midst of them, and, speaking
with a loud voice, he said, " I heard
at a distance, not far from you, that

as to its External and Internal Sense.

237

you are ardently engaged, on both
sides, in a dispute, about connate ideas,
whether men have any, like the beasts;
but I tell you, That men have not
ANY CONNATE IDEAS, AND THAT BEASTS
have not any ideas ; wherefore, you
are quarrelling about nothing, or, as it
is said, about goat's wool, or about the
beard of this age." On hearing these
words, they were very angry, and ex
claimed, " Cast him out; he talks con
trary to common sense." But when
they were in the effort of casting him
out, they saw him encircled with heav
enly light, through which they could
not rush ; for he was an angelic spirit ;
wherefore they retired, and removed
themselves a little from him. And after
that light was withdrawn, he said to
them, "Why are you angry? Hear
first, and collect the reasons which I
shall offer, and make a conclusion from
them yourselves ; and I foresee, that
those who excel in judgment will ac
cede, and will calm the tempests which
have arisen in your minds." To these
words, they said, yet with an indignant
tone, " Speak, then, and we will hear."
And then, beginning to speak, he said,
" You believe that beasts have con
nate ideas, and you have concluded
it from this, that their actions appear
as if from thought; and yet they
have no thought at all, and ideas are
not predicable, except of that ; and
it is the character of thought that
they do so or so, for the sake of this
or that. Consider, therefore, whether
the spider, which weaves her web most
curiously, thinks in her little head,
' I will extend the threads in this or
der, and will tie them together with
transverse threads, lest my web should
be torn to pieces by the rude vibra
tion of the air ; and at the first ter
minations of the threads, which will
make the middle, I will prepare a seat
for myself, in which I shall perceive
whatever falls in, so that I may run
thither ; as, if a fly should come, that it
may get entangled, and I will quickly
seize it, and tie it, and it shall serve me
for food.' Again, does the bee think
in its little head, ' I will fly abroad ; I
know where the flowery fields are;

and there I will gather wax from these
flowers, and suck honey from those ;
and of the wax I will build little cells
contiguous in a series, in such a man
ner, that I and my companions may
freely go in and out, as through streets ;
and afterwards we will lay up honey in
them abundantly, so that there may be
enough, also, for the coming winter,
that we may not die ;' besides other
wonderful things, in which they not
only emulate, but in some cases excel,
the political and economical prudence
of men. (See above, n. 12.) More
over, does the humble-bee think in its
little head, ' I and my companions
will build a little house of fine papyrus,
the walls of which, within, we will
wind about in the form of a labyrinth,
and in the centre we will prepare, as
it were, a forum, into which there shall
be an entrance, and out of which there
shall be a passage ; and this of such
workmanship, that no other living
creature, except what is of our family,
shall find the way to the inmost place,
where we assemble.' Again, does the
silk-worm, while a worm, think in its
little head, ' Now it is time that I should
prepare myself for spinning silk, and
for the end, that, when it is spun, I
may fly abroad, and sport with my
companions in the air into which I
could not rise before, and provide for
myself a progeny ?' Do other worms
think, in like manner, when they crawl
through the walls of houses, and be
come nymphs, aurelias, chrysalises and
at last butterflies? Does a fly have
any idea of meeting with another fly,
that it happens here, and not there?
The case is the same with animals of
a larger body, as it is with those little
animals, as with birds and winged
creatures of every kind, when they
come together, and also when they pre
pare nests, and lay eggs in them, sit
upon them, and hatch their young, pro
cure food for them, take care of them
until they fly abroad, and then drive
them away from their nests, as if they
were not their offspring ; besides innu
merable other things. The case is
similar, also, with the beasts of the
earth, with serpents and with fishes.

238

The Catechism or Decalogue explained.

Which of you cannot see, from the
things above mentioned, that their
spontaneous actions do not flow from
any thought, of which alone an idea is
predicable? The error, that beasts
have ideas, flows from no other source,
than from the persuasion, that they
think, as well as men, and that speech
only makes the distinction." After
this, the angelic spirit looked around,
and because he saw them still hesitat
ing, whether beasts have thought or
not, he continued the discourse, and
said ; " I perceive, that, from the ac
tions of brute animals, similar to those
of men, there still clings to you a vis
ionary idea concerning their thought;
wherefore I will tell whence their ac
tions are. Every beast, every bird, every
fish, reptile and insect, for instance, has
its own natural, sensual and corporeal
love, the habitations of which are their
heads, and in them the brains ; through
these, the spiritual world flows into the
senses of their body immediately, and
thereby determines the actions ; which
is the reason why the senses of their
body are much more exquisite than
those of men. That influx from the
spiritual world, is what is called in
stinct, and it is called instinct because
it exists without the medium of thought;
there are also given things accessory to
instinct, from habit. But their love, by
which, from the spiritual world, is pro
duced the determination to actions, is
only for nutrition and propagation, but
not for any science, intelligence and
wisdom, by which love is successively
produced with men.
"That neither has man any connate
ideas, may evidently appear from this,
that he has not any connate thought ;

and where there is no thought, there is
no idea ; for the one is of the other, re
ciprocally. This may be concluded from
infants newly born, in that they cannot
do any thing but suck and breathe ;
that they can suck, is not from any
thing connate, but from continual suc
tion in the mother's womb; and that
they can breathe, is because they live,
for this is a universal of life. The very
senses of their body are in the greatest
obscurity, and from this they emerge
successively by means of objects ; in
like manner, their motions are acquir
ed by habitual exercise. And as they
learn successively to lisp out words,
and to sound them, at first without any
idea, there arises something obscure of
fantasy ; and as this becomes clear,
something obscure of the imagination
arises, and thence of thought. Accord
ing to the formation of this state, ideas
exist, which, as was said above, make
one with thought; and thought from
none grows by instructions. Wherefore
men have ideas, yet not connate, but
formed ; and from these flow their
speech and actions." That no other is
born with man, than a faculty for know
ing, understanding and becoming wise,
as also an inclination to love not only
those things, but also the neighbor
and God, may be seen in a Rela
tion above, n.-48, and also in a Re
lation below. After this, I looked
around, and saw near me Leibnitz
and Wolfius, who paid close atten
tion to the reasons produced by the
angelic spirit ; and then Leibnitz ac
ceded and assented ; but Wolfius de
parted, both denying and affirming, for
he had not so strong an interior judg
ment as Leibnitz.

Concerning Faith.

239

CHAPTER VI.

CONCERNING FAITH.

336. From the wisdom of the .an
cients flowed forth this dogma, That
the universe, and all the particular
parts of it, refer themselves to the
good and the true ; and thus all
things of the church, to love or char
ity and faith, since all that is called
good, which flows from love or char
ity, and all that is called truth, which
flows from faith. Now, because char
ity and faith are distinctly two, but
still make one in man, that he may be
a man of the church, that is, that the
church may be in man, it was there
fore a subject of controversy and dis
pute amongst the ancients, which of
those two should be the first, and thus
which by right is to be called the first
born. Some of them said that truth,
consequently that faith, should have
•he priority ; and some, that good,
consequently that charity, should have
it. For they saw that man, soon after
his birth, learns to speak and think,
and by these to be perfected in under
standing, which is done by sciences ;
and thus that he begins to learn and
understand what is true, and that by
these means he afterwards learns and
understands what is good ; consequent
ly, that he learns first what faith is,
and afterwards what charity is. Those
who thus comprehended this thing,
thought that the truth of faith was the
first-born, and that the good of charity
was born afterwards ; wherefore they
also attributed to faith the preeminence
and prerogative of primogeniture. But
these overwhelmed their understanding
with such a multitude of arguments in
favor of faith, that they did not see that
faith is not faith unless it be conjoin
ed with charity, and that charity is not

charity unless it be conjoined with
faith ; and thus that they make one,
and that if ihey do not, neither the one
nor the other is any thing in the
church. That they do absolutely make
one, will be demonstrated in what fol
lows. But in this preface I shall, in a
few words, explain how, or in what
manner, they make one, for this is of
importance, that the things which fol
low may be in some light. Faith, by
which is also meant truth, is first in
time, but charity, by which is also
meant good, is first in end ; and that
which is first in the end is actually
first, because primary thus also first
born; but that which is first in time,
is not first actually, but apparently.
But that this may be comprehended, it
shall be illustrated by comparisons ;
as with the building of a temple, as al
so of a house, and with the making of
a garden, and with the preparing of a
field. With THE BUILDING OF A TEM
PLE ; the first thing in time is to lay
the foundation, to raise the walls, to
put on the roof, and afterwards to put
in the altar, and to erect the pulpit ;
but the first thing in the end is the
worship of God in it, for the sake of
which those things are done. With
THE BUILDING OF A HOUSE ; the first
thing in time is to build its exterior
parts, and also to furnish it with various
things which are of necessity ; but the
first thing in end is a commodious
habitation for himself and for the rest
who shall be in the house. With the
MAKING OF A GARDEN J the first thing
in time is to level the ground, and pre
pare the soil, and plant trees, and sow
such things as will serve for use ; but
the first thing in end is the enjoymenf

240

Concerning Faith.

of the fruits of them. With the pre
paring of a field ; the first thing in
time is to clear the land, to plough, to
harrow, and then to sow the seeds;
but the first thing in end is the har-.
vest, thus also use. From these
comparisons, every one may conclude
which in itself is first ; for does not
every one, when he wishes to build
a temple or a house, as also to make a
garden and to cultivate a field, first
intend use, and constantly keep and
revolve this in his mind, while he
procures the means for it. We con
clude, therefore, that the truth of
faith is first in time, but that the
good of charity is first in end ; and
that this, because it is primary, is
therefore actually the first-begotten in
the mind. But it is necessary that it
should be known what faith is, and
what charity is, each in its essence ; and
this cannot be known, unless faith and
charity be divided, each into its proper
articles. The articles of faith, there
fore, are these : I. That saving Faith
is in the Lord God the Savior Jesus
Christ. II. That Faith, in the sum, is,
that he, who lives well and believes
aright, is saved by the Lord. III.
That man receives Faith by going to
the Lord, learning Truths from the
Word, and living according to them.
IV. That abundance of Truths, coher
ing as in a bundle, exalts and perfects
Faith. V. That Faith without Char
ity is not Faith, and thai Charity with
out Faith is not Charity ; and, that
neither lives, except from the Lord.
VI. That the Lord, Charity and Faith
make one, like Life, Will and Under
standing in man ; and that, if they are
divided, each perishes, like a pearl re
duced tn powder. VII. That the Lord
is Charity and Faith in man, and that
man is Charity and Faith in the Lord.
VIII. That Charity and Faith are
together in good Works. IX. ' That
there is a true Faith, a spurious Faith,
and a hypocritical Faith. X. That
there is no Faith with the Evil.
These are now to be explained one by
one. I. That saving Faith is in the
Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ.

337. That saving faith is in God
the Savior, is, because He is God
and Man ; and He in the Father and
the Father in Him, and thus one;
wherefore, they who go to Him, go to
the Father also at the same time, and
thus to the one and only God, and
there is no saving faith in any other.
That we should believe, or have faith,
in the Son of God, the Redeemer and
Savior, conceived from Jehovah, and
born of the Virgin Mary, named Jesus
Christ, is evident from the commands,
frequently repeated by Him, and after
wards by the apostles. That faith in
Him was commanded by Himself, is
very manifest from these passages :
Jesus said, This is the will of the Fa
ther who sent Me, that every one who
seeth the Son, and believeth in Him,
should have eternal life ; and I should
resuscitate him at the last day, John vi.
40. He that believeth in the Son,
hath eternal life ; but he that believeth
not the Son, shall not see life, but the
anger of God abideth on him, iii.
36. That every one, who believeth
in the Son, should not perish, but have
eternal life ; for God so loved the world,
that He gave his only-begotten Son,
that every one, who believeth in
Him, should not perish, but have eternal
life, iii. 15, 16. Jesus said, I am the
resurrection and the life ; he that be
lieveth in Me, shall never die, ix. 25,
26. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that believeth in Me, hath eter
nal life. I am the bread of life, vi.
47. 48. i" am the bread of life ; he
that cokpth to Me, shall never hun
ger, and he that believeth in Me,
shall never thirst, vi. 35. Jesus cried,
saying, If any one thirst, come to Me and
drink ; whosoever believeth in Me,
as the Scripture hath said, out of his
belly shall flow rivers of living water,
vii. 37, 38. They said to Jesus,
What shall we do, that we may work
the works of God? Jesus answered,
This is the work of God, that ye be
lieve in Him, whom the Fatherh ath
sent, vi. 28, 29. As long as ye have
light, believe in the light, that ye may
be sons ofthe light, xii. 36. He that
BELIEVETH IN THE SON OF GoD, is not

Concerning Faith.

241

judged; but he that believeth not,
is already judged, because he hath
not believed in the name of the only-
begotten Son of God, iii. 18. These
things are written, that ye may believe
that Jesus is the Son of God; and that
believing, ye may have life in his name,
xx. 31. Unless ye believe that I
am, ye shall die in your sins, viii. 24.
Jesus said, When the Paraclete, the
Spirit of truth, is come, he will convince
the world of sin, of righteousness and
of judgment ; cf sin, because they be
lieve not in Me, xvi. 8.
338. That the faith of the apostles
was no other than in the Lord Jesus
Christ, is evident from many passages
in their epistles, of which I shall ad
duce only these : / live no more, but
Christ liveih in me ; in that, indeed, I
now live in the flesh, I live in the
faith, which is in the Son of God,
Gal. ii. 20. Paul testified to the Jews
and to the Greeks, repentance towards
God, and faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ, Acts xx. 21. He who brought
Paul out, said, What must I do to be
saved? He said, Believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ ; thus thou shalt
be saved, and thy house, xvi. 30, 31.
He who hath the Son, hath life ; but
he who hath not the Son of God, hath
not life. These things I have written
to you, who believe in the name of the
Son of God, that ye may know that ye
have eternal life, and that ye may believe
in the name of the Son of God, 1 John
v. 12, 13. We, by nature Jews, and not
sinners of the Gentiles, since we know
that a man is not justified by the works
of the law, but by the faith of Jesus
Christ, we also have believed in
Jesus Christ, Gal. ii. 15, 16. Since
their faith was in Jesus Christ, and al
so is from Him, therefore they called it
the faith of Jesus Christ, as just above,
Gal. ii. 16, and in the following pas
sages : The righteousness of God, by
the faith of Jesus Christ, unto all,
and upon all, who believe, that He may
be justifying him who is of the faith
of Jesus, Rom. iii. 22, 26. That
he may have the righteousness which
is FROM the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is from the God
31

of faith, Phil. iii. 9. Wlio keep the
commandments of God, and the faith
of Jesus Christ, Rev. xiv. 12. By
the faith, which is in Jesus Christ,
2 Tim. iii. 15. In Jesus Christ is
faith which worketh by charity,
Gal. v. 6. From these, it may be evi
dent, what faith was meant by Paul, in
the saying at this day common in the
church, We conclude, therefore,
THAT A MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH,
WITHOUT THE WORKS OF THE LAW,
Rom. iii. 28 ; that it was not in God
the Father, but in his Son ; still less
in three Gods in order, in one from
whom, in another for the sake of
whom, and in a third by whom.
The reason why it is believed, in the
church, that its tri-personal faith was
meant by Paul in that saying, is, be
cause the church, for fourteen centu
ries, or ever since the Nicene Coun
cil, has acknowledged no other faith,
and thence has known no other ; be
lieving thus, that this was the only
faith, and that there could be no other.
Wherefore, wherever faith is read, in
the Word of the New Testament, it
has been believed, that it was that,
and to that they have applied all
the things there. Thence the only
saving faith, which is in God the Sa
vior, has been lost; and thence, also,
so many fallacies have crept into their
doctrines, and so many paradoxes, con
trary to sound reason ; for all the doc
trine of the church, which teaches
and shows the way to heaven, or to sal
vation, depends on faith ; and because
so many fallacies and paradoxes have
crept into it, as was said, therefore it
was necessary, that they should pro
claim the dogma, that the understand
ing should be kept under obedience to
faith. Now, since in the saying of
Paul, Rom. iii. 28, by faith, is not
meant a faith in God the Father, but
in his Son, and by the works of the law
there, are not meant the works of the
law of the decalogue, but the works of
the Mosaic law forthe Jews, as is mani
fest from what follows there, and also
from similar passages in the epistle to
the Galatians, ii. 14, 15, the founda
tion-stone ofthe faith, at this day, falls,

242

Concerning Faith.

and moreover, the temple built upon it,
like a house sinking into the earth,
the top of whose roof only appears.
339. The reason why we should
believe, that is, should have faith,
in God the Savior Jesus Christ, is,
because it is in a visible God, in
whom is the invisible; and faith in a
visible God, who is Man, and at the
same time God, enters into man ; for
faith, in its essence, is spiritual, but
in its form, natural ; wherefore, with
man, it becomes spiritual-natural ; for
all the spiritual is received in the nat
ural, that it may be something with
man. The bare spiritual enters, in
deed, into man, but it is not received ;
it is like ether, which flows in and
flows out, without affecting ; for, in or
der to affect, there must be perception,
and thus reception, each in the mind
of man ; and this is not given with
man, except in his natural. But, on
the other hand, merely natural faith,
or faith destitute of spiritual essence,
is not faith, but only persuasion, or
science ; persuasion resembles faith in
externals, but, because in its internals
there is nothing spiritual, therefore
there is nothing saving. Such is the
faith with all those who deny the di
vinity of the Lord's Human ; such was
the Arian faith, and such, also, is the
Socinian faith, because both reject the
Divinity of the Lord. What is faith,
without a definite object? Is it not
like a look into the universe, which
falls, as it were, into an empty void,
and perishes? Or it is like a bird,
flying above the atmosphere into the
ether, where it expires as in a vacuum.
The habitation of this faith in the mind
of man may be compared to the hab
itation of the winds in the wings of
JEolus, and also to the habitation of
light in a falling star ; it rises like a
comet, with a long tail, but it also
passes away like a comet, and disap
pears. In a word, faith in an invisible
God is actually blind, because the hu
man mind does not see its God ; and
the light of this faith, because it is not
spiritual-natural, is a fatuous light; and
this light is like the light in a glow
worm, and like the l:ght in marshes,

or upon sulphureous earth, in the time
of night, and like the light in rotten
wood. From this light nothing else
exists but what is of fantasy, in
which what appears is believed to be
something, and yet it is not. Faith in
an invisible God, shines in no other
light, and, especially, when it is
thought that God is a spirit, and con
cerning spirit it is thought as con
cerning ether ; what else thence fol
lows, but that man looks upon God as
he looks upon the ether ? and thus he
seeks Him in the universe, and when
he does not find Him there, he believes
nature to be the God of the universe.
The naturalism reigning at this day, is
from this origin. Did not the Lord
say, that no one hath ever heard the
voice of the Father, or seen his shape ?
John v. 37 ; and also, that no one hath
ever seen God, and that the only-begotten
Son, who is in the bosom of the Father,
He hath revealed, i. 18. No one hath
seen the Father, but He who is with
the Father ; He hath seen the Father, vi.
46. Also, that no one cometh to the
Father, but through Him, xiv. 6; and
moreover, that the man seeth and know
eth the Father, who seeth and knoweth
Him, xiv. 7, and the following verses.
But different is the faith in the Lord
God the Savior, who, because He is
God and Man, may both be approach-:
ed and seen in thought ; it is not an
indeterminate faith, but it has a defi
nite object {terminum a quo et adquem),
and when once received, it remains;
as, when any one has seen an em
peror or a king, as often as he recol
lects him, their image returns. The
sight of that faith is as if any one
sees a bright cloud, and an angel in
the midst of it, who invites the man to
him, that he may be elevated into heav
en ; thus the Lord appears to those
who have faith in Him, and approaches
to every one, as he knows and ac
knowledges Him ; which is done,
as he knows and does his command
ments, which are, to shun evils and do
goods ; and at length He comes into
his house, and makes his abode with
him, together with the Father who is
in Him, according to these words in

Concerning Faith.

24a

John : Jesus said, He who hath my
commandments, and doeth them, he it is
th it louttli Me; and lie that lovcth Me,
shall be loved by my Father, and I will
love him, and will manifest Myself to
him ; and We will come to him, and
make an abode with him, John xiv. 21,
23. These things were written in the
presence of the twelve apostles of the
Lord, who, while I was writing them,
were sent to me by the Lord.
340. II. That Faith in the Sum,
is, that he who lives well, and be
lieves aright, is saved by the Lord.
That man was created for eternal
life, and that every man may inherit it,
provided he lives according to the
means of salvation which are prescrib
ed in the Word, every Christian, and
every heathen, also, who has religion
and sound reason, admits. The means
of salvation, indeed, are many ; but they
all and each of them refer themselves
to living well and believing aright, thus
to charity and faith, for charity is to
live well, and faith is to believe aright.
These two general means of salvation
are not only prescribed to man in the
Word, but they are also commanded;
and because they are commanded, it
follows, that man can by them provide
for himself eternal life, by virtue ofthe
power put in him and given to him
by God ; and that as far as man uses that
power, and at the same time looks to
God, so far God corroborates it, and
makes all that which is of natural char
ity to be of spiritual charity, and all that
which is of natural faith to be of spirit
ual faith ; thus God makes dead chari
ty and faith, and at the same time man,
alive. There are two things which
must be together, that it may be said,
that man lives well and believes aright;
these two things are called, in the
church, the internal man and the exter
nal man. When the internal man
wills well, and the external acts well,
then both make one, the external from
the internal, and the internal through
the external ; and so man from God and
God through man. But, on the other
hand, if the internal man wills evil, and
still the external man acts well, then,
nevertheless, both act from hell ; for his

willing is thence, and his doing is hyp
ocritical ; and his will, which is inter
nal, lurks inwardly in every hypocriti
cal deed, like a snake in the grass, or
like a worm in a flower. The man
who not only knows that there is an
internal and an external man, but al
so what they are, and that they can
act as one actually, and also act as
one apparently, and, moreover, that
the internal man lives after death, and
the external is buried, — he has in his
power the arcana of heaven and also
of the world, in abundance; and he
who conjoins those two men with him
self, to good, becomes happy to eter
nity ; but he who divides them, and
still more, he who conjoins them to
evil, becomes unhappy to eternity.
341. Suppose that the man who
lives well and believes aright, is not
saved, and that God, of his free will and
pleasure, can save and condemn whom
soever he will, the man who perishes
may justly accuse God of unmerciful-
ness and severity, and even of cruelty ;
yea, deny God to be God ; and more
over that He has spoken in his Word
vain things, and commanded such
things as are of no use, or such as are
trifles ; and further, if the man who
lives well and believes aright, is not
saved, he may also accuse God of vio
lating his covenant, which he made
upon mount Sinai, and wrote with his
finger upon the two tables. That God
cannot but save those who live accord
ing to his commandments, and have
faith in Him, is evident from the
words of the Lord in John, xiv. 21 to
24 : and every one who has religion
and sound reason, may confirm him
self in this, while he thinks that
God, who is constantly with man, and
gives him life, and also the faculty of
understanding and of loving, cannot
but love him, and by love conjoin Him
self to him who lives well and believes
aright. Is not this inscribed by God
upon every man and every creature?
Can a father and a mother reject their
children, or a bird its young, or a
beast its cubs? Even tigers, pan
thers and serpents cannot do this.
To do otherwise would be contrary to

244

Concerning Faith

the order in which God is, and accord
ing to which He acts ; and also contra
ry to the order into which He created
man. Now, as it is impossible for God
to condemn any one who lives well
and believes aright, so, on the other
hand, it is impossible for God to save
any one who lives wickedly, and
thence believes falses. This other also
is contrary to order, and of course con
trary to his omnipotence, which can
not proceed otherwise than by the way
of justice; and the laws of justice are
truths, which cannot be changed ; for
the Lord says, It is easier for heaven
and earth to pass away, than for one
tittle of the law lo fail, Luke xvi. 17.
Every one who knows any thing con
cerning the essence of God, and con
cerning the free agency of man, may
perceive this ; as for example, Adam
had the liberty of eating from the tree
of life, and also from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil : if he had
eaten only from the tree or trees of life,
would it have been possible for God to
drive him out of the garden ? I believe
it would not. But after he ate of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
would it have been possible for God to
retain him in the garden ? I believe
again that it would not ; and likewise,
that God cannot cast into hell any angel
who has been received into heaven, nor
introduce into heaven any devil who
has been condemned. That He can
not, from his divine omnipotence,
do either of these, may be seen above
in what was said concerning the Di
vine Omnipotence, n. 49 to 70.
342. In the preceding lemma, from
n. 336 to 339, it was shown, that
saving faith is in the Lord God the
Savior Jesus Christ. But it is asked,
What is the first thing of faith in
Him? And it is answered, That it is
AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT, THAT He IS
the Son of God. This was the first
thing of faith, which the Lord, when
He came into the world, revealed and
announced. For unless they had
first acknowledged, that He was the
Son of God, and thus God of God,
in vain would He himself and the apos
tles afterwards have preached faith in

Him. Now because there is something
similar at this day, but with those who
think from the proprium, that is, from
the external or natural man only, say
ing with themselves, " How can Jeho
vah God conceive a Son, and how
can man be God 1" it is necessary, that
this first thing of faith be confirmed
and established from the Word ; where
fore the following passages shall be ad
duced thence : — The angel said to Ma
ry, Thou shalt conceive in the womb,
and shalt bring forth, and, shalt call
his name Jesus. He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the
Most High. And Mary said to the
angel, How shall this be done, since 1
know not a man ? The angel answered,
The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Most High
shall overshadow thee ; wherefore the
Holy Thing that is born of thee, shall
be called the Son of God, Luke i. 31,
32, 34, 35. When Jesus was baptized,
a voice came from heaven, saying,
This is my beloved Son, in ivhom I
am well pleased, Matt. iii. 16, 17 ; Mark
i. 10, 11; Luke iii. 21, 22. And
again, When Jesus was transfigured,
a voice also came from, heaven, saying,
This is my beloved Son, in whom 1
am well pleased ; hear Him, Matt. xvii.
5 ; Mark ix. 7 ; Luke ix. 35. Jesus
asked his disciples, Who do men say
that I am ? Peter answered, Thoc
art the Christ, the Son of the
living God. And Jesus said, Blessed
art thou, Simon, son of Jonah. I say
unto thee, Upon this rock I will build
my church, Matt. xvi. 13, 16, 17, 18.
The Lord said that He would build
his church upon this rock, namely,
upon the truth and confession, that He
is the Son of God; for rock signifies
truth, and also the Lord as to Divine
Truth; wherefore, with whomsoever
there is not a confession of that truth,
that he is the Son of God, the church is
not ; and therefore it was said above,
that this is the first thing of faith in
Jesus Christ, thus faith in its origin.
John the Baptist saw and testified, that
He is the Son of God, John i. 34. Na-
thanael the disciple said to Jesus, Thou
art the Son of God, Thou art thf.

Concerning Faith.

245

King of Israel, i. 50. The twelve
disciples said, We have believed that
thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God, vi. 69. He is called,
the Only-begotten Son of God,
the Only-begotten of the Father,
who is in the bosom ofthe Father, i. 14,
18 ; iii. 16. Jesus himself confessed,
before the high priest, that He was
the Son of God, Matt. xxvi. 63, 64;
xxvii. 43. Mark xiv. 41,42. Luke xxii.
70. Those who were in the ship, came
and worshipped Jesus, saying, Truly
Thou art the Son of God, Matt. xiv.
33. The eunuch, who wished to be
baptized, said to Philip, I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God, Acts viii. 37. Paul, when he
was converted, preached Jesus, that
He was the Son of God, ix. 20. Je
sus said, The hour is coming when the
dead shall hear the voice of the Son
of God, and those who hear, shall live,
John v. 25. He who doth not believe,
is already judged, because he hath not
believed in the name of the Only-
begotten Son of God, iii. 18. These
things are written, that ye may believe,
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of God, and that believing ye may
have life in his name, xx. 31. These
things I have written lo you who believe
in the name of the Son of God, that
ye may know that ye have eternal life ;
and that ye may believe in the name
of the Son of God, 1 John v. 13.
We know that the Son of God hath
come, and given us that we may know
Him who is true ; and we are in Him who
is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This
is the tru-. God and eternal life, v. 20,
21. Whosoever confesseth, that Jesus
is the Son of God, God abideth in him,
and he in God, v. 5. And also in other
places, as Matt. viii. 29 ; xxvii. 40, 43,
54 Marki. 1; iii. 11; xv. 39. Luke
viii. 23. Johnix. 35; x.36; xi. 4,27;
xix. 7. Rom. i. 4. 2 Cor. i. 19.
Gal. ii. 20. Eph. iv. 13. Heb. iv. 14 ;
vi. 6 ; vii. 3 ; x. 29. 1 John iii. 8 ; v.
10. Rev. ii. 18. Besides in many
places where He is called by Jeho
vah, Son, and where He himself calls
Jehovah God, his Father; as in this;
Whatsoever the Father docth, this

the Son doeth ; as the Father rais-
eth the dead, and quickeneth them, so
doth the Son. As the Father hath
life in Himself, so hath He given to
the Son to have life in Himself; that
all may honor the Son, even as they
honor the Father, John v. 19 to 27;
and in many other places. And also
in David ; / will announce concerning
the statute, Jehovah hath said to me,
Thou art my Son ; this day I have
begotten Thee. Kiss the Son, lest
He be angry, and ye perish in the way,
because his anger will shortly kindle.
Blessed are all who confide in
Him, Psalm ii. 7, 12. Hence now this
conclusion is made ; That every one,
who wishes to be truly a Christian, and
to be saved by Christ, ought to believe,
that Jesus is the Son of the living God.
He who does not believe this, but only
that he is the Son of Mary, implants
in himself various ideas concerning
Him, which are hurtful and destruc
tive of his salvation, concerning which,
see above, n. 92, 94, 102; concerning
these the like may be said, as concern
ing the Jews, that, instead of a royal
crown, they put upon his head a crown
of thorns; and also that they give
Him vinegar to drink, and cry, If thou
be the Son of God, come down from the
cross ; or as the tempter, the devil, said,
If thou be the Son of God, say that
these stones may become bread ; or, If
thou be the Son of God, cast thyself
down, Matt. iv. 3, 6. These profane
his church and his temple, and make
it a den of robbers. These are they
who make the worship of Him like the
worship of Mahomet, and do not dis
tinguish between true Christianity,
which is the worship of the Lord, and
naturalism. They may be compared
with those who are carried in a char
iot or a coach upon thin ice, and the
ice is broken under them, and they
are drowned ; and both they, and the
horses, and the chariot, are covered
with freezing water. They may also
be likened to those who make a little
boat of reeds and canes, and glue it
together with pitch, that i* may cohere,
and in it launch out into the deep ;
but there the pitchy conglutination is

246

Concerning Faith.

dissolved, and they, being suffocated
with the waters of the deep, are swallow
ed up, and buried at the bottom of it.
343. III. That Man receives
Faith by going to the Lord, learn
ing Truths from the Word, and
living according to them.
Before I begin to demonstrate the
Origin of Faith, which is, that we
should go to the Lord, learn truths from
the Word, and live according to them,
it is necessary, that a summary of faith
be premised, from which may be had a
general notion of faith, in the particu
lar parts ; for thus may be more clear
ly comprehended, not only the things
which are said in this chapter con
cerning Faith, but also those which are
said in the following chapters concern
ing Charity, concerning Free Agency,
concerning Repentance, concerning
Reformation and Regeneration, and
concerning Imputation. For faith en
ters into all and every part of a theo
logical system, as blood enters into the
members of the body, and vivifies
them. What the present church teach
es concerning faith, is generally known
in the Christian world, and particular
ly in its ecclesiastical order ; for books
concerning faith only, and concerning
faith alone, fill the libraries of the
teachers of the church ; for scarcely
any thing besides that is esteemed at
this day properly theological. But be
fore those things, which the present
church teaches concerning its faith,
are taken up, considered and examin
ed, which will be done in an Appen
dix, the general things, which the
New Church teaches concerning its
faith, will be adduced, which are the
following :
344. The Esse of the Faith
of the New Church is, 1. Confi
dence in the Lord God the Savior
Jesus Christ. 2. Trust that he who
lives well, and believes aright, is saved
by Him.
The Essence of the Faith of
the New Church, is Truth from
. the Word.
The Existence of the Faith
of the New Church, h, 1. Spirit

ual sight. 2. Agreement of truths
3. Conviction. 4. Acknowledgment
inscribed upon the mind.
The States of the Faith of
the New Church, are, 1. Infant
faith, adolescent faith, adult faith. 2.
Faith of genuine truth and faith of
the appearances of truth. 3. Faith of
memory, faith of reason, faith of light.
4. Natural faith, spiritual faith, celes
tial faith. 5. Living faith and miracu-
lousfaith. 6. Free faith and forced faith.
The form itself of the Faith
or the New Church, in the uni
versal idea, and in the particular
idea, may be seen above, n. 2 and 3.
345. Since there have been adduced,
in a summary, those things which are of
spiritual faith, there shall also be ad
duced, in a summary, those things
which are of merely natural faith,which
in itself is a persuasion counterfeiting
faith, and is a persuasion of the false,
and is called heretical faith. Its de
nominations are, J . Spurious faith, in
which falses are mixed together with
truths. 2. Meretricious faith from falsi
fied truths, and adulterous faith from
adulterated goods. 3. Bigoted or blind
faith, which is that of mystical things,
which are believed, although it is not
known whether they be true or false ; or
whether they be above reason or con
trary to it. 4. Wandering faith, which
is a faith in several gods. 5. Purblind
faith, which is a faith in any other
God than in the true, and with
Christians, in any other than the Lord
God the Savior. 6. Hypocritical or
Pharisaical faith, which is that of the
mouth, and not of the heart. 7. Vis
ionary and preposterous faith, which
is an appearance of what is false as
true, from ingenious confirmation.
346. It was said above, that faith,
as to its existence with man, is spiritu
al sight. Now, because spiritual sight,
which is that of the understanding,
and thus ofthe mind, and natural sight,
which is the sight of the eye, and thus
of the body, mutually correspond to

Concerning Faith.

247

each other, therefore, every state of
faith may be compared with a state of
the eve and its sight ; a state of the
faith of truth, with every sound
state of the sight of the eye, and a
state of the faith of the false, with
every perverted state of the sight of
the eye. But we will compare the
correspondences of those two sights
of the mind and of the body, as to
the perverted states of each. Spu
rious faith, in which falses are
mixed together with truths, may be
compared with the disease of the eye
and thence of the sight, which is called
a white spot upon the cornea, render
ing the sight obscure. Meretricious
faith, which is from falsified truths,
and adulterous faith, which . is
from adulterated goods, may be com
pared with the disease of the eye and
thence of the sight, which is called
glaucoma, and is a drying up and hard
ening of the crystalline humor. Big
oted or blind faith, which is of
mystical things, which are believed,
although it is not known whether they
be true or false, or whether they be
above reason or contrary to it, may be
compared with the disease of the eye
which is called gutta serena and am
aurosis, which is a loss of the sight,
and yet the eye appears as if it saw
perfectly, arising from an obstruction
of the optic nerve. Wandering
faith, which is in several'gods, may
be compared with the disease of the
eye which is called a cataract, which
is a loss of the sight, arising from an
obstipation between the sclerotic coat
and the uvea. Purblind faith, whicli
is a faith in any other god than in
the true, and with Christians than in
the Lord God the Savior, may be
compared with the disease of the eye
which is called slrabism. Hypocrit
ical Or PHARISAICAL FAITH, which is
of the mouth and not of the heart,
may be compared with an atrophy of
the eye, and thence a loss ofthe sight.
Visionary, and preposterous faith,
which is an appearance of the false
as if it were true from ingenious con
firmation, may be compared with the
disease of the eye which is called

nyctalopy, which is seeing in dark
ness from fatuous light.
347. But with regard to the for
mation of faith ; it is formed by
man's going to the Lord, learning
truths from the Word, and living ac
cording to them. First, That faith
is formed by man's going to the Lord,
is, because faith which is faith, thus
which is the faith of salvation, is
from the Lord and in the Lord. That
it is from the Lord, is evident from his
words to the disciples — Abide in Me
and I in you ; because without Me, ye
cannot do any thing, John xv. 4, 5.
That faith is in the Lord, is manifest
from those passages, which in abun
dance were adduced above, n. 337, 338,
which are, That we should believe in
the Son. Now, because faith is from
the Lord, and in the Lord, it may be
said that the Lord is faith itself; for
the life and essence of it are in the
Lord, thus from the Lord. Second
ly, That faith is formed, by man's
learning truths from the Word. The
reason is, because faith in its essence
is truth, for all things which enter
into faith, are truths ; wherefore, faith
is no other than a complex of the truths
shining in the mind of man ; for truths
teach, not only that we should believe,
but also in whom we should believe,
and what we should believe. That
truths should be taken from the Word,
is, because all truths which conduce to
salvation are there, in which there is
efficacy, because they were given by the
Lord, and thence inscribed upon the
whole angelic heaven : wherefore, when
man learns truths from the Word, he
comes into communion and consocia
tion with the angels, without knowing
it. Faith without truths is like seed
destitute of the medullary substance,
which, when ground, gives only chaff;
but faith from truths is like good grain,
which, when ground, gives flour. In a
word, the essentials of faith are truths ;
and if they are not in it and compose
it, faith is only like the shrill voice
of a whistle ; but when they are in it
and compose it, faith is like the voice
of something healthful. Thirdly,
That faith is formed'by man's living

243

Concerning Faith.

according to truths, is, because spirit
ual life is a life according to truths,
and truths do not actually live, before
they are in deeds ; truths abstracted
from deeds are of the thought alone,
which, if they do not become also of
the will, are only in the entrance to
man, and so not within in him ; for the
will is the man himself, and the
thought is, as to quantity and quality,
so far the man, as it joins to itself the
will. He who learns truths and does
not do them, is like one who scatters
seed about over a field, and does not
harrow it in ; thence the seeds become
swollen by the rains and are spoiled ;
but he who learns truths and does them,
is like one who sows his seed and
ploughs it in ; whence the seed is by the
rain caused to grow into a harvest,
and becomes of use for food. The
Lord says, If ye know these things,
happy are ye if ye do them, John xii.
17. And in another place, That
which was sown in good ground, is he
who heareth the Word and attendeth,
and thence beareth fruit and doeth,
Matt. xiii. 23. Again, Every one who
heareth my words, and doeth them, I
will compare to a prudent man, xcho
built his house upon a rock. But every
one ivho heareth my words, but doeth
them not, shall be compared to a foolish
man, ivho built his house upon the sand,
Matt. vii. 24, 26. The words of the
Lord are all truths.
348. From the things said above, it
is manifest, that there are three things
by which faith with man is formed ;
which are, first, To go to the Lord; sec
ond, To learn truths from the Word;
and third, To live according to them.
Now, because there are three things,
and one is not another, it follows, that
they can be separated ; for any one
can go to the Lord, and not know
truths concerning God and concerning
the Lord, except such as are historical ;
and also any one can know truths
from the Word in abundance, and yet
not live according to them. But with
the man with whom those three things
are separated, that is, one without the
other, there is not the faith of salva
tion : but this faith arises, when those

three things are conjoined, and the
faith is such as the conjunction is.
Wheie those three things are separated
there faith is like barren seed, which,
being cast into the earth, moulders in
to dust : but where these three things
are conjoined, there faith is like seed in
the earth, which grows up into a tree,
the fruit of which is according to the
conjunction. Where those three things
are separated, faith is like an egg
in which there is not any thing prolific ;
but where those three things are con
joined, that faith is like an egg
which produces a beautiful bird.
Faith with those with whom those
three things are separated, may be li
kened to the eye of a fish or a crab
when boiled ; but faith with those
with whom those three things are con
joined, may be likened to an eye trans
parent from the crystalline humor,
even to the uvea of the pupil and
through it. Faith separated is like a
picture of dark colors upon a black
stone ; but faith conjoined is like a
picture of beautiful colors upon a pel
lucid crystal. The light of faith sep
arated may be compared with the light
of a firebrand in the hand of a travel
ler in the time of night ; but the light
of faith conjoined may be compared
to the light of a torch, which, being
vibrated, makes plain every step of
the way. Faith without truths is like
a vine bearing wild grapes ; but faith
from truths is like a vine bearing
clusters of noble wine. Faith in the
Lord, destitute of truths, may be com
pared with a new star appearing in the
expanse of heaven, which in time is
obscured ; but faith in the Lord, with
truths, may be compared with a fixed
star, which remains perpetually. Truth
is the essence of faith ; wherefore,
such as the truth is, such is the faith,
which without truths is vague, but
with them is fixed ; the faith of truths
also in heaven shines like a star.
349. IV. That a copious Store
of Truths cohering, as in a Bundle,
exalts and perfects Faith.
From perception concerning the
faith which exists at this day, it can
not be known, that faith, in its com-

Concerning Faith.

249

prehensive sense, is a complex of
truths, and still less, that man can do
something to procure faith for himself;
when yet faith in its essence is truth,
for it is truth in its light ; and thus,
as truth can be procured, so also
can faith. Who cannot, if he will,
go to the Lord? Who cannot, if he
will, collect truths from the Word?
And every truth in the Word and from
the Word gives light, and truth in
light is faith. The Lord, who is Light
itself, flows in with every man, and
in him, in whom there are truths
from the Word, He causes them to
shine, and thus to become of faith ;
and this is what the Lord says in
John ; That tliey should abide in the
Lord, and his words in them, xv. 7.
The words of the Lord are truths.
But that it may be comprehended
aright, that a copious store of truths
cohering, as in a bundle, exalts and
perfects faith, the subject should be
divided into these propositions; (1.)
That the truths of faith are multi-
plicable to infinity . (2.) That there is a
disposition of them into series, thus, as
it were, into bundles. (3.) Thatfaithis
perfected according to their abundance
and coherence. (4.) That truths, howev
er numerous they are, and however dif
ferent they appear, make one from the
Lord, who is the Word, the God of
heaven and earth, the God of all flesh,
the God qf the vineyard or church,
the God of faith, and the Light itself,
Truth and eternal Life.
359. (1.) That the. Truths of Faith are
multiplicable to Infinity, may be evident
from the wisdom of the angels of heav
en, in that it increases to eternity :
the angels also say, that there is no
end of wisdom, and wisdom is from no
other source than from divine truths,
analytically divided into forms, by
means of the light flowing in from the
Lord. Human intelligence, which is
truly intelligence, is also from no oth
er source. The reason why Divine
Truth is multiplicable to infinity, is
because the Lord is Divine Truth it
self, or truth in its infinity, and He at
tracts all to Himself; but men and
angels can follow the vein of attrac-
32

tion only according to their measure,
because they are finite, the effort of
attraction to infinity still continu
ing. The Word of the Lord is an
abyss of truths, from which is all angel
ic wisdom ; although to a man who
does not know any thing concerning its
spiritual and celestial sense, it appears
no more than as water in a buck
et. The multiplication of the truths
of faith to infinity, may be compared
with the seed of men, from one of
which, families may be propagated to
ages of ages. The prolification of the
truths of faith may also be compared
with the prolification of the seed of a
field or a garden, which may be prop
agated to myriads of myriads, and for
ever. By seed, in the Word, no other
is meant, than truth ; by field, doc
trine ; and by garden, wisdom. The
human mind is like ground, in which
spiritual and natural truths are im
planted, as seeds, and they may be mul
tiplied without end ; man derives this
from the infinity of God, who with his
light and his heat, and with the faculty
of generating, is in him perpetually.
351. (2.) That there is a Disposition
of the Truths of Faith into Series,
thus, as it were, into Bundles. That it
is so, is unknown as yet, and it is un
known, because the spiritual truths, of
which the whole Word is composed,
on account of the mystical and enig
matical faith, which makes every
point of modern theology, could not ap
pear ; and, therefore, like storehouses,
they have sunk down into the earth.
That it may be known what is meant
by series and bundles, it shall be ex
plained. The first chapter of this book,
which treats concerning God the Cre
ator, is distinguished into series, the
first of which is concerning the Unity
of God ; the second, concerning the
Esse of God or Jehovah ; the third, con
cerning the Infinity of God ; the fourth,
concerning the Essence of God, which
is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom ;
the fifth, concerning the Omnipotence
of God ; and the sixth, concerning
Creation ; and the articulations of
each make the series ; they bind togeth
er those things which are therein, as

250

Concerning Faith.

it were into bundles. These series,
in general and in particular, thus con
jointly and separately, contain truths,
which, according to their abundance
and coherence, exalt and perfect faith.
He who does not know that the human
mind is organized, or that it is a spir
itual organism, terminating in a natu
ral organism, in which, and according
to which, the mind produces its ideas,
or thinks, cannot think otherwise than
that perceptions, thoughts and ideas are
no other than radiations and variations
of light, flowing into the head, and
exhibiting forms, which man sees and
acknowledges as reasons. But this
is delirious ; for every one knows, that
the head is full of brains, and that the
brains are organized, and that the
mind dwells in them, and that its ideas
are fixed therein, and remain as they
have been received and confirmed. Is
it asked, then, What is that organiza
tion ? It is answered, that it is an ar
rangement of all things into series, as
it were into bundles, and that the
truths, which are of faith, are so ar
ranged in the human mind. That it
is so, may be illustrated by the follow
ing things : That the brain consists of
two substances, one of which is glan
dular, and is called cortical and cin-
eritious, and the other is fibrillary,
and is called medullary. The first
substance, which is the glandular,
is disposed into clusters, like grapes
on a vine ; those clusters are its
series. The other substance, which
is called medullary, consists of per
petual collections of little bundles
of fibrils, proceeding from the little
glands of the former substance ;
these collections of little bundles
are its series. All the nerves which
proceed thence, and descend in
to the body to perform various func
tions, are only collections and bundles
of fibres ; and so are all the muscles,
and, in general, all the viscera and or
gans of the body. The former and
the latter are such, because they cor
respond to the series, into which the
organism of the mind is disposed.
Moreover, throughout all nature, there
is not any thing which is not bundled

together into series ; every tree, every
shrub, herb and plant, yea, every ear
of corn and blade of grass, in whole
and in part, is so. The universal
cause is, because divine truths have
such a conformation ; for it is read,
That all things were created by the
Word, that is, by the Divine Truth, and
that the world, also, was made by it,
John i. 1, and the following verses.
Hence it may be seen, that, unless
there were such an arrangement of
substances in the human mind, man
would not have any analytical faculty
of reason, which every one has, ac
cording to the arrangement, thus ac
cording to the abundance of truths
cohering, as it were, in a bundle ; and
the arrangement is according to the
use of reason from a free principle.
352. (3.) That Faith is perfected
according to the Abundance and Cohe
rence of Truths, follows from the things
said above, and manifests itself to
every one who collects reasons, and
sees what multiplied series effect,
when they cohere as one, for then one
thing strengthens and confirms anoth
er, and they together make a form,
and, when in action, they present one
act. Now, because faith in its es
sence is truth, it follows that it be
comes, according to the abundance
and coherence of truths, more and
more perfectly spiritual, thus less
and less sensual-natural ; for it is
exalted into a higher region of the
mind, whence it sees under it numer
ous confirmations of itself in the nature
of the world. True faith, by a copious
store of truths cohering as it were
in a bundle, also becomes more lu
minous, more perceptible, more evi
dent, and more clear ; it also becomes
more capable of being conjoined with
the goods of charity, and thence of be
ing alienated from evils ; and succes
sively more removed from the allure
ments of the eye, and from the concu
piscences of the flesh ; consequently,
more happy in itself; it becomes, es
pecially, more powerful against evils
and falses, and thence more and more
living and saving.
353. It was said above, that all

Concerning Faith.

251

truth in heaven shines, and thence that
truth shining is faith in essence ;
wherefore, the beauty and symmetry
of faith, from that illustration, when its
truths are multiplied, may be compared
with various forms, objects and pic
tures, formed of different colors fitly
arranged according to agreements ;
consequently, with the precious stones
of diverse colors in the breastplate of
Aaron, which together were called
Urim and Thummim; likewise with
the precious stones of which the
foundations of the wall of the New Je
rusalem are to be built, concerning
which, see Rev. xxi. It may also be
compared with the precious stones, of
divers colors, in the crown of a king :
precious stones also signify truths
of faith. A comparison may be made,
also, with the beauty of the rainbow,
and with the beauty of a flowery field,
and also of a garden blossoming at the
commencement of spring. The_ light
and glory of faith, from a copious store
of truths composing and adorning it,
may be compared with the illumination
of temples by multiplied chandeliers,
of houses by candles, and of streets
by lamps. The exaltation of faith, by
a copious store of truths, may be illus
trated by comparison with the exalta
tion of sound, and likewise of mel
ody, from many musical instruments
in a concert ; and also with the exal
tation of fragrance, from a collection
of sweet-smelling flowers ; and also
with other things. The power of faith,
composed of many truths, against evils
and falses, may be compared with the
firmness of a temple, in consequence
of the stones being well cemented to
gether, and its walls being strength
ened by pilasters, and its roof support
ed by pillars. It may also be compar
ed with an army drawn up in a square
column, in which the soldiers stand
closely side by side, and thus form
ous force and act. It may also be
compared with the muscles, of which
the whole body is composed, which,
although they are numerous and situ
ated in different places, still make one
power in actions ; and also with oth
er things.

354. (4.) That the Truths of
Faith, however numerous they are, and
however different they appear, make
one from the Lord, who is the Word
the God of Heaven and Earth, the
God of all Flesh, the God of the Vine
yard or the Church, the God of Faith,
the Light itself, Truth and eternal Life.
The truths of faith are various, and
to man they appear different ; as, for
example, some are concerning God the
Creator, some concerning the Lord the
Redeemer, some concerning the Holy
Spirit and the Divine Operation, some
concerning Faith and concerning
Charity, and others concerning Free
Agency, Repentance, Reformation and
Regeneration, Imputation, and so forth
Still they make one in the Lord, and
with man, from the Lord, like many
branches in one vine, John xv. 1, and
the following verses ; for the Lord joins
scattered and divided truths together,
as into one form, in which they present
one view, and exhibit one act. This
may be illustrated by comparison with
the members, viscera and organs, in
one body, which, although they are
various, and to the sight of man differ
ent, yet still a man, who is the com
mon form of them, perceives them on
ly as one ; and when he acts from all,
he acts, as it were, from one. It is
similar with heaven, which, although
it is distinguished into innumerable so
cieties, still appears before the Lord
as one ; and, as was shown above, as
one man. The case is similar also
as with a kingdom ; which, although
it is divided into many governments,
provinces and cities, yet still, under a
king, who has justice and judgment, it
makes one. The reason why it is
similar with the truths of faith, from
which the church is a church from the
Lord, is, because the Lord is the Word,
the God of heaven and earth, the God
of all flesh, the God ofthe vineyard or
the church, the God of faith, and the
Light itself, Truth, and eternal Life.
That the Lord is the Word, and thus
all the truth of heaven and the church,
is evident in John : The Word was
with God, and the Word was God;
and the Word became flesh, i 1 , 14

252

Concerning Faith.

That the Lord is the God of heaven
and earth, is evident in Matthew : Jesus
said, Unto Me is given all power in
heaven and, in earth, xxviii. 18. That
the Lord is the God of all flesh, in
John : The Father hath given to the
Son power over all flesh, xvii. 2. That
the Lord is the God of the vineyard or
the church, in Isaiah : My beloved had
a vineyard, v. 1,2; and in John: /
am the Vine, and ye are the branches,
xv. 5. That the Lord is the God of
faith, in Paul : Thou hast the right
eousness of the faith of Christ, from
the God of faith, Philip, iii. 9. That
the Lord is the Light itself, in John :
He was the true Light, which enlighten
eth every man that cometh into the
world, i. 9 ; and in another place, Je
sus said, I have come a Light into the
world, that every one, that believeth in
Me, may not abide in darkness, xii. 46.
That the Lord is the Truth itself, in
John : Jesus said, I am the Way, the
Truth, and the Life, xiv. 6. That the
Lord is eternal Life, in 1 John : We
know that the Son of God hath come
into the world, that we may know the
Truth, and we are in the Truth
in Jesus Christ; this is the true
God and eternal Life, v. 20, 21.
To the above it should be added, that
man, on account of his business in the
world, can procure for himself only a
few truths of faith ; but still, if he goes
to the Lord, and worships Him alone,
he comes into the power of knowing
all truths ; wherefore, every true wor
shipper ofthe Lord, as soon as he hears
any truth of faith, which he did not
know before, immediately sees, ac
knowledges and receives it. The rea
son is, because the Lord is in him, and
he in the Lord ; consequently, the light
of truth is in him, and he in the light
of truth ; for, as was said above, the
Lord is Light itself, and Truth itself.
This may be confirmed by this expe
rience. A spirit was seen by me, who,
in the company of others, appeared
simple, because he acknowledged the
Lord alone as the God of heaven and
earth, and confirmed this his faith by
some truths from the Word. He was
taken up into heaven, among the wiser

angels ; and it was told me, that there
he was as wise as they ; yea, that he
spoke truths in abundance, altogether
as from himself, concerning which he
did not know any thing before. Simi
lar will be the state of those who are
about to come into the Lord's New
Church. This is the same state that
is described in Jeremiah : This shall
be the covenant which I will make with
the house of Israel, after these days; I
will give my law in the midst of them,
and I will write it upon their heart;
and they shall not teach any more every
man his companion, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord; for
all shall know Me, from the least of
them even to the greatest of them, xxxi.
33, 34. That state will also be such
as is described in Isaiah : A Rod shall
go forth from the trunk of Jesse ; truth
shall be the girdle of his loins. Then
the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the
leopard shall lie down with the kid; the
sucking child shall play on the hole of
the viper, and the weaned child shall
put its hand on the den of the basilisk,
because the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters
cover the sea. In that day, tlic nations
shall seek the Root of Jesse, and his
rest shall be glory, xi. 6 to 10.
355. V. That Faith without Char
ity is not Faith, and that Charity
without Faith is not Charity;
and that neither lives but from
the Lord.
That the church, at this day,
should separate faith from charity,
by saying that faith alone, without the
works of the law, justifies and saves,
and that thus charity cannot be con
joined with faith, since faith is from
God, and charity, so far as it is actual
in works, from man, never came into
the mind of any apostle, as is very
manifest from their epistles ; but this
separation and division was introduced
into the Christian church, when they
divided the one God into three persons,
and ascribed to each equal divinity.
But that there is no faith without char
ity, nor any charity without faith, and
that neither has any life, except from
the Lord, will be illustrated in the fol-

Concerning Faith.

253

lowing lemma ; here, to prepare the
way, it shall be demonstrated, 1. That
man can procure faith for himself. 2.
That he can procure charity also. 3.
And likewise the life of both. 4. But
that still, nothing of faith, nothing of
charity, and nothing ofthe life of either,
is from man, but from the Lord alone.
356. (1.) That man can procure
Faith for himself, was shown in the
third lemma above, from n. 343 to n.
348, by this, That faith, in its es
sence, is truth ; and truths, from the
Word, can be procured by any one ;
and that so far as any one procures
them for himself and loves them, so far
he procures for himself the elements of
faith. To the above this should be
added, that unless man could procure
faith for himself, all the things that are
commanded in the Word concern
ing faith, would be vain ; for it -is
read there, That it is the will of
the Father, that men should believe in
the Son ; and that he that believeth in
Him, should have eternal life ; and. that
he that doth not believe, should not see
life. It is also read, that Jesus would
send the Paraclete, who should convince
the world of sin, because they believe
not in Me ; besides many other pas
sages, which were adduced above, n.
337, 338. Moreover, that all the apos
tles preached faith, and this in the Lord
God the Savior Jesus Christ. What
would all these and those things avail, if
man should stand with his hands hang
ing down, like a graven image with mov
able joints, and wait for influx ; and then
the joints, without being able to apply
themselves to receive it, should be ex
cited, from some extrinsic cause, to
something not of faith? For modern
orthodoxy, in the Christian world sep
arate from the Roman Catholics, teaches
thus : That man, as to what is good,
is utterly corrupt and dead; so that, in
the nature of man, since the fall, before
regeneration, there remains, or is left,
not even a spark of spiritual strength,
by which he can, of himself, be prepar
ed for the grace of God, or apprehend
it, when offered, or, of and by himself,
be capable of retaining that grace ; or,
in spiritual things, understand, believe,

embrace, think, will, begin, finish, act,
operate, cooperate, or apply, or accom
modate himself to grace, or do any
thing towards conversion, wholly or by
halves, or in the least degree. And
that man, in spiritual things, which re
spect the salvation of the soul, is like
the pillar of salt of Lot's wife, and
like a stock or a stone without life,
ivhich has not the use of eyes, mouth,
or any of the senses. That still he has
the power of moving from place to
place, or he can direct his external
members, come to public assemblies, and
hear the Word and the Gospel. These
words are in the book of the church of
the Evangelical, called Formula Con
cordia, in the edition of Leipsic,
1756, pp. 656, 658, 661, 662, 663,
671,672,673; to which book, and
thus to which faith, the priests, when
they are inaugurated, take oath. The
faith of the Reformed is similar. But
who, that possesses reason and religion,
would not hiss at those things, as ab
surd and ridiculous? For he might
say with himself, " If it were so, for
what purpose, then, is the Word, for
what purpose is religion, for what pur
pose is the priesthood, and for what
purpose is preaching, but something
vain, or sound without sense? Say
such things to any judicious pagan,
whom you wish to convert, that he is
such, as to conversion and faith ; would
he not look upon Christianity as one
looks upon an empty vessel ? For,
take away from man all power of be
lieving, as of himself, and then what
else is he ?" But these things will be
exhibited in a clearer light, in the
chapter concerning Free Agency.
357. (2.) That Man can procure
Charity for himself.
The case is the same with charity as
with faith; for what else does the
Word teach, but faith and charity, be
cause these are the two essentials of
salvation ? For it is read, Thou shalt
love the Lord, with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul ; and the neighbor as
thyself, Matt. xxii. 34 to 39 ; and Je
sus said, A commandment I give to
you, that ye love one another ; by this
ye shall be known, that ye are my disci-

254

Concerning Faith.

pies, that ye love one another, John
xiii. 34, 35 ; see also xv. 9 ; xvi.
'. 7. Also, that man should bear
fruit, like a good tree; and that he
who does good, shall be recompensed
at the resurrection ; besides many sim
ilar things. To what purpose are
these things, unless man can of
himself exercise charity, and in some
way procure it for himself? Can he
not give alms, help the needy, and do
good in his house and in his office?
Um he not live according to the com
mandments of the decalogue ? Has
he not a soul, from which he can do
them, and also a rational mind, from
which he can lead himself to act,
for this or that end ? Can he not
think that he should do them, because
they are commanded in the Word, and
thus by God? This power is not
wanting to any man ; and it is not
wanting, because the Lord gives it to
every one ; and He gives it as a
certain property or possession ; for
who knows otherwise, when he does
charity, than that he does it of him
self? 358. (3.) That Man can also pro
cure for himself the Life of Faith and
Charity, is also a similar thing ; for
he procures it for himself, when he
goes to the Lord, who is Life itself;
and access to Him is not prohibited to
any man, for He continually invites
every man to come to Him ; for He
said, He ivho cometh to Me shall never
hunger, and he who believeth in Me
shall, never thirst ; and him that cometh
to Me, I will not cast out, John vi. 35,
37. Jesus stood and cried, If any one
thirst, let him come unto Me and drink,
vii. 37. And in another place : The ¦
kingdom of the heavens is like one who
made a wedding for his son, and sent
his servants to call those who were in
vited,; and at last he said, Go to the
ends of the streets, and whomsoever ye
shall find, call to the wedding, Matt.
xxii. 2 to 9. Who does not know,
that the invitation or call is universal,
as also the grace of reception? The
reason why man obtains life by going
to the Lord, is, because the Lord is
Life itself; not only the life of faith, but

also the life of charity. That the
Lord is that, and that man has it from
the Lord, is evident from these pas
sages : In the beginning was the Word;
in Him was life, and the life was the
light of men, John i. 1,4. As the Fa
ther raiseth the dead, and quickeneth,
so the Son quickeneth whom He will,
v. 21. As the Father hath life in
Himself, so hath He given to the Son
TO HAVE LIFE IN HlMSELF, V. 26. The
bread of God is He who came down
from heaven, and givelh life to the
world, vi. 31. The words which I speak
unto you are spirit and life, vi. 63.
Jesus said, He that followeth Me, shall
have the light of life, viii. 12. /
have come, that they may have life,
and may have abundance, x. 10. He
who believeth in Me, although he die,
shall live, xi. 25. / am the Way, the
Truth, and the Life, xiv. 6. Because
I LIVE, YE SHALL LIVE ALSO, xiv. 9.
These things are written, that ye may.
have life in his name, xx. 31. That
He is ETERNAL Life, 1 John v. 21. By
life in faith and charity, is meant spir
itual life, which is given by the Lord
to man in his natural life.
359. (4.) That yet still Nothing
of Faith, and Nothing of Charity,
and Nothing of the Life of either,
is from Man, but from the Lord
alone. For it is read, that A man cannot
take any thing, unless it be given to
him from heaven, John iii. 27. And
Jesus said, He that abideth in Me, and
I in him, bcarcth much fruit ; because
without Me ye cannot do any thing, xv.
5. But this should be thus under
stood; that man, of himself, cannot
procure for himself any other faith than
natural, which is persuasion that it is
so, since a man of authority said so;
nor any other charity than natural,
which is working for favor, for the
sake of some remuneration ; in which,
two there is the proprium of man, and
not yet life from the Lord. But still,
man by both of them prepares himself,
that he may be a receptacle of the
Lord; and as he prepares himself, so
the Lord enters and causes his naturai
faith to become spiritual faith, and so

Concerning Faith.

255

likewise his charity, and thus both to
be living ; and these things are done,
when man goes to the Lord, as the God
of heaven and earth. Man, because
he was created an image of God, was
created a habitation of God ; wherefore
the Lord says, He who hath my com
mandments and doeth them, he it is that
loveth Me; and I will love him, and
will come to him, and make an abode
with him, John xiv. 21,23. And also,
Behold I stand at the door and knock ;
if any one hear my voice, and open the
door, I will go in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with Me, Rev. iii. 20.
Hence follows this conclusion; That
as man prepares himself, naturally, for
receiving the Lord, so the Lord enters,
and makes all the things with him.
inwardly spiritual, and thus living ;
but, on the other hand, as far as man
does not prepare himself, so far he re
moves the Lord from him, and he does
all things from himself, and that which
man himself does from himself, has not
any thing of life in it. But these things
cannot yet be set forth to be seen in
any light, before it is treated concern
ing Charity and concerning Free
Agency ; and they will be seen after
wards in the chapter concerning Re
formation and Regeneration.
360. In the foregoing, it was said,
that faith in the beginning with man, is
natural, and that as man comes to the
Lord it becomes spiritual ; likewise
charity : but no one has yet known the
distinction, which there is between
natural faith and charity, and spiritual ;
wherefore this great secret is to be
disclosed. There are two worlds, the
natural and the spiritual, and in each
world there is a sun, and from each sun
proceed heat and light ; but the heat
and light, from the sun of the spiritual
world, have life in them : their life is
from the Lord, who is in the midst of
that sun ; but the heat and light, from
the sun of the natural world, have
nothing of life in them, but they serve
the two former for receptacles, as in
strumental causes serve their princi
pals, to convey them to men. It should,
therefore, be known, that the heat and
light from the sun of the spiritual world,

being those from which all spiritual
things are, are also spiritual, because
there is spirit and life in them ; but the
heat and light from the sun of the nat
ural world are those from which are
all natural things, which, viewed in
themselves, are without spirit and life.
Now, because faith is of light, and
charity is of heat, it is manifest, that as
far as man is in the light and heat
proceeding from the sun of the spirit
ual world, so far he is in spiritual faith
and charity ; but that as far as he is in
the light and heat proceeding from the
sun of the natural world, so far he is
in natural faith and charity. Hence it
is evident, that, as spiritual light is in
wardly in natural light, as in its recep
tacle, or in its repository, and in like
manner, spiritual heat inwardly in
natural heat; so also spiritual faith is
inwardly, in natural faith, and in like
manner, spiritual charity inwardly in
natural charity : and this is effected,
in the degree in which man advances
from the natural world into the spiritual
world ; and he advances, as he believes
in the Lord, who is the Light itself,
the Way, the Truth and the Life, as
He himself teaches. Since it is so, it
is manifest, that, when man is in spir
itual faith, then he is also in natural
faith ; for, as was said, spiritual faith is
inwardly in natural faith. Because
faith is of light, it follows that, by that
insertion, the natural of man becomes,
as it were, transparent, and that, as it
is conjoined with charity, it becomes
beautifully colored ; the reason is, he-
cause charity is red, and faith is white ;
charity is red from the flame of spiritual
fire, and faith is white or bright from the
splendor of the light thence. The con
trary happens, if the spiritual be not in
wardly in the natural, but the natural
inwardly in the spiritual ; this is the
case with men who reject faith and
charity. With these, the internal of
their mind in which they are when
they think, left to themselves, is infer
nal, and also they think from hell, al
though they do not know it ; but the
external of their mind, from which they
speak with their consociates in the
world, is, as it were, spiritual, but thia

256

Concerning Faith.

is filled with such unclean things as
are in hell ; wherefore these are in
hell, for they are in an inverted state
with respect to the former.
361. When, therefore, it is known,
that the spiritual is inwardly in the
natural, with those who are in faith in
the Lord, and at the same time in
charity towards the neighbor, and that
thence the natural with them is transpa
rent, it follows, that man is so far wise
in spiritual things, and thence also so
far in natural things ; for he sees in
wardly in himself, whenever he thinks,
or reads, or hears any thing, whether it
be a truth or not ; he perceives this
from the Lord, from whom spiritual light
and heat flow into the higher sphere of
his understanding. As far as faith and
charity with man become spiritual, so
far he is withdrawn from the proprium,
and does not regard himself, reward
and recompense, but only the delight
of perceiving the truths of faith, and of
doing the goods of love ; and as far as
that spirituality is increased, so far that
delight becomes blessed ; from this is
his salvation, which is called eternal
life. This state of man may be com
pared with the most beautiful and de
lightful things in the world, and also it
is compared with them in the Word ;
as with fruitful trees, and also with the
gardens in which they grow ; with
flowery fields ; with precious stones ;
and with delicious food ; and also with
weddings and nuptial festivities and
rejoicings. But when it is inverted,
that is, when the natural is inwardly
in the spiritual, and thence man in his
internals is a devil, and in his externals
like an angel, he may then.be compar
ed with a dead person in a coffin made
of costly wood and covered with gold ;
he may also be compared with a skel
eton dressed in handsome clothes,
like a man, and carried in a magnifi
cent chariot ; and also with a corpse in
a sepulchre built like the temple of
Diana : yea, his internal may be repre
sented by a nest of serpents in a cav
ern, but his external by butterflies,
whose wings are tinged with colors of
every kind, but which, nevertheless,
glue their filthy eggs to the leaves of

useful trees, by which their fruit is con
sumed : yea, their internal may be
compared with a hawk, and their ex
ternal with a dove ; and their faith and
charity, with the flying of a hawk over
a dove endeavoring to escape, which at
length he wearies out, and then flies
upon her and devours her.
362. VI. That the Lord, Chari
ty and Faith, make one, like Life,
Will, and Understanding in Man ;
and that if they are divided, each
PERISHES, LIKE A PeARL REDUCED TO
Powder.
In the first place, some things will
be mentioned, which have been hither
to unknown in the learned world, and
thence in the ecclesiastical order ;
as much unknown as things which
have been buried in the ground; when
yet they are treasures of wisdom, and
unless they are dug up and given to
the public, man strives in vain to come
into any just knowledge concerning
God, concerning faith, concerning
charity, and concerning the state of
his life, how he should regulate and
prepare it for a state of eternal life."
Those unknown things are these ; —
That man is a mere organ of life :
That life, with all the things of it, flows
in from the God of heaven, who is the
Lord : That there are two faculties of
life in man, which are called the will
and the understanding, and that the
will is the receptacle of love, and the
understanding the receptacle of wis
dom ; and thus, also, that the will is
the receptacle of charity, and the un
derstanding the receptacle of faith :
That all the things which man wills,
and all the things which he under
stands, flow in from without ; the
goods which are of love and charity,
and the truths which are of wisdom
and faith, from the Lord ; but all the
things contrary to those, from hell:
That it is provided by the Lord, thatman
may sensibly perceive in himself as his,
those things which flow in from with
out, and thence produce them of him
self as his own, although nothing of
them is his : That, nevertheless, those
things are imputed to him as his, on
account ofthe freedom in which he is, to

Concerning Faith.

257

will and to think, and on account of
the knowledges of good and truth
which are given him, from which he
can freely choose whatever conduces to
his temporal life and to his eternal life.
A man who looks at these things which
have been advanced, with an oblique
eye, or from the corners of his eyes,
may conclude from them many things
which are of insanity ; but a man who
looks at them wi.h a direct eye, or
with the pupil, may conclude from
them many things, which are of wis
dom ; and that this may be done, and
not that, it was necessary to premise the
decisions and tenets concerning God
and concerning the Divine Trinity,
and after them to establish the decis
ions and tenets concerning Faith and
Charity, concerning Free Agency, and
concerning Reformation and Regen
eration, as also concerning Imputa
tion ; and likewise concerning Repent
ance, concerning Baptism, and con
cerning the Holy Supper, as means.
363. But that this article of faith,
which is, that the Lord, charity and
faith make one, like life, will and un
derstanding in man, and that if they
are divided, each perishes, like a pearl
reduced to powder, may be seen and
acknowledged as a truth, it is ex
pedient that it be considered in this
order: (1.) That the Lord, with all
his divine love, with all his divine
wisdom, thus with all his divine life,
flows in with every man. (2.) There
fore, with all the essence of faith and
charity. (3.) But that they are re
ceived by man according to his form.
(4.) And that the man who divides the
Lord, charity and faith, is not a
form receiving but a form destroying
them. 364. (1.) That the Lord, with all
his Divine Love, with all his Divine
Wisdom., thus with all his Divine Life,
flows in with every Man.
In the book of Creation it is read,
That man was created an image of
God ; and that God breathed into his
nostrils the breath of lives, Gen. i. 27;
ii. 7 ; by which it is described, that
man is an organ of life, and not life ;
for God could not create another like
33

Himself; if he could have done this,
there might have been as many gods
as men. Neither could He create
life, as light cannot be created ; but He
could create man a form of life, as He
created the eye a form of light. God
never could and never can divide his
essence, for this is one and indivisible.
Since, therefore, God alone is life, it
follows, indubitably, that God, from his
life, vivifies every man ; and that man,
without that vivification, would be, as
to flesh, a mere sponge, and as to
bones, a miere skeleton, in whom there
would be no more of life than there is
in a clock, which is movable from the
pendulum, and at the same time the
weight or spring. Since such is the
case, it follows also, that God flows in
with every man, with all his divine
life, that is, with all his divine love
and his divine wisdom ; these two
make his divine life, as may be seen
above, n. 39, 40 ; for the Divine can
not be divided. But how God, with
all his divine life, flows in, may be
perceived by an idea somewhat like
that by which it is perceived that the
sun of the world, with all its essence,
which is heat and light, flows into eve
ry tree, and into every shrub and flow
er, and into every stone, mean as well
as precious ; and that every object
takes its portion from this common in
flux, and that the sun does not divide
its light and its heat, and dispense a
part to this and a part to that. It is
similar with the sun of heaven, from
which the divine love proceeds as heat,
and the divine wisdom as light ; these
two flow into human minds, as the heat
and light of the sun of the world into
bodies, and vivify them according to
the quality of the form, each of which
takes from the common influx as much
as is necessary. To this is applicable
what the Lord says : Your Father mak
eth his sun rise upon the evil and the
good, and sendeth rain upon the just
and the unjust, Matt. v. 45. The
Lord also is omnipresent ; and where
He is present, there He is with his
whole essence, and it is impossible for
Him to take some of it away, and
thence to give a part to one, and a part

258

Concerning Faith.

to another ; but He gives it whole, and
affords man an opportunity to take lit
tle or much. He says also, that He
has an abode with those who do his
commandments ; and also that the
faithful are ii» him, and He in them.
In a word all things are full of God,
and every one takes his portion from
that fulness. It is similar with every
thing common, as with the atmospheies
and oceans ; the atmosphere is such in
the least parts as in the greatest ; it
does not dispense a part of itself for
the respiration of man, and for the
flying of a bird, nor for the sails of a
ship, and for the wings of a mill ; but
each one takes thence its portion, and
applies to itself as much as is suffi
cient. The case is also the same as
with a gianary full of corn ; the owner
takes from this his provision every day,
and the granary does not distribute it.
365. (2.) Therefore, that the Lord,
with all the Essence of Faith and Char
ily, flows in with every Man.
This follows from tne former the
orem, since the life of divine wisdom
is the essence of faith, and the life of
divine love is the essence of charity ;
wherefore, since the Lord is present
with those things which are properly
his, which are divine wisdom and
divine love, He is also present with all
the truths which are of faith, and with
all the goods which are of charity ;
for by faith is meant all the truth
which man from the Lord perceives,
thinks and speaks, and by charily is
meant all the good with which he is
affected by the Lord, and which he
thence wills and does. It was said
above, that the divine love, which
proceeds from the Lord as a sun, is
perceived by the angels as heat, and
that the divine wisdom thence, is per
ceived as light ; but he who does not
think beyond appearance, may imagine
that that heat is bare heat, and that
that light is bare light, such as are the
heat and light proceeding from the sun
of our world. But the heat and light
proceeding from the Lord, as a sun,
contain in their bosom all the infinities
that are in the Lord ; the heat, all the
infinities of his love, and the light, all

the infinities of his wisdom, and thus
also in infinity, all the good which is
of charity, and all the truth which is of
faith. The reason is, because that sun
itself is present every where, in its
heat and in its light, and that sun is
the nearest circle encompassing the
Lord, emanating from his divine love,
and it the same time from his divine
wis 'cm ; f< ', as has been several times
said above, .he Lore is in the midst
of that sun. Hence now it is mani
fest, ihat nothing can be wanting, but
that man may take from the Lord, be
cause He is omnipresent, all the good
which is of charity, and all the truth
wh'chjs of faith. That there are not
any of those things wanting, is evident
from the love and wisdom of the angels
of heaven, which they have from the
Lord, in that they are ineffable and in
comprehensible to the natural man,
and also multiplicable to eternity.
That there are infinite things in the
light and heat which proceed from the
Lord, although they are perceived as
simply heat and light, may be illustrat
ed by various things in the natural
world, as by these : The sound of man's
voice and speech is heard only as sim
ple sound, and yet the angels, when
they hear it, perceive in it all the affec
tions of his love, and they also manifest
what and of what sort they are. That
those things are inwardly concealed in
sound, man also may, in some measure,
perceive from the sound of one speaking
with him, as whether there be in it
contempt, or ridicule, or hatred ; and
also whether there be in it charity, be
nevolence, or joy, or other affections.
Similar things are concealed in the ra
diance ofthe eye, when it looks at any
one. It may also be illustrated by the
fragrancies from a large garden, or by
the fragrancies from extensive fields of
flowers ; the fragrant odor, breathed
forth from them, consists of thousands
and myriads of various things, and
still they are sensibly perceived as
one. It is similar with many other
things, which, although they outward
ly appear uniform, still inwardly they
are manifold; sympathies and antipa
thies are nothing else than exhalations

Concerning Faith.

259

of affections from minds which af-
feet another according to similitudes,
and excite aversion according to dis
similitudes. These, although they are
innumerable, and are not sensibly per
ceived by any sense of the bddy, are
yet perceived by the sense of the soul
as one ; and according to them all con
junctions and consociations in the spir
itual world are made. These things
have been adduced, that those things
may be illustrated, which were said
above, concerning spiritual light which
proceeds from the Lord, that all things
of wisdom, and thence all things of
faith, are therein ; and that it is that
light from which the understanding
sees and perceives rational things
analytically, as the eye sees and
perceives natural things symmetri
cally. 366. (3.) That those Things which
flow in from the Lord, are received by
Man according to his Form.
By form, here, is meant the state of
man, as to his love and wisdom togeth
er ; hence also as to the affections ofthe
goods of his charity, and at the same
time, as to the perceptions of the truths
of his faith. That God is one, indivisi
ble, and the same from eternity to eter
nity, not the same simple, but infinite,
and that all variableness is in the sub
ject in which He is, was shown above.
That the form or state receiving, in
duces variations, may be evident from
the life of infants, of children, of youths,
of adults, and of old people. The same
life, because the same soul, is in each
one from infancy to old age ; but as
his state is varied according to ages
and accommodations, so also life is
perceived. The life of God, in all its
fulness, is not only with good and pi
ous men, but also with bad and impious
men; in like manner, with the angels
of heaven and with the spirits of hell ;
the difference is, that the bad stop up
the way and shut the door, that God
may not enter into the lower parts of
their mind ; but the good clear out the
way and open the door, and also invite
God to enter into the lower parts of
their mind, as He dwells in the, highest
parts of it ; and thus they form the state

of the will for the influx of love and
charity,' and the state of the under
standing for the influx of wisdom and
faith, consequently for the reception
of God; but the bad obstruct that in
flux, by various lusts of the flesh and
spiritual defilements, which hinder and
stop the passage ; but still God resides
in the highest parts of them, with all
his divine essence, and gives them the
faculty of willing' good and of under
standing truth, which faculty every
man has, but which he would not have.
unless life from God were in his soul.
That the bad also have this faculty,
has been given me to know, by much
experience. That every one receives
life from God, according to his form,
may be illustrated by comparisons with
vegetables of every kind. Every tree,
every shrub, every herb, and every
blade of grass, receives the influx of
heat and light, according to its form ;
thus not only those which are of good
use, but also those which are of evil
use ; and the sun, with its heat, does
not change their forms, but the forms
change its effects in themselves. It is
similar with the subjects ofthe mineral
kingdom ; each of them, as well the
excellent as the mean, receives influx
according to the form ofthe contexture
ofthe parts among themselves ; and so
one stone receives it differently from
another stone, one mineral differently
from another mineral, and one metal
differently from another metal. Some
of them variegate themselves with most
beautiful colors, some transmit the light
without variegation, and some confuse
and suffocate the light in themselves.
From these few cases, it may be evi
dent, that, as the sun of the world, with
its heat and with its light, is equally
present in one object as in another,
but that the recipient forms vary its op
erations ; so the Lord, from the sun of
heaven, in the midst of which He is-,
is universally present, with its heat,
which in its essence is love, and with its
light, which in its essence is wisdom ;
but that the form of man, which is in
duced by the states of his life, varies
the operations ; consequently, that the
Lord is not the cause why man is not

260

Concerning Faith.

regenerated and saved, but man him
self. 367. (4.) But that the Man who
divides the Lord, Charity and Faith,
is not a Form receiving but a Form de
stroying them.
For he who separates the Lord from
charity and faith, separates life from
them, which being separated, charity
and faith either do not exist, or they
are abortions. That the Lord is life
itself, may be seen above, n. 358. He
who acknowledges the Lord, and sepa
rates charity, acknowledges Him only
with the lips : his acknowledgment
and confession are only cold, in which
there is no faith ; for they are desti
tute of spiritual essence, for charity is
the essence of faith. But he who
does charity, and does not acknowl
edge the Lord, that He is the God of
heaven and earth, one with the Father,
as He himself teaches, does no other
charity than merely natural, in which
there is not eternal life. The man of
the church knows, that all good, which
in itself is good, is from God ; conse
quently, from the Lord, who is the true
God and eternal Life, ] John v. 20.
In like manner, charity, because good
and charity are one. That faith, sep
arate from charity, is not faith, is be
cause faith is the light of man's life,
and charity is the heat of his life ;
wherefore, if charity is separated from
faith, it is as when heat is separated
from light ; thence the state of man
becomes such as the state of the world
is, in the time of winter, when all the
things upon the earth die. Charity
and faith, that charity may be charity,
and faith may be faith, can no more be
separated, than the will and the under
standing; and if these are separated,
the understanding becomes nothing,
and presently also the will : the reason
why it is similar with charity and faith,
is, because charity resides in the will,
and faith in the understanding. To
separate charity from faith, is like sep
arating essence from form : it is known,
in the learned world, that essence with
out form and form without essence is not
any thing ; for essence has no quality
except from form, nor is form any sub

sisting entity, except from essence ; con
sequently, there is not any predication
concerning either, when separated from
the other. Charity also is the essence
of faith, and faith is the form of chari
ty ; just as it was said above, that good
is the essence of truth, and truth the
form of good. These two, namely,
good and truth, are in each and every
thing that exists essentially ; where
fore charity, because it is of good, and
faith, because it is of truth, may be
illustrated by comparisons with many
things in the human body, and with
many things upon the earth. It agrees
by comparison with the respiration of
the lungs and the systolic motion of
the heart ; for charity can no more be
separated from faith, than the heart
can from the lungs ; for, on the cessa
tion of the pulsation of the heart, the
respiration of the lungs, immediately
ceases; and on the cessation of the
respiration of the lungs, there takes
place a failure of all the senses, and
also a privation of the motion of all
the muscles, and shortly afterwards the
heart also ceases, and the all of life is
dissipated. This comparison agrees,
since the heart corresponds to the will,
and thence also to charity, and the
respiration of the lungs to the under
standing, and thence also to faith ;
for, as was said above, charity resides
in the will, and faith in the under
standing ; nor is any thing else meant
in the Word by heart and breath (or
spirit). The separation of charity and
faith also coincides with the separa
tion of the blood and flesh ; for the
blood separated from the flesh is gore,
and becomes corruption ; and the flesh
separated from the blood gradually
putrifies, and worms are bred in it.
Blood also, in the spiritual sense, signi
fies the truth of wisdom and faith, and
flesh the good of love and charity,:
that blood signifies this, is shown
in the Apocalypse Revealed, n.
379, and that flesh does, n. 832.
Charity and faith, that the one and
the other may be any thing, can no
more be separated than meat and
water, or than bread and wine, with
man ; for meat and bread, taken with

Concerning Faith.

261

out water and wine, only distend the
stomach, and, like undigested masses,
destroy it, and become as putrid miie ;
water and wine, without meat and
bread, also distend the stomach, and
likewise the vessels and pores, which,
thus destitute of nutrition, emaciate the
body even to death. This comparison
also coincides, since meat and bread,
in the spiritual sense, signify the good
of love and charity, and water and
wine the truth of wisdom and faith ;
see the Apocalypse Revealed, n.
50, 316, 778, 932. Charity conjoined
to faith, and faith conjoined to charity,
may be likened to the face of a hand
some virgin, beautiful from the red
and white mixed with each other ;
which similitude also agrees, since
love and thence charity, in the spiritual
world, is red from the fire of the sun
there, and truth and thence faith is
white from the light of that sun ;
wherefore charity separated from faith
may be likened to a face inflamed
with pimples, and faith separated from
charity may be likened to the pallid
face of a corpse. Faith separated from
charity may also be likened to a palsy
in one side, which is called a hemi-
plegy, of which, as it increases, man
dies. It may also be likened to the
St. Vitus's dance, which befalls man
from the bite ofthe tarantula : like to
this the rational faculty becomes ; like
this it dances with fury, and believes
itself to be then alive ; and yet it can
no more collect reasons into one, and
think concerning spiritual truths, than
one lying in bed oppressed with the
nightmare. These are sufficient for
the demonstration of the two theorems
of this chapter ; — the first, That faith
without charity is not faith, and that
charity without faith is not charity,
and that neither lives, except from the
Lord; and the second, That the Lord,
charity and faith make one, like life,
will, and understanding in man ; and
that, if they are divided, each per
ishes like a pearl reduced to powder.
368. VII. That the Lord is
Charity and Faith in Man, and
that Man is Charity and Faith in
the Lord

That the man of the church is
in the Lord, and the Lord in him, is
evident from these passages in the
Word , Jesus said, Abide in Me and
I in you ; J am the Vine, and ye the
branches. He that abideth in Me,
and I in him, beareth much fruit,
John xv. 4, 5. He that eateth my
flesh and drinketh my blood, abideth
in Me and I in him, vi. 56. In that
day ye shall know, that I am in my
Father, and ye in Me, and I in you,
xiv. 20. Whosoever confesseth that
Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth
in him and he in God, 1 John iv. 15
But man himself cannot be in the
Lord, but charity and faith, which are
with man from the Lord, from which
two man is essentially man. But in
order that this arcanum may appear in
some light before the understanding,
it is to be examined in this series : (I.)
That conjunction with God is that by
which man has salvation and cternai
life. (2.) That conjunction with Goa
the Father is not possible, but with the
Lord, and through Him with God the
Father. (3.) That conjunction with the
Lord is reciprocal, which is, that the
Lord is in man, and man in the Lord.
(4.) That this reciprocal conjunction
is effected by means of charity ana
faith. That these things are so, will be
manifest from the following explanation.
369. (1.) That Conjunction with
God is that by which Man has Salva
tion and eternal Life.
Man was created that he might be
conjoined to God ; for he was created
a native of heaven, and also a native
of the world ; and so far as he is a
native of heaven, he is spiritual, but
so far as he is a native ofthe world, he
is natural ; and the spiritual man can
think concerning God, and perceive
such things as are of God, and also can
love God, and be affected with those
things which are from God ; from
which it follows, that he can be con*
joined to God. That man can think
concerning God, and perceive such
things as are of God, is beyond all
chance of doubt; for he can think
concerning the Unity of God, concern
ing the Esse of God, which is Jehovah,

262

Concerning Faith.

concerning the Immensity and Eter
nity of God, concerning the Divine
Love and Divine Wisdom which make
the essence of God, concerning the
Omnipotence, the Omniscience, and
the Omnipresence of God, concerning
the Lord the Savior his Son, and con
cerning Redemption and Mediation ;
and also concerning the Holy Spirit,
and finally concerning the Divine
Trinity ; all which are of God, yea,
are God ; and moreover, concerning
the operations of God, which are prin
cipally faith and charity ; besides
other things which proceed from these
two. That man can not only think
concerning God, but also love God, is
evident from the two commandments
of God himself, which run thus: Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with thy
whole heart, and with thy whole soul;
this is the first and great command
ment. The second, is like it ; Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself
Matt. xxii. 37 to 39 ; Deut. vi. 5. That
man can do the commandments of
God, and that this is to love God, and
to be loved by God, is evident from
these words ; Jesus said, He that hath
my commandments, and doeth them, he
it is that loveth Me ; and he that lovcth
Me, shall be loved by my Father, and
I will love him, and will manifest My
self to him, John xiv. 21. Besides,
what else is faith, but conjunction with
God by truths which are of the under
standing and thence of the thought ?
and what is love, but conjunction with
God by goods which are of the will
and thence ofthe affection I The con
junction of God with man is spiritual
conjunction in the natural, and the
conjunction of man with God is nat
ural conjunction from the spiritual.
For the sake of this conjunction as
an end, man was created a native of
heaven, and at the same time of the
world ; as a native of heaven he is
spiritual, and as a native of the world
he is natural. If therefore man be
comes rational-spiritual, and at the
same time moral-spiritual, he is con
joined to God, and by conjunction has
¦nalvation and eternal life. But if man
is only rational-natural, and likewise

moraj-natural, thi>-e is indeed a con-
junction of God with him, but not a
conjunction of him with God ; thence
he has spiritual death, which, viewed
in itggjf, is natural life without spirit
ual ; for the spiritual, in which is the
life of God, is extinct with him.
370. (2.) That Conjunction with God
the Father is not possible, but with the
Lord, and through Him with God the
Father. This the Scripture teaches, and
reason sees. The Scripture teaches,
that God the Father was never seen nor
heard, and that He cannot be seen
or heard ; consequently from Himself,
such as He is in his esse, and in his
essence, He cannot operate any thing
with man ; for the Lord says, Ao one
hath seen God, except He that is with
the Father, He hath seen the Father,
John vi. 46. No one knoweth the Fa
ther, except the Son, and he fo whom the
Son willeth to reveal Him, Matt. xi. 27.
Ye have never heard the voice of the
Father, nor seen his shape, John v. 37.
The reason is, because He is in the
firsts and the principles of all things,
thus most eminently above all the
sphere of the human mind ; for He
is in the firsts and the principles of
all things of wisdom and all things of
love, with which man has no possible
conjunction. Wherefore, if He should
come to man, or man to Him, man
would be consumed and dissolved, like
wood in the focus of a large burning-
glass ; or, rather, like an image cast
into the sun itself; wherefore it was
said to Moses, who desired to see God.
that man cannot see Him and live.
Exod. xxxiii. 20. But that God the
Father is conjoined through the Lord,
is evident from the passages just ad
duced ; that not the Father, but the
only-begotten Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, and has seen
the Father, has set forth and reveal
ed the things which are of God and
from God. And moreover from these ;
In that day ye shall know that 1
am in my Father, and ye in Me, and
I in you, John xiv. 20. i" have given
to them the glory which Thou gavest
to Me, that they may be one, as We an

Concerning Faith.

263

one ; J in them, and Thou in Me, xvii.
22, 23, 26. Jesus said, I am the Way,
the Truth, and the Life ; no one cometh
to the Father, but through Me. And
then Philip wished to see the Father ;
to whom the Lord answered, He that
seeth Me, seeth the Father also ; and he
that knoweth Me, knoweth the Father
also; xiv. 6, 7, and following verses.
And in another place, He that seeth
Me, seeth Him who sent Me, xii. 45.
And moreover He says, that He is the
Door, and that he that entereth through
Him, is saved ; and that he that climb-
eth up any other way, is a thief and a
robber, x. 1, 9. And also He says,
that He that abideth not in Me is cast
out, and, like a dried branch, is thrown
into the fire, xv. 6. The reason is,
because the Lord our Savior is Jehovah
the Father himself in the human form ;
for Jehovah descended and became
Man, that He might be able to come
to man, and man to Him, and thus
conjunction might be made, and by
conjunction man might have salvation
and eternal life. For when God be
came Man, and thus also became God-
Man, being then accommodated to
man, He could come to him, and be
conjoined to him, as Man-God, and
God-Man. There are three things
which follow in order, Accommoda
tion, Application, and Conjunction.
There must be accommodation, be
fore there can be application, and
accommodation and application to
gether, before there can be conjunc
tion. Accommodation on the part of
God was, that He became Man. Ap
plication on the part of God is per
petual, so far as man applies himself
in turn ; and as this is done, conjunc
tion also is effected. These three fol
low and proceed in their order, in all
and each of the things, which become
one and coexist.
371. (3.) That Conjunction with the
Lord is reciprocal, which is, that the
Lord is in Man, and Man in the Lord.
That conjunction is reciprocal, the
Scripture teaches, and reason also sees.
The Lord, concerning his conjunction
with his Father, teaches that it is re
ciprocal ; for He says to Philip, Be

lievest thou not that I am in the Father,
and the Father in Me. Believe Me,
that I am in the Father, and the Father
in Me, John xiv. 10, 11. That ye
may know and believe that the Father
is in Me, and I in the Father, x. 3b.
Jesus said, Father, the hour hath come;
glorify thy Son, that thy Son also
may glorify Thee, xvii. 1. Father,
all mine are thine, and all thine are
mine, xvii. 10. The Lord says the.
same concerning his conjunction with
man, namely, that it is reciprocal ; for
He says, Abide in Me, and I in you ;
He that abideth in Me, and I in
him, beareth much fruit, John xv. 4,.
5. He that eateth my flesh and, drink
eth. my blood, abideth in Me and I
in Him, vi. 56. In that day ye shall
know that I am in my Father, and ye
in Me, and I in you, xiv. 20. He
that doeth the commandments of Christ
abideth in Him, and He in him, 1
John iii. 24 ; iv. 13. Whosoever con?-
fesseth that Christ is the Son of God,
God abideth in him, and he in God^
iv. 15. Whosoever heareth my voice,
and openeth the door, I will go in to
him, and I will sup with him, and
he with Me, Rev. iii. 20. From
these plain declarations, it is evident,
that the conjunction of the Lord and,
man is reciprocal ; and because it is.
reciprocal, it follows of course that
man ought to conjoin himself with the.
Lord, that the Lord may conjoin him
self with him ; and that, otherwise, a
conjunction would not be effected, but
a recession, and thence a separation ;.
yet this not on the part of the Lord,
but on the part of man. That there
may be this reciprocal conjunction,
free choice is given to man, from which
he can enter the way to heaven or the
way to hell. From this freedom, given
to man, flows his reciprocal faculty,
which can conjoin itself with the Lord,
and which can conjoin itself with
the devil. But that liberty, its qual
ity, and the reason why it is given to.
man, will be illustrated in the follow
ing chapters, where we shall treat con
cerning Free Agency, concerning Re
pentance, concerning Reformation and
Regeneration, and concerning Impu-

264

Concerning Faith.

tation. It is to be regretted, that the
reciprocal conjunction ofthe Lord and
man, although it stands forth so clearly
in the Word, is still unknown in the
Christian church. That it is unknown,
is on account of hypothetical things
concerning faith and concerning free
agency. The hypothetical things con
cerning faith, are, that faith is be
stowed without man's contributing any
thing to procure it, or accommodating
and applying himself to receive it, any
more than a stock. The hypothetical
things concerning free agency , are, that
man has not even a grain of free agency
in spiritual things. But that the re
ciprocal conjunction of the Lord and
man, on which the salvation of the
human race depends, may be no longer
concealed and unknown, necessity
itself enjoins that it be disclosed, which
cannot be done better, than by exam
ples, because these illustrate.
There are two reciprocations by
which conjunction is effected ; one is
alternate, and the other is mutual.
The alternate reciprocation by which
conjunction is effected, may be illus
trated by the respiration of the lungs.
Man draws in the air, and thereby
dilates the thorax ; and afterwards he
emits the air, which was drawn in, and
thereby compresses the thorax. That
attraction and thence dilatation is effect
ed by means of the incumbency of the
air, according to its column ; but that
emission and consequent compression
is effected by means of the ribs, from the
strength of the muscles. Such is the
reciprocal conjunction of the air and
the lungs, on which depends the life
of the senses and motions of the whole
body ; for, when respiration ceases,
sensation and motion also cease. The
reciprocal conjunction, which is ef
fected by alternate things, may be
''lustrated also by the conjunction of
tne heart with the lungs, and of the
ijxgs with the heart. The heart, from
its right ventricle, pours the blood into
the lungs, and the lungs pour it back
into the left ventricle ofthe heart ; thus
»his reciprocal conjunction is effected,
on which the life of the whole body
entirely depends. Similar is the con

junction of the blood with the neart,
and of the heart with the blood ; the
blood of the whole body flows through
the veins into the heart, and it flows
out from the heart through the arteries
into the whole body ; action and re
action make this conjunction. There
is a similar action and reaction, by
which conjunction continues, between-
the embryo and the womb ofthe mother.
But such is not the reciprocal con
junction of the Lord and man, but it
is a mutual conjunction, which is not
effected by action and reaction, but by
cooperations ; for the Lord acts, and
man receives action from the Lord, and
operates as from himself; yea, of him
self, from the Lord. This operation of
man from the Lord, is imputed to him
as his, since he is, from the Lord, con
tinually kept in free agency. The free
agency resulting thence is, that he
can will and that he can think from
the Lord, that is, from the Word ; and
also that he can will and think from
the devil, that is, against the Lord and
the Word. The Lord gives to man
this freedom, that he may be able to
conjoin himself reciprocally, and by
conjunction be gifted with eternal life
and happiness ; for this, without re
ciprocal conjunction, is not possible.
This reciprocal conjunction, which is
mutual, may also be illustrated by
various things in man, and in the
world. Such is the conjunction of the
soul and body with every man : such
is the conjunction of the will and ac
tion, and such is that of the thought
and speech ; such also is that of the
two eyes with each other, of the two
ears with each other, and of the two
nostrils with each other. That the
conjunction of the two eyes is in its
own way reciprocal, is manifest from
the optic nerve, in which the fibres
from both hemispheres of the brain
are folded together among themselves,
and, thus folded together, they extend
to both the eyes ; it is similar with the
ears and nostrils. Similar is the mu
tual reciprocal conjunction of light and
the eye, of sound and the ear, of smell
and the nostril, of taste and the tongue,
of touch and the body ; for the eye is

Concerning Faith.

265

in the light and the light is in the eye,
sound is in the ear and the ear is in
the sound, smell is in the nostril and
the nostril is in the smell, taste is in the
tongue and the tongue is in the taste,
and touch is in the body and the body
is in the touch. This reciprocal con
junction may also be compared with
the conjunction of a horse and a char
iot, of an ox and a plough, of a wheel
end a machine, of a sail and the wind,
of a flute and the air ; in short, such is
the reciprocal conjunction of the end
and the cause, and such is that of the
cause and the effect; but to explain
each of these cases particularly, I
have not leisure, because it is a work
of many pages.
372. (4.) That this reciprocal Con
junction of the Lord and Man is ef
fected by Mians of Charity and Faith.
It is known, at this day, that the
church makes the body of Christ, and
that every one in whom the church is,
is in some member of that body, ac
cording to Paul, Eph. i. 24; 1 Cor. xii.
27 ; Rom. xii. 4, 5. ¦ But what is the
body of Christ, but divine good and
divine truth ? This is meant by the
words of the Lord in John, He that
eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood,
abideth in Me, and I in him, vi. 56.
By the flesh of the Lord, as also by
bread, is meant the divine good, and
by his blood, as also by wine, is meant
the divine truth ; that these things are
meant will be seen in the chapter con
cerning the Holy Supper. Thence
it follows, that, as far as man is in the
goods of charity, and in the truths of
faith, so far he is in the Lord, and the
Lord in him ; for conjunction with the
Lord is spiritual conjunction, and spir
itual conjunction is effected solely by
means of charity and faith. That
there is a conjunction ofthe Lord and
the church, and thence of the good and
the true, in all and every part of the
Word, was shown in the chapter con
cerning the Sacred Scripture, n.
248 to 253 ; and because charity is
good, and faith is truth, there is every
where in the Word a conjunction of
charity and faith. Hence, now, it fol-
34

lows, that the Lord is charity and
FAITH IN MAN, AND THAT MAN IS
CHARITY' AND FAITH IN THE LoRD J
for the Lord is spiritual charity and
faith in the natural charity and faith
of man, and man is natural charity and
faith from the spiritual of the Lord,
which, conjoined, make spiritual-natu
ral charity and faith.
373. VIII. That Charity and
Faith are together in good Works.
In every work which proceeds fioin
man, the whole man is, such as he is
as to the mind, or such as he is essen
tially. By the mind is meant the
affection of his love and the > bought
thence ; these form his nature, in gen
eral his life. If we contemplate works
thus, they are, as it were, mirrors of
the man. This may be illustrated by
the like in the case of beasts and wild
beasts ; a beast is a beast, and a wild
beast is a wild beast, in all their acts.
A wolf is a wolf in all his, and a tiger
is a tiger in all his ; a fox is a fox in all
his, and a lion is a lion in all his ; in
like manner, a sheep and a kid in all
theirs. And so likewise is man, but
he is such as he is in his internal man ;
if in this he is like a wolf or like a
fox, all his works are internally those
of a wolf or a fox ; and so also, if he
is like a sheep or a lamb. But that
he is such in all his works, is not mani
fest in his external man, because this
is easily turned about the internal ;
but still it is inwardly concealed in
this. The Lord says, A good man,
from the good treasure of his heart,
bringeth forth good; and an evil man,
from the evil treasure of his heart,
bringeth forth evil, Luke vi. 45. And
also, Every tree is known from its own
fruit ; from thorns they do not gather
figs, nor from a bramble-bush do they
gather grapes, vi. 44. That man, in
each and every thing that proceeds
from him, is such as he is in his inter
nal man, manifests itself to the life
with him after death ; since he then
lives an internal man, and no longer
an external. That good is in man,
and that every work which proceedy
from him is good, when the Lord

26o

Concerning Faith.

charitv and faith res:de in his internal
man, will be demonstratea in this series:
(1.) That charity is to will well, and
that good works are to do well from
willing well. (2.) That charity and
faith are only mental and perishable
things, unless, when it can be done, they
are determined to works, and coexist
in them. (3.) That charity alone does
not produce good works, and still less
faith alone ; but that they are pro
duced by charity and faith together.
But of these, one by one.
374. (1.) That Charity is to will
well, and that good Works are to do
well from willing well.
Charity and works are distinct from
each other, like will and action, and
like an affection of the mind and an
operation of the body ; consequently,
also, like the internal man and the ex
ternal ; and these are distinct from
each other like cause and effect, since
the causes of all things are formed in
the internal man, and all effects are
prod uced thence in the external ; where
fore charity, because it is of the inter
nal man, is to will well, and works,
because they are of the external man,
are to do well from willing well. But
still there is an infinite diversity be
tween the good will of one and of
another ; for all that is believed or
appears to flow from good will or be
nevolence, which is done by any one
in favor of another ; but still it is not
known whether the good deeds are
from charity, still less from what char
ity, genuine or spurious. That infinite
diversity between the good will of one
and another, derives its origin from the
end, intention, and consequent pur
pose ; these are inwardly concealed in
the will of acting well ; the quality of
every one's will is thence. And the
will seeks ways and means of arriving
at its ends, which are effects, in the un
derstanding, and therein it puts itself
into the light, that it may not only see
the reasons, but also the occasions,
when and how it is to determine itself
to acts, and thus produce its effects,
which are works; and at the same
time, in the understanding, it puts

itself into the power of acting ; whence
it follows, that works are essentially of
the will, formally of the understanding,
and actually ofthe body. Thus char
ity descends into good works. This
may be illustrated by comparison with
a tree. Man himself, as to all the
things of him, is like a tree. In the
seed of this there is concealed, as it
were, the end, intention, and purpose
of producing fruits ; in these the seed
corresponds to the will with man, in
which, as was said, are those three
things. Then the seed, from its interi
ors, springs out of the earth, and clothes
itself with branches, twigs and leaves,
and thus prepares for itself means to
the ends, which are fruits ; in these
the tree corresponds to the under
standing with man. And, finally,
when the time approaches, and oppor
tunity of determination is given, it
blossoms and produces fruits ; in these
the tree corresponds to good works
with man ; and it is manifest, that the
fruit is essentially ofthe seed, formally
of the twigs and leaves, and actually
of the wood of the tree. This may
also be illustrated by comparison with
a temple. Man is a temple of God,
according to Paul ; 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17;
2 Cor. vi. 16; Ephes. ii. 21,22. As a
temple of God, man has for his end,
intention and purpose, salvation and
eternal life ; in these there is a cor
respondence with the will, in which
are those three things. Afterwards,
he derives the doctrinals of faith and
charity from parents, masters, and
preachers, and, when he becomes ca
pable of judging for himself, from the
Word and from doctrinal books, all
which are means to the end ; in these
there is a correspondence with the un
derstanding. Finally, there is made a
determination to uses according to the
doctrinals as means, which is done
by acts of the body, which are called
good works. Thus the end, by me
diate causes, produces effects, which,
essentially, are of the end, formally,
of the doctrinals of the church, and
actually, of uses. Thus man becomes
a temple of God.

Concerning Faith.

2b:

375. (2.) That Charity and Faith
are only mental and perishable Things,
unless, when it can be done, they are
determined to Works, and coexist in
them. Has not man a head and a body,
which are joined together by the neck ?
Is there not a mind in the head, whicli
wills and thinks, and power in the
body, which performs and executes ?
If, therefore, man should only will
well, or think from charity, and should
not do well and perform uses thence,
would not man be like a head alone,
and thus like a mind alone, which
alone without a body cannot subsist ?
Who does not see, thence, that charity
and faith are not charity and faith,
when they are only in the head and its
mind, and not in the body ? For they
are then like birds flying in the air,
without any rest upon the earth ; and,
also, like birds impregnated with eggs,
without nests, from which the eggs
would drop into the air or upon the
branch of some tree, and fall down to
the ground and be broken. There is
not any thing in the mind, to which
something in the body does not corres
pond; and this, which corresponds,
may be called the embodying of that ;
wherefore charity and faith, whilst
they are only in the mind, are not in
corporated in man, and then they may
be likened to an aerial man, who is
called a spectre, such as Fame was
painted by the ancients, with a laurel
around the head, and a cornucopia in
the hand. Those persons, because
they are such spectres, and still are able
to think, cannot but be disturbed by
fantasies, which also is done by rea
sonings from various sophistical things,
scarcely otherwise than fenny bulrushes
are disturbed by the wind, under which
shells lie at the bottom, and frogs
croak on the surface. Who cannot
see that such things take place, when
they only know some things from the
Word concerning charity and faith,
and do not do them ? The Lord also
says, Every one who heareth my
WORDS AND DOETH THEM, I will com
pare to 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 fool
ish man, ivho built his house upon the
sand, or upon the ground without a
foundation, Matt. vii. 24, 26 ; Luke
vi. 47, 48, 49. Charity and faith, with
the factitious ideas of them, while man
does not practise them, may be com
pared also with butterflies in the air,
at which, when seen, a sparrow flies
and devours them. The Lord also
says, A sower went forth to sow ; and
some fell upon the hard road, and the
birds came and ate ii up, Matt. xiii.
3,4. 376. That charity and faith conduce
nothing to man, while they inhere only
in one hemisphere of his body, that is,
in his head, and are not grounded in
works, is evident from a thousand
passages in the Word, of which I shall
adduce only these : Every tree which
DOTH NOT BEAR GOOD FRUIT, is Cut
down, and cast into the fire, Matt. vii.
19, 20, 21. That which was sown into
good ground, is he that heareth the
Word and attendeth, and bcareth fruit
and doeth. When Jesus said these
things, He cried aloud, saying, He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear, Matt.
xiii. 9 to 23. Jesus said, My mother
and my brethren are these who hear
the Word of God and do it, Luke viii.
21. We know that God heareth not
sinners, but if any one worshippeth God,
and doeth His will, He heareth him,
John ix. 31. If ye know these things,
happy are ye if ye do them, xiii. 17.
He that hath my commandments, and
doeth them, he it is that lovcth Me,
and I will love him, and will manifest
Myself to him ; and I will come to him
and make an abode with him, xiv. 15
to 21. By this is my Father glorified,
that YE BEAR MUCH FRUIT, XV. 15, 16.
Not the hearers ofthe law are justified
by God, but the doers ofthe law, Rom.
ii. 13 ; James i. 22. God, in the day
of anger and just judgment, will render
to every one according to his works
Rom. ii. 5, 8. We all must appear
before the judgment-seat of Christ, that
every one may receive the things done
IN THE BODY ACCORDING TO WHAT HE
hath done, whether good or bad, 2 Cor

268

Concerning Faith.

v. 10. The Son of Man is about to come
in the glory of his Father, and then
He will render to every one ac
cording to his deeds, Matt. xvi. 27. I
heard a voice from heaven, saying,
Blessed are the dead, who die in the
Lord from henceforth, saith the Spirit,
that they may rest from their labors,
their works follow with them,
Rev. xiv. 13. A book was opened,
which is the book of life, and the dead
were judged according to those things
which were written in the book, all ac
cording to their works, 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. Jehovah, whose eyes are open
upon all the ways of men, to give to
every one according to his ways, and
according to the fruit of his works,
Jerem. xxxi. 19. / will visit accord
ing to his ways, and I will render to
him his works, Hosea iv. 9. Jeho
vah dealeth with us according to our
ways, and according to our works,
Zech. i. 6 : besides in a thousand
other passages. Whence it may be
evident, that charity and faith are not
charity and faith, before they are in
works, and that, if they are only above
works, in the expanse, or in the mind,
they are like images of a tabernacle or
of a temple in the air, which are nothing
but meteors, and disappear of them
selves ; and that they are like pictures
upon paper, which moths consume ;
as also that they are like habitations
upon the house top where there is no
bed, and not in the house. Hence,
now, it may be seen, that charity and
faith are perishable things, while they
are only mental, unless, when it can
be done, they are determined to works,
and coexist in them.
377. (3.) That Charity alone does
not produce good Wor'ks, still less Faith
alone, but Charity and. Faith together.
The reason is, because charity with
out faith is not charity, neither is faith
without charity faith, as was shown
above, n. 355 to 358 ; wherefore, char
ity alone is not given, nor faith alone ;
thence it cannot be said, that charity
by itself produces any good works, nor

that faith by itself does. The case
here is similar to that of the will and
the understanding. A solitary will
does not exist, wherefore it does not
produce any thing; neither does a
solitary understanding exist, and hence
does not produce any thing; but all
production is effected by both together,
and it is effected by the understanding
from the will. That it is similar, is,
because the will is the habitation of
charity, and the understanding is the
habitation of faith. It is said, Still
less does faith alone; it is because
faith is truth, and the operation of it is
to do truths, and these illuminate char
ity and its exercises. That they illu
minate, the Lord teaches by saying;
He who doeth the truth, cometh to the
light, that his works may be manifested,
since they are done in God, John iii.
Wherefore, when man does good works
according to truths, he does them in
the light, that is, intelligently and
wisely. The conjunction of charity
and faith is like the marriage of hus
band and wife. All natural offspring
are born from the husband as father,
and from the wife as mother ; in like
manner, all spiritual offspring, which
are the knowledges of good and truth,
are born from charity as father, and
from faith as mother. From this the
generation of spiritual families may be
known. In the Word, also, in the
spiritual sense, by husband and father
is signified the good of charity, and by
wife and mother the truth of faith.
Hence also it is manifest, that not
charity alone nor faith alone can pro
duce good works, as neither a husband
alone, nor a wife alone, can produce
any offspring. The truths of faith not
only illuminate charity, but they also
qualify it, and, moreover, nourish it,
wherefore, a man who has charity and
not the truths of faith, is like one walk
ing in a garden in the time of night,
who plucks fruit from the trees, and
knows not whether it be of good use,
or of bad use. Since the truths of
faith not only illuminate charity, but
also qualify it, as was said, it follows,
that charity, without the truths of
faith, is like fruit withcut juice, like a

Concerning Faith.

269

parched fig, and like a grape after the
wine is pressed out of it ; since truths
nourish faith, as was also said, it fol
lows, that, if charity is without the
truths of faith, it has no other nourish
ment than man has from eating burnt
bread, and at the same time drinking
dirty water from some pond.
378. IX. That there is a true
Faith, a spurious Faith, and a hypo
critical Faith.
The Christian church, in its infan
cy, began to be infested and rent
asunder by schisms and heresies, and
in process of time to be lacerated and
mangled, scarcely otherwise than as it
is read concerning the man who went
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and
was surrounded by robbers, who, after
they had stripped him and beaten him,
left him half dead, Luke x. 30. Whence
it has come to pass, as it is read con
cerning that church in Daniel; At
length upon the bird of abominations
shall be desolation, and even to con
summation and decision, it shall drop
upon the devastation, ix. 27. And ac
cording to these words of the Lord ;
Then shall the end come, when ye shall
see the abomination of desolation fore
told by the prophet Daniel, Matt. xxiv.
14, 15. Its condition may be com
pared with a ship laden with merchan
dise of the greatest value, which, as
soon as it had got out of the harbor,
was immediately tossed about by tem
pests, and presently, being wrecked in
the sea, sunk to the bottom, and then
its merchandise is partly corrupted by
the water, and partly torn to pieces by
fishes. That the Christian church,
from its infancy, was so vexed and torn,
is evident from ecclesiastical history ;
e. g., in the very time of the apostles,
by Simon, who was by birth a Samari
tan, and by trade a sorcerer, of whom
in the Acts of the Apostles, viii. 9,
and following verses ; and also by Hy-
meneus and Philetus, who are men
tioned by Paul in the epistle to Timo
thy; as also by Nicolaus, from whom
the Nicolaitans were so called, who
are mentioned in Rev. ii. 6, and Acts
vi. 5 ; besides by Cerinthus. After
the times of the apostles, many others

rose up, as the Marcionites, Nce-
tians, Valentinians, Encratites,
Cataphrygians, Quarto-decimans,
AlOGIANS, CATHARIANS, ORIGENISTi
or Adamites, Sabellians, Samosa-
tenes, Manich^eans, Meletians, and
lastly Arians. After the times of
these, also, troops of heresiarchs in
vaded the church, as the Dona-
tists, Photinians, Acatians or Se-
miarians, eunomians, macedonians,
Nestorians, Predestinarians, Pa-
paei, zuinglians, anabaptists,
Schwenckfeldians, Synergists, So-
cinians, antitrinitar1ans, quak
ERS, MORAVIANS, besides many others;
and at length over these have prevail
ed Luther, Melancthon and Cal
vin, whose dogmas reign at this day.
The causes of so many divisions and
seditions in the church are principally
three ; First, That the Divine Trinity
was not understood ; Second, That
there was no just knowledge of the
Lord ; Third, That the passion of the
cross was taken for redemption itself.
When these three things are unknown,
which yet are the very essentials of the
faith from which the church is and is
called a church, it cannot be other
wise than that all the things of the
church should be diverted into the
wrong course, and at length into the
opposite, and when there, should still
believe that it is in the true faith in
God, and in the faith of all the truths
of God. It is similar with these, as
with those who cover their eyes with a
handkerchief, and thus in their own
fancy walk in a straight line, and yet,
step after step, they deviate from it,
and at length turn into the opposite
direction, where there is a cavern, into
which they fall. But the man of the
church cannot be led back from his
wandering, into the way of truth, ex
cept by knowing what is true faith,
what is spurious faith, and what is
hypocritical faith ; wherefore it shall
be demonstrated, (1.) That there is only
one true faith, and that it is in the
Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ, and
that it is with those who believe Him
to be the Son of God, the God of heaven
and earth, and one with the Father

270

Concerning Faith.

(2.) That spurious faith is every faith
which recedes from the true, which is
the only one, and that it is with those
who climb up some other way, and re
gard the Lord not as God, but only as
a Man. (3.) That hypocritical faith
is no faith.
379. (1.) That there is only one
true faith, and that it is in the Lord
God the Savior Jesus Christ, and that
it is with those who believe Him to be
the Son of God, the God of Heaven
and Earth, and one with the Father.
That there is only one true faith, is,
because faith is truth, and truth can
not be broken and bisected so that a
part of it may look to the left hand,
and a part to the right, and remain its
truth. Faith, in a general sense, con
sists of innumerable truths, for it is
the complex of them ; but those innu
merable truths make, as it were, one
body, and in that body are the truths
which make its members ; some make
the members which depend on the
breast, as the arms and hands ; some,
those which depend on the loins, as
the feet and the soles of the feet; but
interior truths make the head, and the
truths proximately proceeding thence
make the sensories, which are in the
face. The reason why interior truths
make the head, is, because, when in
terior is named, superior also is under
stood ; for in the spiritual world, all
interior things are also superior ; it is
so with the three heavens there. The
soul and life of this body and of all its
members, is the Lord God the Savior ;
thence it is, that the church is called
by Paul the body of Christ, and that
the men of the church, according to
the states of charity and faith with
them, make its members. That there
is only one true faith, Paul also teaches
thus ; There is one body and one spirit,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one
God. He gave the work ofthe minis
try for the edification of the body of
Christ, untilweall come into the unity
of the faith, and the knowledge ofthe
Son of God, and into a life perfected
according to the measure of the age of
the fulness of Christ, Ephes. iv. 4, 5,
6, 12, 13. That the true faith, which

is the only one, is in the Lord God
the Savior Jesus Christ, was fully
shown above, n. 337, 338, 339. But
the reason why the true faith is with
those who believe the Lord to be the
Son of God, is, because they also be
lieve that He is God ; and faith is not
faith unless it be in God. That this
article of faith is the primary thing of
all the truths which enter into faith
and form it, is evident from the words
of the Lord to Peter, when he said,
Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God ; Blessed art thou,
Simon. I say unto thee, upon this rock
I ivill build my church, and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it,
Matt. xvi. 16, 17. By rock, here, as
elsewhere in the Word, is meant the
Lord as to Divine Truth, and also
divine truth from the Lord. That this
truth is the primary thing, and like a
diadem upon the head, and like a
sceptre in the hand of the body of
Christ, is evident from the words of
the Lord, That upon that rock He
would build his church, and that the
gates of hell should not prevail against
it. That this article of faith is such,
is evident, also, from these words in
John : Whosoever confesseth that Jesus
is the Son of God, God abideth in him,
and he in God, 1 John iv. 15. Besides
this characteristic of their being in the
true faith, which is the only faith,
there is also another, That they believe
the Lord to be the God of heaven and
earth. This follows from the former,
That He is the Son of God; and from
these declarations, That in Him is all
the fulness of the Godhead, Colos. ii.
9. That He is the God of heaven and
earth, Matt, xxviii. 18. That all things
of the Father are His, John iii. 35 ;
xvi. 15. The third sign, that those
who believe in the Lord are interiorly
in faith in Him, thus in the true faith,
which is the only one, is, that they
believe, That the Lord is one with the
Father. That He is one with the Fa
ther, and that He is the Father himself
in the Human, was fully shown in the
chapter concerning the Lord and Re
demption, and is very evident from the
words of the Lord himself; That flu

Concerning Faith.

271

Father and He are one, John x. 30.
That the Father is in Him, and He in
the Father, x. 38; xiv. 10, 11. That
He said to the disciples, That hence
forth they have seen and known the
Father; and that he looked at Philip
and said, Tiiat now he seeth and know
eth the Father, John xiv. 7, and fol
lowing verses. The reason why these
three are characteristic testimonies
that they are in faith in the Lord, thus
in the true faith, which is the only
one, is, because all those who go to
the Lord, are in faith in Him ; for true
faith is internal, and at the same time
external. Those with whom those
three precious characteristics of faith
are, are in the internals of that faith,
as well as in its externals ; thus it is
not only a treasure in their heart, but
also a- jewel in their mouth. But it is
otherwise with those who do not ac
knowledge Him the God of heaven and
earth, and not one with the Father ;
these interiorly look also to other Gods,
who have like power, but that it is to
be exercised by the Son, either as a
Vicar, or as one who, on account of
redemption, deserved to reign over
those whom He redeemed. But these
break the true faith to pieces, by a di
vision of the unity of God, and when
it is broken to pieces, it is no longer
faith, but only the spectre of faith,
which, being seen naturally, appears
like a certain image of it, but being
seen spiritually, it becomes a chimera.
Who can deny but that true faith is in
one God, who is the God of heaven
and earth ; consequently, in God the
Father in the human form, thus in the
Lord ? These three characters, evi
dences and marks, that faith in the
Lord is faith itself, are like touch
stones, by which gold and silver are
known They are, also, like stones
and hands in the highways, which show
the way to the temple, where the one
and the true God is worshipped. And
they are like lamps upon rocks in the
sea, from which those who sail in the
night know where they are, and by
what wind to direct the ships. The
first character of faith, which is, that
the Lord is the Son of the living God,

is like the morning star, to all vho cu
ter into His church.
380. (2.) That spurious Faith ,4
every Faith which recedes from the
true, which is the only one, and that it
is with those who climb up some other
way, and regard the Lord not as God,
but only as a Man.
That spurious faith is every faith
which recedes from the true, which is
the only one, is manifest of itself; for
when one only is true, it follows that
that which recedes is not true. AJ1
the good and truth of the church are
propagated from the marriage of the
Lord and the church; thus all that is
essentially charity and essentially faith,
is from that marriage ; but whatever of
those two is not from that, is not from
a legitimate, but from an illegitimate
bed ; thus either from a polygamical
bed or marriage, or from adultery.
Every faith which acknowledges the
Lord, and adopts the falses of heresies,
is from a polygamical marriage ; and
the faith is from adultery, which ac
knowledges three Lords of one church,
for it is either like a female who is a
harlot, or like a woman who is mar
ried to one man and passes nights with
two others, and when she lies with
them, she calls each of them her hus
band. Thence it is, that such faith is
called spurious. These the Lord, in
many places, calls adulterers ; and also
He means these by thieves and rob
bers in John ; Verily I say unto you,
he that goeth not in through the door
into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some
other way, is a thief and a robber. I
am the Door; if any one enter through
Me, he shall be saved, x. 1,9. To en
ter into the sheep-fold is to enter into
the church, and also into heaven ; that
it is also into heaven, is, because they
make one, and nothing else makes
heaven but the church there ; where
fore, as the Lord is the Bridegroom
and Husband of the church, so also He
is the Bridegroom and Husband of
heaven. It may be discovered and
known, whether faith be a legitimate
offspring, or whether it be a spurious
offspring, from the three marks of it,
mentioned above, which are, The ac-

272

Concerning Faith.

knowledgment of the Lord as the
Son of God ; The acknowledgment of
Him as the God of heaven and earth ;
and The acknowledgment, that He is
one with the Father. As far, therefore,
as any faith recedes from these its es
sentials, so far it is spurious. A spu
rious and at the same time an adul
terous faith is with those who regard
.he Lord not as God, but only as a
man. That it is so, is very manifest
from the two abominable heresies, the
Arian and Socinian, which were
anathematized in the Christian church,
and excommunicated from it ; and
ihat, because they deny the divinity of
the Lord, and climb up some other
way. But I fear that those abomina
tions lie concealed in the general spirit
of the men of the church at this day.
This is wonderful, that the more any
one thinks himself superior to others
in learning and judgment, the more
readily he embraces and appropriates
to himself ideas concerning the Lord,
that He is a man, and not God ; and
that, because He is a man, He cannot
be God ; and he who appropriates to
himself those ideas, introduces himself
into the company of Arians and So-
cinians, who in the spiritual world are
in hell. The reason why the general
spirit of the men of the church at this
day is such, is, because there is with
every man an associate spirit*; for man
without that cannot think analytically,
rationally and spiritually ; thus he
would not be a man, but a brute ; and
every man attaches to himself a spirit
similar to the affection of his will, and
thence the perception of his under
standing. He who brings himself into
good affections, by truths from the
Word, and by a life according to them,
has joined to him an angel from heaven ;
but he who brings himself into evil af
fections, by confirmations of falsities,
and by an evil life, has joined to him a
spirit from hell ; and when the spirit is
joined, man enters more and more into
a fraternity, as it were, with satans,
and then confirms himself, more and
more, in falses against the truths in
the Word, and in the Arian and So
cinian abomination against the Lord.

The reason is, because no satan can
bear to hear any truth from the Word,
nor Jesus named ; and, if they do hear
these things, they become like furies/
and run hither and thither, and blas
pheme. And then, if light from heaven
flows in, they cast themselves headlong
into caverns and into their thick dark
ness, in which they have such light as
owls have in the dark, and such as cats
have in cellars, when they are hunting
after mice. All become such after
death, who in heart and faith deny
the divinity of the Lord, and the holi
ness of the Word ; their Internal man
is such, howsoever the external may
act the hypocrite, and pretend to be a
Christian. That it is so, I know, be
cause I have seen and heard. All
who honor the Lord, as a Redeemer
and Savior, only with the mouth ana
lips, but in heart and spirit look upon
Him as a mere man, while they speak
and teach those things, their cheek it
like a bladder of honey, but their nean
is like a bladder of gali ; tneir words
are like cakes of sugar, but then
thoughts are like emuis.ons of poison
and they are like cake? m the hollow
of which are serpents If they ar«
priests, they are like pirates at sea,
who hang out the flag ot a kingdom 0/
peace, but when a ship approaches
them as friends, they raise a piratical
flag, in the place of the former, and
carry away the ship with its crew into
captivity. They are also like serpents
of the tree of knowledge of good and
evil, which come up like angels of
light, holding in their hand apples
thence, painted with yellow colors, as
if they were plucked from the tree of
life ; and they reach them out and say,
God doth know, in the day that ye
eat cf them, your eyes will be opened,
and ye will be like God, knowing good
and evil, Gen. iii. 5. And when they
have eaten, they follow the serpent into
hell, and dwell with him ; around that
hell are the satans who have eaten of
the apples of Arius and Socinus. They
are also meant by him who entered
having not on a wedding garment;
who was cast into outer darkness, Matt.
xxvi. 1 1, 12, 13. The wedding garment

Concerning Faith.

273

is faith in the Lord, as the Son of God,
the God of heaven and earth, and one
with the Father. Those who honor
the Lord only with the mouth and lips,
but in heart and spirit look upon Him
as a mere man, if they open their
thoughts and persuade others, are spir
itual murderers, and the worst of them
spiritual cannibals; for man has life
from love and faith towards the Lord ;
and if this essential of faith and love,
that the Lord is God-Man and Man-
God, be removed, his life becomes
death ; thus, therefore, the man is kill
ed and devoured, as a lamb by a wolf.
381. (3.) That hypocritical Faith
is no Faith.
Man becomes a hypocrite, whilst he
thinks much about himself, and prefers
himself to others ; for thus he deter
mines and infuses the thoughts and
affections of his mind into his body,
and conjoins them with its senses ;
thence he becomes a natural, sensual
and corporeal man, and then his mind
cannot be withdrawn from the flesh,
with which it coheres, and elevated to
God, and see any thing of God in the
light of heaven, that is, not any thing
spiritual ; and because he is a carnal
man, the spiritual things which enter,
which is done through the hearing into
the understanding, appear to him no
otherwise than spectres, or motes in
the air, yea, like flies about the head
of a horse running and sweating ;
wherefore in heart he ridicules them ;
for it is known, that the natural man
regards the things of the spirit, or spir
itual things, as foolishness. A hypo
crite, among natural men, is to the
lowest degree natural, for he is sen
sual ; for his mind is closely connect
ed with the senses of his body, and
thence he does not love to think any
thing else than what his senses sug
gest ; and the senses, because they are
in nature, compel the mind to think
concerning every thing from nature,
thus also concerning all the things of
faith. If that hypocrite becomes a
preacher, he retains in his memory
such things as are said concerning
faith, in the age of childhood and youth ;
¦>ut because there is inwardly in them
35

nothing spiritual, but only what is
merely natural, when he produces them
in public, they are only inanimate ex
pressions; that they sound as if ani
mated, is from the delights of the love
of self and the world, from which they
are trumpeted forth according to his
eloquence, and soothe the ears, much
like the harmonies of music. A hypo
critical preacher, after the sermon,
when he returns home, laughs at all the
things which are concerning faith, and
which he had brought forth from the
Word before the congregation, and
perhaps says with himself, " I have cast
a net into the lake, and have caught
turbots and shell-fish ;" for as such, in
his imagination, appear all who are in
true faith. A hypocrite is like a carv
ed image having a double head, one
within the other ; the inner head co
heres with the trunk or body, and the
outer one, which is movable about the
inner, is painted in front with proper
colors like a human face, not unlike
the wooden heads which are exposed
to view at barbers' shops. He is also
like a boat, which a sailor, by applica
tion of the sail, can direct at pleasure,
either with the wind or against the
wind ; his trimming in favor of every
one who indulges the delights of the
flesh and its senses is such a managing
of the sail. Ministers who are hypo
crites, are perfect comedians, buffoons
and stage-players, who can represent
the persons of kings, dukes, primates
and bishops ; and presently, when they
put off their theatrical garments, go
into brothels and cohabit with harlots.
They are also like doors hanging on
round hinges, which can be turned both
ways ; such is their mind, for it can be
opened towards hell and towards heav
en, and when it is opened towards the
one, it is shut towards the other ; for,
what is wonderful, when they are min
istering holy things, and teaching from
the Word, they know no other than
that they believe those things, for the
door towards hell is then shut ; but
presently, when they return home, they
do not believe any thing, for then the
door towards heaven is shut. With
consummate hypocrites there is intes-

274

Concerning Faith.

tine enmity against truly spiritual men,
for it is such as that of satans against
the angels of heaven. That it is so is
not sensibly perceived by them whilst
they live in the world, but it manifests
itself after death, when their external,
by which they counterfeited the spir
itual man, is taken away; since it is
their internal man which is such a
satan. But I will tell how spiritual
hypocrites, who are those who go in
sheep's clothing, and inwardly are rav
ening wolves, Matt. vii. 15, appear to
the angels of heaven ; they appear like
soothsayers, walking ou the palms of
their hands and praying, who with the
mouth from the heart cry to demons
and kiss them ; but strike their shoes
together in the air, and thus sound to
God ; but when they stand upon their
feet, they appear as to the eyes like
leopards, as to the gait like wolves, as
to the mouth like a fox, as to the teeth
like crocodiles, and as to faith like
vultures. 382. X. That there is no Faith
with the Evil.
All those are evil who deny the cre
ation of the world by God, and thus
God ; for they are atheistical natural
ists. The reason why all those are
evil, is, because all good, which is not
only naturally but also spiritually good,
is from God ; wherefore, those who
deny God are not willing, and there
fore are not able, to receive any good
from any other source than from their
proprium, and the proprium of man is
the lust of his flesh ; and whatever
proceeds from this is spiritually evil,
however naturally good it appears.
These are theoretically evil ; but those
are practically evil who despise the di
vine commandments, which are sum
marily expressed in the decalogue, and
live like lawless people. These also
in heart deny God, although many of
them confess God with the mouth, be
cause God and his commandments
make one ; wherefore the ten com
mandments of the decalogue were call
ed Jehovah there, Num. x. 35, 36;
Psalm cxxxii. 7, 8. But that it may
be more manifest that the evil have no
faith, a. conclusion will be made from

these two problems : (1.) That the evil
have no faith, because evil is of hell,
and faith is of heaven. (2.) That all
those in Christendom have no faith who
reprobate the Lord and the Word,
although they live morally, and speak,
teach and write rationally, even concern
ing faith. But of these one by one.
383. (1.) That the Evil have no
Faith, because Evil is of Hell, and
Faith is of Heaven.
That evil is of hell, is, because all
evil is thence ; that faith is of heaven,
is, because all the truth which is of
faith is from heaven. Man, whilst he
lives in the world, is held and walks in
the middle between heaven and hell,
and is there in spiritual equilibrium,
which is his free agency ; hell is under
his feet, and heaven is over his head ;
and whatever ascends from hell is evil
and false, but whatever descends from
heaven is good and true. Man, since
he is in the middle between those two
opposites, and at the same time in
spiritual equilibrium, can choose, adopt
and appropriate to himself one or the
other, freely ; if the evil and false, he
conjoins himself with hell, but if the
good and true, he conjoins himself
with heaven. Hence it is manifest,
not only that evil is of hell, and faith
of heaven, but also that those two can
not be together in one subject or man;
for if they were together, man would
be distracted, as if he were bound
around with two ropes, and drawn by
one upwards, and by the other down
wards, and thus he would become, as
it were, dangling in the air. And it
would be as if he should fly, like a
blackbird, now upwards, and now
downwards; and when upwards. should
worship God, and when downwards,
should worship the devil ; that this is
profane, every one sees. That no one
can serve two masters, but must hate
one and love the other, the Lord teaches
in Matthew vi. 24. That where evil
is there is no faith, may be illustrated
by various comparisons, as by these :
Evil is like fire (infernal fire is nothing
else than the love of evil), and con
sumes faith like stubble, and reduces
it and all that belongs to it to ashe?

Concerning Faith.

275

Evil dwells in darkness, and faith in
light ; and evil extinguishes faith by
falses, as darkness extinguishes the
light. Evil is black, like ink, and faith
is white, like snow, and clear, like
water ; and evil blackens faith, as ink
does snow and water. Moreover, evil
and the truth of faith cannot be con
joined otherwise than as a stinking
with an aromatic substance, as urine
vt ith delicious wine ; and they cannot
be together any more than a putrid
carcass with a living man in one bed ;
and they cannot dwell together any
more than a wolf in a sheep-fold, and
a hawk in a dove-cote, and a fox in
a hen-coop. 384. (2.) That all those in Chris
tendom have no Faith,who reprobate the
Lord and the Word, although they live
morally, and speak, teach and write
rationally, even concerning Faith.
This follows as a conclusion from all
that precedes; for it has been shown,
that the faith which is the true and
only one, is in the Lord and from the
Lord, and that a faith which is not in
Him and from Him, is not spiritual
faith but natural ; and merely natural
faith has not in it the essence of faith.
Moreover, faith is from the Word ; it
is not from any other source, because
the Word is from the Lord, and thence
the Lord himself is in the Word ; where
fore He says, that He is the Word,
John i. 1,2. Thence it follows, that
those who reprobate the Word also
reprobate '.he Lord, for they cohere as
one ; and also that those who reprobate
the one or the other, likewise reprobate
the church, because the church is from
the Lord through the Word ; and fur
ther, that those who reprobate the
church are out of heaven, for the church
introduces into heaven, and those who
are out of heaven are among the dam
ned, and these have no faith. The rea
son why those who reprobate the Lord
and the Word have no faith, although
they live morally, and speak, teach and
write rationally, even concerning faith,
is, because their moral life is not spir
itual, but natural, and also their ration
al mind is not spiritual, but natural ;

and merely natural morality and ra
tionality are in themselves dead ; where
fore they, like the dead, have no faith
A man who is merely natural and dead,
as to faith, can indeed speak and teach
concerning faith, concerning charity,
and concerning God, but not from faith,
from charity, and from God. That
those alone have faith who believe in
the Lord, and that others have not
faith, is evident from these passages ;
He that believeth in the Son, is not
judged, but he that believeth not the
Son, is now judged, because he hath not
believed in the name ofthe only-begotten
Son of God, John iii. IS. He that
believeth in the Son, hath eternal life,
but he that believeth not the Son, shall
nut see life, but the anger of God abid
eth on him, iii. 36. Jesus said, When
the Spirit of truth is come, it will re
prove the world of sin, because they be
lieve not in Me, xvi. 8, 9; and to the
Jews, Unless ye believe that I am, ye
shall die in your sins, viii. 24. Where
fore David says, / will announce con
cerning the statute ; Jehovah said, Thou
art my Son ; this day I have begotten
Thee. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,
and ye perish in the way.. Blessed are
all who confide in Him, Psalm ii. 7,
12. That in the consummation of the
age, which is the last time of the
church, there would be no faith, be
cause none in the Lord as the Son of
God, the God of heaven and earth, and
one with the Father, the Lord foretold
in the Evangelists, saying, That there
would be the abomination of desolation
and affliction, such as hath not been,
and will not br. And that the sun will
be darkened, and the moon will not give
her light, and the stars will fall from
heaven, Matt. xxiv. 15, 21, 29. And
in the Revelation', That Satan, being
loosed from his prison, will go forth lo
seduce the nations, which are in the
four corners of the earth, whose num
ber is as the sand of the sea, xx. 8.
And because the Lord foresaw this,
He also said, Nevertheless, when
the Son of Man cometh, will He
FIND FAITH UPON THE EARTH, Luke
xviii. 8

276

Concerning Faith.

385. To the above will be adjoined
these Relations. First. Once, a
certain angel said to me, " You wish
to see clearly what faith and charity
are ; thus, what faith separate from
charity is, and what faith conjoined to
charity is ; and I will demonstrate
them to the eye." I replied, " Do so."
And he said, " Instead of faith and
charity, think of light and heat, and
you will see clearly. Faith in its es
sence is the truth which is of wisdom,
and charity in its essence is the affec
tion of love ; and the truth of wisdom
in heaven is light, and the affection of
love in heaven is heat. The light and
heat in which the angels are, are in
their essence nothing else. Thence
you can see clearly what faith separate
from charity is, and what faith con
joined to charity is. Faith separate
from charity is like the light in winter,
and faith conjoined to charity is like
the light in spring. The light of win
ter, which is light separate from heat,
because it is conjoined to cold, strips
the trees entirely naked, even of leaves,
kills the grass, hardens the earth, and
congeals the water; but the light of
spring, which is light conjoined to heat,
causes the trees to vegetate, first into
leaves, then into blossoms, and at last
into fruits ; it opens and softens the
earth, that it may produce grass, herbs,
flowers and shrubs ; and also it melts
the ice, that waters may flow from the
fountains. Just so it is with faith and
charity. Faith separate from charity
mortifies or deadens all things, and
faith conjoined . to charity vivifies or
enlivens all things. This vivification
and that mortification may be seen
i.0 the life in our spiritual world, be
cause here faith is light, and charity
heat ; for where faith is conjoined to
charity, there are paradisiacal gardens,
flower-beds and grass-plots, in their
beauty according to conjunction; but
where faith separate from charity is,
'.here is not even a blade of grass, and
where there is any thing green, it is
from briers and brambles." There were
then not far off some of the clergy,
whom the angel called justifiers and

sanctifiers of men by faith alone, and
also, dealers in mysteries. We said
these same things to them, and also
demonstrated them, so that they might
see that it is so ; and when we asked
whether it was not so, they turned
themselves away, and said, " We did
not hear." But we cried to them, say
ing, " Hear now, then." But then they
put both hands before their ears and
exclaimed, " We do not wish to hear."
After hearing these things, I spoke
with the angel concerning solitary faith,
and said, thai by lively experience it
was given me to know , that that faith
is like the light of winter ; and I told
him, that, for several years, spirits of
various kinds of faith had passed by
me, and that as often as those who
separated faith from charity came
near, such a cold seized my feet, and
afterwards my loins, and at last my
breast, that I scarcely knew but that
all the vital principle of my body was
about to be extinguished, which alsc
would have happened, unless the Lord
had driven away those spirits and liber
ated me. This seemed to me wonder
ful, that those spirits did not feel any
cold in themselves ; this they con
fessed ; wherefore T compared them
with fishes under the ice, which also
do not feel any cold, since their life, and
thence their nature, is in itself cold. I
perceived, then, that that cold emanated
from the fatuous light of their faith, in
like manner as is done from marshy
and sulphureous places at times in tho
middle of winter, after the sun has set.
such fatuous and cold light travellers
often see. They may be compared to
mountains of mere ice, torn from their
places in northern climates, which are
wafted in the ocean here and there, con
cerning which I have heard it related,
that, on their aoproach, all who are
on board begin to shiver from the cold.
Wherefore, companies of those who
are in faith senarate from charity, may
be likened to those mountains, and, if
you please, may also be called so. It
is known, from the Word, that faith
without charity is dead ; but I will tell
wnence the death of it is • its death is

Concerning Faith.

277

from cold, from which that faith ex
pires, like a bird in a severe frost,
which first dies as to seeing, then at
the same time as to flying, and at last
as to breathing; and then it falls down
headlong from the branch into the
snow, and is there buried.
386. Second Relation. One morn
ing, being awaked from sleep, I saw
two angels descending from heaven,
one from the south of heaven, and the
other from the east of heaven, both in
chariots, to which were attached white
horses. The chariot in which the
angel from the south of heaven was
carried, shone as from silver, and the
chariot in which the angel from the
east of heaven was carried, shone as
from gold, and the reins which they
held in their hands, glittered as from
the flamy light of the morning. Thus
those two angels seemed to me, at a
distance ; but when they came near,
they did not appear in a chariot, but in
their angelic form, which is human.
He who came from the east of heaven,
was dressed in garments of shining
purple, and he who came from the south
of heaven, in garments of violet blue.
When they were under the heavens, in
the lower regions, they ran one to the
other, as if they were striving to see
which would be first, and mutually
embraced and kissed each other. I
heard that those two angels, while they
lived in the world, were joined together
in an interior friendship ; but now, one
was in the eastern heaven, and the
other in the southern heaven : in the
eastern heaven are those who are in
love from the Lord, but in the southern
heaven are those who are in wisdom
from the Lord. When they had con
versed together for some time concern
ing the magnificent things in their
heavens, this came into their discourse,
" Whether heaven in its essence be
love, or whether it be wisdom." They
agreed immediately that one is of the
other ; but the question, which was the
original, they discussed. The angel
who was from the heaven of wisdom,
asked the other, " What is love ?" And
he replied, " That love originating from
the Lord, as a sun, is the heat of the

life of angels and men, thus the esse
of their life; and that the derivations
of love are called affections, and that
by these are produced perceptions,
and thus thoughts ; whence it flows,
that wisdom in its origin is love ; con
sequently, that thought in its origin is
the affection of that love ; and that it
may be seen from the derivations
viewed in their order, that thought is
nothing else than the form of affection ;
and that this is not known, because
thoughts are in light, but affections in
heat; and that, therefore, one reflects
upon thoughts, but not upon affections.
That thought is nothing else than the
form of the affection of some love, may
also be illustrated by speech, in that
this is nothing else than the form of
sound ; it is also similar, because sound .
corresponds to affection, and speech to
thought; wherefore affection sounds,
and thought speaks. This also may
be made perspicuous, when it is said,
Take away sound from speech, and is
any thing of speech given 1 In like
manner, take away affection froui
thought, and is any thing of thought
given? Thence, now, it is manifest,
that love is the all of wisdom; hence,
that the essence ofthe heavens is love,
and that their existence is wisdom ; or,
what is the same, that the heavens are
frcm the divine love, and that they
exist from the divine love by the divine
wisdom. Wherefore, as was said be
fore, one is of the other." There was
with me a novitiate spirit, who, hearing
this, asked, whether it is similar with
charity and faith, because charity is of
affection, and faith is of thought. And
the angel replied, "It is altogether
similar ; faith is no other than the form
of charity, just as speech is the form
of sound ; faith also is formed by
charity, as speech is formed by sound.
We in heaven know also the mode
of formation, but there is not leisure to
explain it here." He added, "By faith
I understand spiritual faith, in which
alone there is life and spirit from the
Lord by charity; for this is spiritual,
and by it faith becomes so. Where
fore faith without charity is merely
natural faith, and this faith is dead ; it

278

Concerning Faith.

also conjoins itself with merely natural
affection, which is no other than con
cupiscence. The angels spoke con
cerning these things spiritually ; and
spiritual speech embraces thousands of
things which natural speech cannot
express ; and, what is wonderful, which
cannot even fall into the ideas of nat
ural thought." After the angels had
conversed on this and that, they de
parted ; and when they returned each
to his own heaven, there appeared stars
around their heads; and when they
were removed to a distance from me,
they seemed again in chariots, as before.
387. Third Relation. After those
two angels were out of my sight, I saw
at the right side a garden, where were
olives, fig-trees, laurels, and palms,
placed in order according to corre
spondences. I looked thither, and saw
angels and spirits walking and talking
together among the trees. And then
one of the angelic spirits looked at me,
(those are called angelic spirits, who
are in the world of spirits preparing for
heaven) ; he came from that garden
to me, and said, " Will you come with
me into our paradise, and you shall
hear and see wonderful things ?" And
I went with him. And then he said
to me, " These, whom you see (for
there were many), are all in the love of
truth, and thence in the light of wis
dom. There is also a palace here,
which we call the Temple of Wis
dom ; but no one can see it, who be
lieves himself to be very wise, still less
can he who believes himself to be wise
enough, and, least of all, he who be
lieves himself to be wise from himself;
the reason is, because those are not in
the reception of the light of heaven,
from the love of genuine wisdom.
Genuine wisdom is, that a man sees,
from the light of heaven, that what he
knows, understands and comprehends
{sapit), is as little, compared with what
he does not know, understand and
comprehend, as a drop of water is to
the ocean ; consequently, scarcely any
thing. Every one who is in this para
disiacal garden, and, from perception
and sight in himself, acknowledges that
he has respectively so little wisdom,

sees that Temple of Wisdom ; for
interior light in the mind of man en
ables him to see it, but not his exterior
light without that. Now, because I
have often thought that, and from sci
ence, and then from perception, and
at last from interior light, have ac
knowledged that man has so little wis
dom, lo, it was given me to see that
temple. It was, as to form, admirable ;
it was very elevated above the ground,
quadrangular, the walls were of crystal,
the roof of transparent jasper, elegantly
arched ; the foundation of various pre
cious stories ; the steps by which they
ascended into it were of polished ala
baster ; at the sides of the steps there
appeared, as it were, lions with whelps.
And then I asked whether I might
enter, and it was said that I might;
wherefore I ascended, and when I
entered I saw, as it were, cherubs
flying under the roof, but presently
vanishing. The floor upon which we
walked was of cedar, and the whole:
temple, from the transparence of the
roof and walls, was built to a form of
light. The angelic spirit entered with
me, and I related to him what I had
heard from the two angels concerning
love and wisdom, and concerning
charity and faith ; and then he said,
"Did they not speak also concerning
a third?" And I said, " What third?"
He replied, " It is the good of use.
Love and wisdom, without the good of
use, are not any thing ; they are only
ideal entities, nor do they become real,
before they are in use ; for love, wisdom
and use are three things which cannot
be separated ; if they are separated,
neither is any thing. Love is not any
thing without wisdom, but in wisdom
it is formed to something; this some
thing, to which it is formed, is use ;
wherefore, when love by wisdom is in
use, then it really is, because it actually
exists. They are just like end, cause
and effect ; the end is not any thing
unless by the cause it be in the effect ;
if one be loosed from those three, the
whole is loosed, and becomes as noth
ing. It is similar with charity, faith
and works. Charity without faith is
not any thing, neither is faith without

Concerning Faith.

279

charity, nor charity and faith without
works ; but in works they are some
thing, and such a something as the
use of the works is. It is similar with
affection, thought, and operation, aud
it is similar with will, understanding,
and action ; for the will without the
understanding is like the eye without
sight; and both without action are like a
mind without a body ; that it is so, may
be clearly seen in this temple, because
the light in which we are here is a
light enlightening the interiors of the
mind. Geometry also teaches that
there is nothing complete and perfect,
unless it be a trine ; for a line is not
any thing, unless it become an area,
nor is an area any thing, unless it be
come a body ; wherefore one must be
drawn into another, that they may
exist, and they coexist in the third.
As it is in this, it is also in all created
things, each of which is terminated in
a thiriL Thence now it is, that in the
Word the number three signifies what
is complete and perfect. Since it is so,
I could not but wonder that some pro
fess faith alone, some charity alone,
and some works alone, when yet one
without another, or any two together,
without the third, is not any thing."
But then I asked, " Cannot a man
have charity and faith, and still not
works? Cannot a man be in affection
and thought concerning something, and
yet not in the operation of it?" And
the angel answered me, " He can only
ideally, but not really ; he will still be
in the endeavor or will to operate, and
will or endeavor is in itself an act, be
cause it is a continual striving to act,
which becomes, by determination, an
act in externals : wherefore, endeavor
and will, as an internal act, is accepted
by every wise man, because it is ac
cepted by God, altogether as an exter
nal act, provided it do not fail when
opportunity is given."
388. Fourth Relation. I spoke
with some who, in the Revelation, are
meant by the dragon ; and one of them
said, " Come with me, and I will show
you the delights of our eyes and hearts."
And he led me through a dark woods
to the top of a hill from which I could

see the delights of the dragons ; and I
saw an amphitheatre built in the form
of a circus, with rows of benches round
about, raised one above another, upon .
which the spectators sat. Those who
sat upon the lowest benches, appeared -
to me at a distance like satyrs and
priapuses, some with a covering over
the parts which should be concealed,.
and some naked without that. On the ,
benches above them sat whoremongers
and harlots ; such they appeared to me ;
from their gestures. And then the
dragon said to me, " Now you will see ,
our sport." And I saw let into the
area ofthe circus, as it were, bullocks,
rams, sheep, kids and lambs ; and after
those were let in, the gate was opened,",.
and there rushed in, as it were, young
lions, panthers, tigers and wolves, and ,
with fury they attacked the flock, tore .
them in pieces and killed them. But
the satyrs, after that bloody slaughter,
scattered sand upon the place where
the slaughter was made. Then said
the dragon to me, " These are our
sports, which delight our minds." And
I replied, "Begone, demon; after some
time you will see this amphitheatre
converted into a lake of fire and sul
phur." At these words, he laughed
and went away. And afterwards I
thought with myself, why such things,.
are permitted by the Lord; and I re
ceived an answer in my heart, that
they are permitted as long as they are
in the world of spirits, but when theii ..
time in that world has passed, such.
theatrical scenes are turned into infer->
nal horrors. All those things which.
were seen were induced by the dragon?
by fantasies ; wherefore there were
no bullocks, rams, sheep, kids and;.
lambs, but they made the genuine
goods and truths of the church, which
they hated, appear so. The lions,.
panthers, tigers and wolves were ap-,
pearances of the lusts with those who
seemed like satyrs and priapuses..
Those without a covering about tne
parts which should be concealed were.
those who believed that evils do not,
appear in the sight of God ; and those,-
with a covering were those who he-<
lieved that they do appear, but do not.

280

Concerning Faith.

condemn, provided they are in faith.
The whoremongers and harlots were
falsifiers of the truths of the Word ;
for whoredom signifies falsification of
the truth. In the spiritual world, all
things appear at a distance, according
to correspondences; which, when they
appear in forms, are called representa
tions of spiritual things in objects simi
lar to natural.
Afterwards, I saw them going out of
the woods ; the dragon in the midst of
the satyrs and priapuses, and the wait
ers and drudges, who were whore
mongers and harlots, behind them.
Their number was increased on the
way, and then I heard what they spoke
one to another. They said, that they
saw in a meadow a flock of sheep with
lambs, and that this was a sign that
one of the Jerusalem cities, where
charity is the primary thing, was near.
And they said, " Let us go and take
that city, and cast out the inhabitants,
and plunder their goods." They came
to it, but there was a wall around it,
and guardian angels upon the wall.
And then they said, " Let us take it by
stratagem ; let us send some one skilled
in muttering, who can make black
white, and white black, and disguise
the reality of every object. And there
was found one skilled in the art of
metaphysics, who could turn the ideas
of things into ideas of terms, and con
ceal the things themselves under for
mulas, and thus fly away like a hawk
with the prey under his wings. He
was instructed how he should speak
with the inhabitants ofthe city, "That
they were consociates with them in re
ligion, and should be admitted." So,
coming to the gate, he knocked ; and
when it was opened, he said that he
wished to speak with the wisest man
of that city; and he entered, and was
led to a certain one, and then he spoke
to him, saying, "My brethren are out
of the city, and they request that they
may be received. They are consociates
with you in religion. You and we
make faith and charity the two essen
tials of religion ; the only difference is,
that you say that charity is the primary
one, and faith is thence ; and we say

that faith is the primary one, and char
ity is thence. Of what consequence is
it, if one or the other be called the
primary, when both are believed ?"
The wise man ofthe city replied, "Let
us not talk on this subject alone, but
in the presence of several, who may be
witnesses and judges; or else no de
cision is made." And presently they
were sent for, to whom the dragonist
spoke the same things as before. And
then the wise man of the city replied,
" You said, that it is the same thing
whether charity or faith be taken as
the primary thing of the church, pro
vided they both make the church and
its religion ; and yet the difference be
tween them is like that between prior
and posterior, between cause and effect,
between the principal and the instru
mental, and between the essential and
the formal ; I say such things, because
I perceive that you are expert in tin;
art of metaphysics, which art w« call
muttering, and some call it incantation.
But let us leave those terms ; the differ
ence is as between that which is above,
and that which is below ; yea, if you
will believe it, the difference is as be
tween the minds of those who dwell in
the higher regions, and the minds of
those who dwell in the lower regions,
in this world ; for that which is pri
mary makes the head and the breast,
and that which is thence makes the feot
and the soles of the feet. But let :s
agree, in the first place, what charl y
is, and what faith is; that charit/ is
the affection of the love of doing good
to the neighbor for the sake of God,
salvation and eternal life, and that faith
is thought from trust concerning God,
salvation and eternal life. But the
emissary said, "I grant that this is
faith, and also I grant that charity is
that affection for the sake of God, be
cause for the sake of his command,
but not for the sake of salvation and
eternal life." After this agreement
and disagreement, the wise man ofthe
city said, "Is not affection or dilection
the primary, and thought thence ?" But
the emissary of the dragon said, "I
deny this." But he received for answer,
" You cannot deny it. Does iot man

Concerning Faith.

281

think from some dilection ? Take away
dilection, can he think any thing? It
is just as if you should take away
sound from speech. If you should take
away sound, could you speak any thing?
Sound also is of some affection of love,
and speech is of thought, for love
sounds and thought speaks. It is also
like flame and light; if you take away
flame, does not the light perish ? It is
similar with charity, because this is of
love, and with faith, because this is of
thought. Can you not thus conceive
that the primary is all in the secondary,
just like flame and light? Whence it
is manifest, that if you do not make
that primary which is the primary, you
are not in the other ; wherefore, if you
put faith, which is in the second place,
in the first, you would not appear other
wise in heaven than like an inverted
man, whose feet stand upwards and
his head downwards ; or like a sooth
sayer, who, with his body inverted,
walks upon the palms of his hands.
Since you appear so in heaven, what
then are your good works, which are
charity in act, but such as that sooth
sayer would do with his feet, because
he cannot with his hands? Thence it
is that your charity is natural and not
spiritual, because it is inverted." The
emissary understood this, for every
devil can understand what is true when
he hears it, but he cannot retain it,
because the affection of evil, which in
itself is the lust of the flesh, when it
returns, casts out the thought of truth.
And afterwards the wise man of the
city showed at large what faith is,
when it is received as the primary
thing ; that it is merely natural, and
that it is persuasion without any spir
itual life ; consequently, that it is not
faith. And " I can almost say that in
your faith there is no more spirituality
than in thought concerning the mogul's
kingdom, concerning the diamond
mines there, and concerning the treas
ure and palace of that emperor." On
hearing these words, the dragonist
went away angry, and related them to
his companions out of the city ; and
when they heard '.hat it was said that
charity is the affection of the love of
36

doing good to the neighbor for (he sake
of salvation and eternal life, they all
exclaimed, "This is a lie!" and the
dragon himself, "Oh, horrible! are
not all the works which are works of
charity for the sake of salvation, meri
torious?" Then they said to each oth
er, "Let us call together still more of
our companions, and let us besiege
this city, and cast out those charities."'
But when they attempted to do this,
behold, there appeared, as it were, fire
from heaven, which consumed them ;
but the fire from heaven was the ap
pearance of anger and hatred against
those who were in the city, since they
cast down faith from the first place to
the second, yea, to the lowest under
charity, because they said that it was
not faith. The reason why they ap
peared to be consumed, as by fire, was
because hell was opened under their
feet, and they were swallowed up.
Things similar to these happened in
many places on the day of the last
judgment, which also is meant by this
in the Revelation ; The dragon will go
forth to seduce the nations which are
in the four corners of the earth, that
he may gather them together for war;
and they went up on the surface ofthe
earth, and encompassed the camp of the
saints and the beloved city ; but fire
came down from God out of heaven
and consumed them, xx. 8, 9.
389. Fifth Relation. Once a pa
per was seen sent down from heaven
to a society in the world of spirits,
where were two prelates of the church,
with canons and presbyters under them.
In that paper there was an exhortation
that they should acknowledge the Lord
Jesus Christ as the God of heaven and
earth, as He himself taught, Matt.
xxviii. 18 ; and that they should recede
from the doctrine concerning faith justi
fying without the works of the law,
because it is erroneous. That paper
was read and copied by many, and
concerning those things which were in
it, many thought and spoke from judg
ment. But after they received it,
they said among themselves, " Let us
hear the prelates." And they were
heard, but they spoke against it and

282

Concerning Faith.

disapproved of it. The prelates of that
society were hard in heart, from the
falses imbued in the former world ;
wherefore, after a short consultation
among themselves, they sent the paper
back to heaven, whence it came;
whereupon, after some murmuring,
most of the laity receded from their
former opinion, and then the light of
their judgment in spiritual things,
which before shone bright, was sud
denly extinguished. After they were
admonished again, but in vain, I saw
that society sinking down, but how
deep I did not see ; so it was removed
from the sight of those who worship
only the Lord, and hold in aversion
the doctrine of justification by faith
alone. But after some days, I saw al
most a hundred ascending from the
lower earth, to which that little society
sunk down, who came to me, and one
of them spoke and said, " Hear a won
derful thing. When we had sunk
down, the place appeared to us like a
pond, but presently like dry land, and
afterwards like a little city, in which
many had each his own house. The
next day we consulted among ourselves
what should be done ; many said that
it was best to go to those two prelates
of the church and reprove them mildly,
because they had sent the paper back
to heaven, from which it was sent
down, and on account of that this had
happened to us. They also chose some,
who went to the prelates (and he who
spoke with me said that he was one of
them), and then one among us, who
excelled in wisdom, spoke to the pre
lates thus : ' We believed that we,
above others, had the church among
us and religion, because we heard it
said that we were in the greatest light
of the gospel ; but there was given to
some of us illustration from heaven,
and in the illustration a perception that
at this day there is no longer any
church in the Christian world, because
there is no religion.' The prelates
said, 'What do you say? Is not the
church where the Word is, where
Christ the Savior is known, and where
the sacraments are?' To this our
speaker replied, 'Those things are of

the church, for they make the church;
but they do not make it without man,
but within him.' Moreover, he said,
' Can the church be, where three Gods
are worshipped ? Can the church be,
where its whole doctrine is founded
upon one single saying of Paul, falsely
understood, and thence not upon the
Word ? Can the church be, whilst the
Savior of the world, who is the very
God of the church, is not approached
or addressed ? Who can deny that re
ligion is to shun evil and do good? Is
it any religion, that faith alone saves,
and not charity at the same time ? Is
there religion where it is taught that
the charity proceeding from man is
nothing but moral and civil charity?
Who does not see that in that charity
there is not any thing of religion ? Is
there in faith alone any thing of deed
or work, when yet religion consists in
doing? Is there a nation in all the
world which excludes every thing sav
ing from the goods of charity, which
are good works, when yet all of reli
gion consists in good, and all of the
church in doctrine, which teaches
truths, and by truths goods 1 What
glory we should have had, if we had
accepted those things which the paper
sent down from heaven brought in its
bosom !' Then the prelates said,
' You speak too loftily. Is not faith
in act, which is faith fully justifying
and saving, the church? And is not
faith in state, which is faith proceed
ing and perfecting, religion? Appre
hend this, children.' But then our
wise companion said, ' Hear, O fa
thers ; does not man conceive faith in
act as a log, according to your dogma?
Can a log be vivified into a church ?
Is not faith in state, according to your
idea, a continuation and progression
oi faith in act? And since, according
to your dogma, every thing saving is
in faith, and not any thing in the good
of charity from man, where then is re
ligion?' Then the prelates said, 'You
speak so, friend, because you do not
know the mysteries of justificaion by
faith alone ; and he who does not know
them, does not know the way of salva
tion internally : your way is external

Concerning Faith.

283

and plebeian. Go in that way, if you
will, but only know that all good is
from God, and nothing from man, and
that thus man can do nothing, in spir
itual things, from himself. How, then,
can man do the good, which is spirit
ual good, from himself?' To this our
speaker, being very indignant, replied,
' I know your mysteries of justification
better than you do, and I plainly tell
you, that inwardly in your mysteries I
have seen nothing but spectres. Is
not religion to acknowledge God, and
to hate and shun the devil? Is not God
good itself, and the devil evil itself?
Who, in the whole world, that has any
religion, does not know this ? And is
not doing good acknowledging and
loving God, because this is of God and
from God ? And is not shunning and
hating the devil, not to do evil, because
this is of the devil and from the devil ?
Does your faith in act, which you call
fully justifying and saving faith, or,
what is the same, your act of justifica
tion by faith alone, teach you to do any
good, which is of God and from God?
And does it teach you to shun any
evil, which is ofthe devil and from the
devil ? No, not at all ; because you
maintain that there is nothing of salva
tion in either. What is your faith in
state, which you call faith proceeding
and perfecting, but the same with faith
in act? How can this be perfected,
since you exclude all good from man,
as from himself, by saying, in your
mysteries, How can man be saved
by any good from himself, when salva
tion is a free gift? And what good
comes from man, but that which is
meritorious'? and yet all merit belongs
to Christ. Wherefore, to do good for
the sake of salvation, would be to at
tribute to one's self what belongs to
Cnrist alone ; thus also it would be to
wish to justify and save one's self
Again, how can any one perform what
is good, when the Holy Spirit performs
all, without any help of man? What
need, then, is there of any accessory
good from man, since all the good from
man, in itself, is not good? besides
many other tilings. Are not these
your mysteries ? But, in my eyes, tbey

are mere subtleties and artifices, con.
trived for the purpose of removing good
works, which are the goods of charity,
in order to establish your faith alone ;
and because you do this, you regard
man, as to that, and in general, as to
all spiritual things, which are those of
the church and religion, as a log, or as
a lifeless image, and not as a man,
created in the image of God, to whom
was given, and continually is given,
the faculty of understanding and will
ing, of believing and loving, and of
speaking and doing, altogether as from
himself, especially in spiritual things,
because man is man from them. If
man, in spiritual things, did not think
and operate as from himself, what then
is the Word ; what then is the church
and religion, and what then is worship?
You know that to do good to the neigh
bor from love is charity, but you do not
know what charity is, when yet charity
is the soul and essence of faith ; and
because charity is both of those, what
then is faith, removed from charity,
but dead ? and dead faith is nothing
but a spectre. I call it a spectre, since
James calls faith, without good works,
not only dead, but also devilish. '
Then one of those prelates, when he
heard his faith called dead, devilish,
and a spectre, became so angry, that
he pulled off the cap from his head,
and threw it upon the table, saying,
' I will not take that up again until I
have punished the enemies of the faith
of our church ;' and he shook his head,
muttering and saying, "that James!
that James !" On the front of the
cap there was a thin plate, on which
was engraved, Faith alone justify
ing. And suddenly there appeared a
monster rising out of the earth, with
seven heads, which had feet like a
bear, a body like a leopard, and a
mouth like a lion, altogether similar to
the beast which is described Rev.
xiii. 1,2, an image of which was made
and worshipped, verses 14, 15. This
spectre took the cap from the table, and
made it wide at the bottom, and put it
on his seven heads; which being done,
the earth opened under his feet, and he
sunk down. On seeing this, the prelate

284

Concerning Faith.

exclaimed, ' Violence ! Violence ! '
Then we went away from them ; and
lo, there were steps before our eyes,
by which we ascended and returned
above the earth and into the sight of
heaven, where we were before." These
things were related to me by that
spirit, who, with a hundred others, had
ascended from the lower earth.
390. Sixth Relation. In the north
ern region of the spiritual world, I
heard, as it were, a roaring of waters ;
wherefore I went up thither, and when
I was near, the roaring ceased, and I
heard a noise as from an assembled
multitude, and then there was seen a
house full of holes, surrounded with a
mound, from which that noise was
heard. I went to it, and there was a
doorkeeper there, whom I asked who
were there. He said, " That they were
the wise of the wise, who among them
selves conclude supernatural things."
(He spoke thus from his simple faith.)
And I said, " May I go in?" He said,
"You may, only you must not talk any,
since I have leave to admit gentiles,
who stand with me at the door."
Wherefore I entered; and, behold, there
was a circus, and in the middle of it a
pulpit, and a company of wise men, so
called, were canvassing the mysteries
of their faith ; and then the question or
proposition subjected to discussion was,
"Whether the good which a man does
in THE STATE OF JUSTIFICATION by
faith, or in its progression after the
act, be the good of religion or not."
They said, unanimously, that, by the
good of religion, is meant the good
which contributes to salvation. The
discussion was vehement, but those
prevailed who said that the goods
which a man does in the state or pro
gression of faith are only moral goods,
which conduce to prosperity in the
world, but contribute nothing to salva
tion ; to this faith only contributes, and
they confirmed it thus : " How can any
voluntary good of man be conjoined
with free grace? Is not salvation of
free grace ? How can any good from
man be conjoined with the merit of
Christ? Is not salvation solely by that?
And how can the oneration of man be

conjoined with the operation of the
Holy Spirit ? Does He not do all with
out the help of man ? Are not those
three things alone conducive to salva
tion in the act of justification by faith,
and do not those three continue alone
conducive to salvation in the state or
progression of it ? Wherefore the ac
cessory good from man can in no wise
be called the good of religion, which,
as was said, contributes to salvation;
but, if any one does it for the sake of
salvation, since the will of man is in it,
and this cannot but regard it as merit,
it should rather be called the evil of
religion. There were two gentiles
standing by the doorkeeper in the
porch ; and they heard these things,
and said one to the other, " These peo
ple have not any religion. Who does
not see, that to do good to the neighbor
for the sake of God, thus with God and
from God, is what is called religion?"
And the other said, " Their faith has
infatuated them." And then they asked
the doorkeeper, "Who are those?"
The doorkeeper said, "They are wise
Christians." And they replied, " You
prate, you lie ; they are puppet-players,
they talk so." And I went away. It
was from the divine auspices of the
Lord that I went to that house, and
that they then deliberated concerning
those things, and that it happened as it
is described. 391. Seventh Relation. What a
desolation of truth and theological lean
ness there are at this day -in the Chris
tian world, was made known to me
from conversing with many ofthe laity
and with many of the clergy in thi
spiritual world. With the latter thei-j
is such a spiritual indigence, that they
scarcely know any thing else than that
there is a trinity — the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit; and that faith alone saves;
and concerning the Lord Christ, only
the historical things concerning Him
in the Evangelists ; but as to the other
things which the Word of both Testa
ments teaches concerning Him, as that
the Father and He are one ; that He
is in the Father and the Father in Him ;
that He has all power in heaven and in
earth; that it is the will ofthe Father

Concerning Faith.

285

that they should believe in the Son,
and that he that believeth in Him hath
eternal life ; besides many other things ;
these are as unknown and as hidden
from them as those things which are at
the bottom of the ocean ; yea, as those
which lie in the centre of the earth;
and when those things are produced
from the Word and read, they stand
as if they heard and did not hear ; and
they enter into their ears no deeper
than the whistling of the wind, or the
beating of a drum. The angels, who
are at times sent forth by the Lord to
visit the Christian societies which are
in the world of spirits, thus under heav-
"err, lament exceedingly, saying, "That
there is almost as much dulness, and
thence darkness, in the things of sal
vation, as in a speaking parrot; they
say also that the learned among them
understand, in spiritual and divine
things, no more than statues. An angel
once related to me the conversation
which he had with two of the clergy,
one who was in faith separate from
charity, another who was in faith not
separate. With the one who was in
faith separate from charity he spoke
thus : " Friend, who are you ?" He re
plied, "I am a Reformed Christian."
" What is your doctrine, and thence
religion?" He replied, "It is faith."
He said, "What is your faith?" He
replied, " My faith is, that God the
Father sent the Son to take upon Him
the damnation of the human race, and
that we are saved by that." He then
questioned him, by saying, "What
more do you know concerning salva
tion ?" He replied, " Salvation is effect
ed by faith alone." He said, further,
"What do you know concerning re
demption ?" He replied, "It was made
by the passion of the cross, and the
merit of it is imputed by means of that
faith." Again, "What do you know
concerning regeneration ?" He answer

ed, " It is effected by that faith." " Tell
what you know concerning love and
charity." He replied, " They are that
faith." "Tell what you think con
cerning the precepts of the decalogue,
and concerning the other things in
the Word." He replied, "They are in
that faith." Then he said, " You will
therefore do nothing." He replied,
"What shall I do? I cannot do good,
which is good, from myself." He said,
" Can you have faith from yourself?"
He replied, " I do not inquire into this,
I shall have faith." At length he said,
" Do you know any thing at all more
concerning salvation ?" He replied,
"What more, since salvation is by that
faith alone ?" But then the angel said,
" You answer like one who plays with
one note of a harp ; I hear nothing but
faith ; if you know that, and do not
know any thing besides, you know
nothing. Go and see your companions."
He went and found them in a desert,
where there was no grass, and he ask
ed why it was so ; and it was said,
"Because they have nothing of the
church." With him who was in faith conjoin
ed to charity, the angel spoke thus :
" Friend, who are you ?" He replied,
" I am a Reformed Christian." " What
is your doctrine, and thence religion?'
He replied, " Faith and charity." He
said, "These are two things." He re
plied, "They cannot be separated"
He said, " What is faith ?" He replied,
"To believe what the Word teaches."
He said, " What is charity ?" He an
swered, "To do what the Word teach
es." He said, "Have you only be
lieved those things, or have you also
done them ?" He replied, "I have also
done them." The angel of heaven
then looked at him and said, " My
friend, come with me and dwell with
us."

286

Conaerning Charity,

CHAPTER VII.

CONCERNING CHARITY, OR LOVE TOWARDS THE
AND CONCERNING GOOD WORKS.

NEIGHBOR,

392. Having treated concerning
Faith, we now proceed to treat con
cerning Charity, because faith and
charity are conjoined like truth and
good, and these two like light and
heat in the time of spring. This is
said, because spiritual light, which is
the hght which proceeds from the sun
ofthe spiritual world, in its essence is
truth ; wherefore truth, in that world,
wheresoever it appears, shines with
splendor according to its purity ; and
spiritual heat, which also proceeds from
that sun, in its essence is good. These
things are said, since it is similar with
charity and faith as it is with the good
and the true ; for charity is the com
plex of all things of good which a man
does to the neighbor, and faith is the
complex of all things of truth which a
man thinks concerning God and con
cerning things divine. Since, therefore,
the truth of faith is spiritual light, and
the good of charity is spiritual heat, it
follows that it is similar with these two
as it is with the two things ofthe same
name in the natural world ; namely,
that from their conjunction all things
upon the earth flourish, so likewise
from their conjunction all things in the
human mind flourish ; but with this
distinction, that natural heat and light
cause the things upon the earth to
flourish, but that spiritual heat and
light cause the things in the human
mind to flourish, and that this flourish
ing, because it is spiritual, is wisdom
and intelligence. There is also a cor
respondence between them ; wherefore
the human mind, in which charity is
conjoined to faith, and faith to charity,
is in the Word likened to a garden,
and is al.o meant by the garden of

Eden ; that it is so, has been fully
shown in the Arcana Coslestia, pub-,
lished at London. Moreover, it is/to
be known, that unless charity shfju/d
be treated of, after faith has been treat
ed of, it could not be comprehended
what faith is; since, as it was said and
shown in the preceding chapter, Faith
without charity is not faith, and char
ity without faith is not charity ; and
neither of them lives except from the
Lord, n. 355 to 361. And also, That
the Lord, charity and faith make one,
like life, will and understanding ; and
that if they are divided, each perishes,
like a pearl reduced to powder, n. 3C2
to 367. And moreover, That charity
and faith are together in good works,
n. 373 and the following.
393. It is a constant truth, that char
ity and faith cannot be separated, and
still man have spiritual life, and thence
salvation. That it is so, falls of itself
into the understanding of every man,
even when not cultivated and enriched
with the treasures of learning. Who
does not see, from some interior per
ception, and thence assent from the
understanding, when he hears any one
say, That whosoever lives well and be
lieves aright, is saved? And who does
not reject it from the understanding,
as a lump of dirt falling into the eye,
when he hears, That whosoever believes
aright, and does not live well, is also
saved? Since, from an interior percep
tion, it then falls immediately into the
thought, how can any one believe
aright, when he does not live well?
And what, then, is believing but a paint
ed figure" of faith, and not a living
image of it ? In like manner, if any
one should hear, That whosoever lives

and concerning Good Works.

287

well, although he does not believe, is
saved, does not the understanding,
while it revolves this, or turns it over
and over, see, perceive and think, that
this does not cohere, since to live well
is from God ; for all good, which in it
self is good, is from God? What, then,
is it to live well, and not to believe, but
like clay in the hand of the potter,
which is not capable of being formed
into any vessel of use in the spiritual
kingdom, but only in a natural king
dom? And besides, who does not see
a contradiction in those two things,
namely, in this, That he is saved who
believes, and does not live well ; and in
this, That he is saved who lives well,
and does not believe ? Now, because
to live well, which is of charity, is at
this day known, and is not known (it
is known what it is to live well nat
urally, and it is not known what it is
to live well spiritually) ; therefore we
shall treat concerning this, because it
is of charity ; which will be done dis
tinctly in a series by articles.
394. I. That there are three
universal Loves, the Love of
Heaven, the Love of the World,
and the Love of Self.
An exordium is made from these
three loves, because they are the uni
versal and fundamental of all, and
because charity has something in com
mon with each of them ; for by the
Love of Heaven is meant love to the
Lord, and also love towards the neigh
bor ; and because each of these regards
use as the end, it may be called the
love of uses. The Love of the
World is not only the love of wealth
and possessions, but also the love of all
the things which the world affords, and
which delight the senses of the body ;
as beauty the eyes, harmony the ears,
fragrance the nostrils, delicacies the
tongue, softness the skin; and, more
over, decent clothes, commodious hab
itations and social parties, thus all
the delights from these and from many
other objects. The Love of Self is
not only the love of honor, glory, fame
and eminence, but also the love of
meriting and procuring offices, and
thus of reigning over others. The

reason why charity has something in
common with each of those three loves,
is, because charity, viewed in itself, is
the love of uses; for charity wills to do
good to the neighbor, and good is the
same with use, and each of those loves
regards uses as its ends ; the love of
heaven spiritual uses; the love of the
world natural uses, which may be call
ed civil uses ; and the love of self cor
poreal uses, which also may be called
domestic uses, for one's self and his
own. 395. That those three loves are in
every man, from creation, and thence
by nativity, and that when they are
rightly subordinated they perfect man,
and when not rightly subordinated they
pervert him, will be demonstrated in
the following article ; here it is proper
only to observe, that those three loves
are then rightly subordinated, when the
love of heaven makes the head, the
love of the world the breast and belly,
and the love of self the feet and soles
of the feet. The human mind is dis
tinguished into three regions, as has
been several times said above; from
the highest region man regards God,
from the second or middle, the world,
and from the third or lowest, himself.
The mind, because it is such, can be
elevated and can elevate itself upwards,
because to God and heaven : it can be
diffused and can diffuse itself to the
sides in all directions, because into the
world and its nature ; and it can be
lowered and can lower itself down
wards, because to the earth and to
hell. In these respects the sight of
the body emulates the sight of the
mind ; that also is capable of looking
upwards, of looking around, and of
looking downwards. The human mind
is like a house of three stories, between
which there is a communication by
means of stairs, in the highest of which
dwell angels from heaven, in the mid
dle, men from the world, and in the
lowest, genii or evil spirits. The man
in whom those three loves are rightly
subordinated can ascend and descend
at pleasure ; and when he ascends to
the highest story, he is there in compa
ny with the angels, as an angel ; and

288

Concerning Charity,

when he descends thence to the mid
dle, he is there in company with men,
as a man-angel ; and when from this
he descends farther, he is in company
with genii, as a man of the world, and
• instructs, reproves and tames them.
In the man in whom those three loves
are rightly subordinated, they are also
arranged together in such a manner,
that the highest love, which is the love
of heaven, is inwardly in the second,
which is the love of the world, and by
this in the third or lowest, which is the
love of self; and the love which is
withiu directs that which is without,
at its pleasure ; wherefore, if the love
of heaven is inwardly in the love of the
world, and by this in the love of self,
man does uses in each, from the God
of heaven. Those three loves in opera
ting are like will, understanding and
action. The will flows into the un
derstanding, and there provides for it
self means by which it produces action.
But more will be seen concerning
these in the following article, where it
will be demonstrated, that those three
loves, if they are rightly subordinated,
perfect man ; but if they are not right
ly subordinated, they pervert and in
vert him.
396. But. in order that those things
which follow in this chapter, and in
the succeeding ones, concerning Free-
Agency, and concerning Reformation
and Regeneration, &c, may be set
forth in the light of reason, to be clear
ly seen, it is necessary that some things
be premised concerning the Will
and the Understanding ; concern
ing Good and Truth ; concerning
Love in general; concerning the
Love of the World, and the Love
of Self in particular ; concerning
the External and the Internal
Man; and concerning the merely
Natural and Sensual Man. These
things shall be laid open, lest the ra
tional sight of man, in contemplating
those things which follow hereafter,
should be, as it were, in a thick cloud,
and in that should, as it were, run
through the streets of a city, until he
knows not the way home. For what
.s theological science without under

standing, and this illustrated when the
Word is read, but as a lamp in the
hand without a lighted candle, such as
there was in the hands of the five fool
ish virgins, who had no oil. Concern
ing each, therefore, in its order.
397. (1.) Concerning the Will ana
the Understanding.
1. Man has two faculties which make
his life ; one is called the will, and
the other the understanding; they are
distinct from each other, but so cre
ated that they may be one, and when
they are one, they are called the mind.
Wherefore they are the human mind,
and all the life of man is there, in its
principles, and thence in the body.
2. As all things in the universe, which
are according to order, refer them
selves to good and truth, so all the
things with man to the will and the un
derstanding ; for the good with man is
of his will, and the truth with him is of
his understanding ; for these two facul
ties, or these two lives of man, are their
receptacles and subjects ; the will is the
receptacle and subject of all of the
good, and the understanding is the re
ceptacle and subject of all ofthe true.
The good and the truth with man are
not any where else ; and because the
good and the truth with man are not
any where else, thence also love and
faith are not any where else, since love
is of good, and good is of love, and
faith is of truth, and truth is of faith.
3. The will and the understanding
also make the spirit of man ; for his
wisdom and intelligence, and likewise
his love and charity, reside there, and
in general his life ; the body is only
obedience. 4. There is nothing which
it is more important to know, than how
the will and the understanding make
one mind ; they make one mind as
good and truth make one, for there
is a similar marriage between the will
and the understanding as there is
between good and truth ; what that
marriage is, will be evident from
those things which will presently be
adduced concerning the good and the
true ; namely, that as good is the
very esse of a thing, and truth is the
existere of a thing thence, so the will

and concerning Good Works.

289

with man is the very esse of his life,
and the understanding the existere of
life thence ; for the good which is of
the will, forms itself in the under
standing, and exhibits itself to be
seen. 393. (2.) Concerning Good and
Truth. 1. All things in the universe which
are in divine order, refer themselves
to good and truth. There is noth
ing in heaven, and nothing in the
world, which does not refer itself to
those two ; the reason is, because
they both, good as well as truth,
proceed from God, from whom are all
things. 2. Thence it is manifest, that
it is necessary for man to know what
good is, and what truth is, and how
the one has respect to the other,
and how one is conjoined to the other.
But it is especially necessary for the
man of the church; for, as all the
things of heaven refer themselves to
good and truth, so likewise do all
the things of the church, because
the good and the truth of heaven are
also the good and the truth of the
church. 3. It is according to divine
order, that good, and truth should
be conjoined, and not separated, so
that they may be one and not two, for
they proceed together from God, and
they are conjoined in heaven, and
therefore they. will be conjoined in the
church. The conjunction of good
and truth is called in heaven the
heavenly marriage, for all who are
there are in this marriage. Thence it
is that in the Word heaven is com
pared to a marriage, and that the Lord
is called a Bridegroom and Husband,
and heaven and likewise the church,
the bride and wife. The reason why
heaven and the church are so called,
is, because all who are there receive
the divine good in the truth. 4. All
the intelligence and wisdom, which the
angels have, is from that marriage,
and not any from the good separate
from the truth, nor from the truth
separate from the good ; the case is
similar with the men of the church. 5.
Since the conjunction of good and
truth is like a marriage, it is manifest
37

that good loves the truth, and, re
ciprocally, the truth loves good, and
that one desires to be conjoined with
the other. The man of the church,
who has no such love and such desire,
is not in the heavenly marriage ; con
sequently, the church is not as yet in
him, since the conjunction of good
and the truth makes the church. 6.
There are many kinds of good ; in
general, there is spiritual good and
natural good, and both are conjoined in
genuine moral good. As goods are,
so are truths; because truths are of
good and are the forms of good. 7.
As it is with good and the truth,
so it is, as an opposite, with evil
and the false ; for, as all things in
the universe which are according to
divine order refer themselves to good
and the true, so all the things which
are contrary to divine order refer
themselves to evil and the false. And
as good loves to be conjoined to the
truth and the truth to good, so evil
loves to be conjoined to the false and
the false to evil. And, also, as all
intelligence and wisdom are born from
the conjunction of good and the truth,
so all insanity and folly are from the
conjunction of evil and the false.
The conjunction of evil and the false,
viewed interiorly, is not a marriage,
but adultery. 8. From this, that evjl
and the false are opposite to good and
the truth, it is manifest that the truth
cannot be conjoined to evil, nor good
to the false of evil ; if the truth be
adjoined to evil, it becomes no longer
true, but false, because it is falsified ;
and if good be adjoined to the false
of evil, it becomes no longer good, but
evil, because it is adulterated. But the
false, not of evil, may be conjoined to
good. 9. No one who is in evil and the
false thence from confirmation and lifg,
can know what are good and truth,
since he believes his evil to be good,
and thence he believes his false to be
true ; but every one who is in good anfl
the truth thence, from confirmation
and life, may know what is evil aii(d
false; the reason is,,', because all the
good and its truth, arp, in their essence.
heavenly ; but all, evil and the false

290

Concerning Charity,

thence are, in their essence, infernal ;
and every thing heavenly is in the
light, and every thing infernal, in
darkness. 399. (3.) Concerning Love in gen
eral. 1. The very life of man is his love;
and as the love is, such is the life, yea,
such is the whole man ; but it is the
ruling or reigning love which makes
the man. This love has several loves
subordinate to it, which are deriva
tions. These appear in various forms,
but still they are every one of them in
the ruling love, and with that they make
one kingdom. The ruling love is, as
it were, their king and head ; it directs
them, and by them, as by mediate ends,
it regards and intends its own end,
which is the primary and last of all ;
and this both directly and indirectly.
2. That which is of the ruling love is
what is loved above all things. That
which a man loves above all things, is
continually present in his thought,
because in his will, and makes his
veriest life. As, for example, he who
loves riches, whether money or posses
sions, above all things, continually re
volves in his mind how he may procure
them for himself; he inwardly rejoices
when he gains; he inwardly grieves
when he loses ; his heart is in them.
He who loves himself above all things,
remembers himself in every thing ; he
thinks of himself, he speaks of himself,
he acts for the sake of himself, for his
life is the life of self. 3. A man has for
an end what he loves above all things ;
that he regards in each and every
thing ; it is in his will, like the latent
current of a river, which draws and
carries him away, even when he is
doing something else, for it is that
which animates him. Such is that
which one explores in another, and
also sees, and by it he either leads him,
or acts with him. 4. A man is alto
gether such as the ruling principle of
his life is ; by this he is distinguished
from others ; according to this, his
heaven is made, if he is good, and his
hell, if he is evil ; it is his very will,
his proprium, and his nature; for it is
the very esse of his life. This, after

death, cannot be changed, because it
is the man himself. 5. All the de
light, pleasure and happiness of every
one, are from his ruling love, and ac
cording to it; for that which a man
loves, he calls delightful, because he
feels it ; but that which he thinks and
does not love, he may also call delight
ful, but it is not the delight of his life.
The delight of the love is what is good
to a man, and the opposite is what is
evil to him. 6. There are two loves,
from which, as from their very foun
tains, all goods and truths exist ; and
there are two loves from which all evils
and falses exist. The two loves from
which are all goods and truths, are
love to the Lord, and love towards the
neighbor ; but the two loves from which
are all evils and falses, are the love of
self, and the love of the world. These
two loves, when they rule, are entirely
opposite to those two loves. 7. The
two loves, which, as was said, are love
to the Lord and love towards the neigh
bor, make heaven with man, for those
reign in heaven; and because they
make heaven with man, they also make
the church with him. The two loves
from which are all evils and falses,
which, as was said, are the love of self
and the love of the world, make hell
with man ; for those reign in hell ; con
sequently, they also destroy the church
with him. 8. The two loves from
which are all goods and truths, which,
as was said, are the loves of heaven,
open and form the internal spiritual
man, for they reside there; but the
two loves from which are all evils and
falses, which, as was said, are the loves
of hell, when they rule, shut up and
destroy the internal spiritual man, and
make man natural and sensual, ac
cording to the degree and quality of
their dominion.
400. (4.) Concerning the Love of
Self, and the Love of the World in
particular. 1. The love of self is, to wish well
to one's self alone, and not to others
except for the sake of self, not even to
the church, to one'3 country, to any
human society, or to a fellow citizen ;
as also to do good to them only for the

and concerning Good Works.

291

sake of one's own fame, honor and
glory ; and unless it sees these in the
good which it does them, it says in
heart, " What matters it ? Why should
I do this? What good will it be to
me?" And thus he omits it. Whence
it is manifest that he who is in the love
of self does not love the church, nor his
country, nor society, nor his fellow citi
zen, nor any thing truly good, but only
himselfandhisown. 2. A man is in the
love of self, when, in those things which
he thinks and does, he does not regard
the neighbor, thus not the public, still
less the Lord, but only himself and his
own ; consequently, when he does all
things for the sake of himself and his
own, and if for the sake of the public, it
is only that it may appear, and if for the
neighbor, it is only that he may favor
him. 3. It is said, for the sake of
himself and his own ; for he who loves
himself, also loves his own, which are,
in particular, his children and grand
children, and, in general, all who make
one with him, whom he calls his own ;
to love these and those is also to love
himself, for he regards them, as it were,
in himself, and himself in them. Among
those whom he calls his own, are like
wise all who praise, honor and worship
him; others, indeed, he looks upon
with the eyes of his body, as men, but
with the eyes of his spirit, scarcely
otherwise than as phantoms. 4. That
man is in the love of self, who despises
his neighbor in comparison with him
self, who esteems him an enemy if
he does not favor him, if he does not
venerate and worship him. He is still
more in the love of self, who, for that
reason, hates and persecutes his neigh
bor; and still more, who, for that rea
son, burns with revenge against him,
and desires his destruction. Such at
length love to exercise cruelty. 5.
From a comparison with heavenly love,
it may be evident what the love of self
is. Heavenly love is to love the uses
for the sake of uses, or the goods for
the sake of goods, which a man per
forms for the church, for his country,
for human society, and for a fellow cit
izen ; but he who loves those things
for the sake of himself, loves them only

as he loves domestics, because they
serve him. Thence it follows, that he
who is in the love of self, wishes that
the church, his country, human socie
ties, and his fellow citizens should
serve him, and not he them ; he places
himself above them, and them below
himself. 6. Further, as far as any one
is in heavenly love, which is to love
uses and goods, and to be affected with
delight of heart in the parformance of
them, so far he is led by the Lord ; be
cause that is the love in which He is,
and which is from Him ; but as far as
any one is in the love of self, so far he
is led by himself, and so far he is led
by his proprium, and the proprium of
man is nothing but evil ; for it is his
hereditary evil, which is to love him
self in preference to God, and the
world in preference to heaven. 7. The
love of self also is such that, as far as
the reins are given to it, that is, as far
as external bonds, which are fears for
the law and its penalties, and for the
loss of fame, honor, gain, office, and life,
are removed, so far it rages, even to such
a degree that it wishes to rule not only
over all the world, but also over heaven,
yea, over God himself; it has nowhere
any bound or end. This lurks in every
one who is in the love of self, although
it is not manifest to the world, where
the said reins and bonds restrain it;
and every such one, where an insupera
ble obstacle occurs, stops there until it
becomes superable ; hence it is, that
a man who is in such love, does not
know that such a vast, unbounded de
sire lurks within him. That it is so,
however, every one may see in poten
tates and kings, who, not being subject
to such reins, bonds and insuperable
obstacles, rush forth and subjugate prov
inces and kingdoms, as far as they
succeed, and aspire after unlimited
power and glory ; and still more in
those who extend their dominion to
heaven, and transfer to themselves all
the divine power of the Lord ; these
continually desire more. - 8. There are
two kinds of dominion, one of love to
wards the neighbor, and the other of
the love of self. These two dominions
are opposite to each other. He who

292

Concerning Charity,

exercises dominion from love towards
the neighbor, wills good to all, and
loves nothing more than to perform
uses, thus to serve others, for to serve
others, is to do good to others from
good will, and to perform uses; this is
his love, and this is the delight of his
heart ; he, also, the more he is exalted
to dignities, is the more delighted, not
on account of the dignities, but on ac
count of the uses which he is then able
to perform in greater abundance, and
in a larger sphere ; such is the domin
ion in the heavens. But he who exer
cises dominion from the love of self,
wills good to none, but only to himself
and his own ; the uses which he per
forms are for the sake of his own honor
and glory, which are to him the only
uses ; his end in serving others is, that
he may be served, honored, and exer
cise dominion ; he seeks dignities, not
for the sake of the good which he may
perform, but that he may be in emi
nence and glory, and thence in the
delight of his heart. 9. The love of
dominion or of ruling remains also with
every one after the life in the world ;
but those who have ruled from love
towards the neighbor, are also intrusted
with the office of ruling in the heavens,
and then they do not rule, but the uses
and goods which they love, and when
uses and goods rule, the Lord rules.
But those who, in the world, ruled from
the love of self, after the life in the
world, are deprived of authority, and
are reduced to servitude. Hence now
it is known who are in the love of self;
it matters not how they appear in the
external form, whether elated or sub
missive, for such things are in the in
ternal man, and the internal man is
by most people concealed, and the ex
ternal is taught to counterfeit those
things which are of the love of the
public and of the neighbor, thus con
trary things ; and this also for the sake
of self, for they know that the love of
the public and of the neighbor interi
orly affects all, and that they are so
far esteemed; that it does affect, is
because heaven flows into that love.
10. The evils which are with those
who are in the love of self, are, in gen

eral, contempt of others, envy, enmitj
against those who do not favor them,
hostility thence, hatred of various kinds,
revenge, cunning, deceit, unmerciful-
ness and cruelty ; and where such evils
are, there is also a contempt of God
and of divine things, which are the
truths and goods of the church ; if they
honor these, it is only with the mouth,
and not with the heart. And because
such evils are thence, there are also
similar falses, for falses are from evils.
11. But THE LOVE OF THE WORLD is,
to wish to appropriate to one's self, by
any arts whatever, the wealth of others,
and to set the heart upon riches, and
to suffer the world to draw it back and
lead it away from spiritual love, which
is love towards the neighbor, thus from
heaven. Those are in the love of the
world who desire to appropriate to
themselves the goods of others by vari
ous arts, especially by cunning and
deceit, esteeming the good ofthe neigh
bor of no account. Those who are in
that love covet the goods of others, and,
so far as they do not fear the laws, and
the loss of fame on accountof gain, they
deprive them, yea, rob them, of their
goods. 12. But the love of the world
is not opposed to heavenly love to
such a degree as the love of self is,
since there are not so great evils con
cealed in it. 13. That love is mani
fold ; it is the love of wealth, that they
may be exalted to honors ; it is the love
of honors and dignities, that they may
gain wealth ; it is the love of wealth
for the sake of various uses by which
they are delighted in the world ; it is
the love of wealth for the sake of wealth
alone ; such is the love of misers ; and
thus in other instances. The end for
which wealth is desired is called use,
and the end or use is that from which
the love derives its quality ; for the
love is such as the end in view is;
other things serve it as means. 14.
In a word, the love of self and the love
of the world are altogether opposite
to love to the Lord and love towards
the neighbor; wherefore the love of
self and the love of the world, as they
have been described above, are infernal
loves ; they also reign in hell, and lik*

and concerning Good Works.

293

wise make hell with man ; but love to the
Lord and love towards the neighbor are
heavenly loves ; they also reign in heav
en, and likewise make heaven with man.
401. (5.) Concerning the Internal
and the External Man.
Man is so created, that he is at the
same time in the spiritual world and in
the natural world. The spiritual world
is where angels are, and the natural
world where men are. And because
man is so created, therefore there is
given to him an internal and an ex
ternal; an internal, by which he is in
the spiritual world, and an external, by
which he is in the natural world. His
internal is what is called the internal
man, and his external what is called
the external man. 2. Every man has
an internal and an external, but it is
different with the good from what it is
with the evil. The internal with the
good is in heaven and its light, and the
external in the world and its light, and
this light with them is illuminated by
the light of heaven ; and thus, with
them, the internal and the external
act as one, like cause and effect, or
like prjor and posterior. But with the
evil the internal is in hell and in its
light, which light, with respect to the
light of heaven, is thick darkness, and
their external may be in light similar
to that in which the good are ; where
fore it is inverted. Thence it is that
the evil can speak and teach concern
ing faith, concerning charity, and con
cerning God, but not like the good,
from faith, charity and God. 3. The
internal. man is what is called the spir
itual man, because it is in the light of
heaven, which light is spiritual; and
the external man is what is called the
natural man, because it is in the light
of the world, which light is natural.
The man whose internal is in the light
of heaven, and whose external is in the
light ofthe world, is a spiritual man as
to both, for spiritual light from within
illuminate's the natural light and makes
it as its own ; but the case is reversed
with the evil. 4. The internal spirit
ual man, viewed in itself, is an angel
of heaven, and also, while it lives in the
body, is in society with angels, although

it does not know it, and after its sepa
ration from the body, it comes among
the angels. But the internal man,
with the evil, is a satan, and also while
it lives in the body, it is in society with
them, and likewise after its separation
from the body it comes among them.
5. The interiors of the mind with those
who are spiritual men are actually ele
vated towards heaven, for they regard
that first of all ; but the interiors of the
mind with those who are merely natural
are turned away from heaven, and
turned to the world, because they re
gard this first of all 6. Those who
entertain only a general idea concern
ing the internal and the external man,
believe that the internal man is that
which thinks and which wills, and the
external that which speaks and which
acts ; since to think and to will are in
ternal, and to speak and to act are ex
ternal. But it should be known that
when a man thinks and wills well con
cerning the Lord, and concerning those
things which are of the Lord, and like
wise concerning the neighbor, and con
cerning those things which are of the
neighbor, he then thinks and wills
from a spiritual internal, because from
the faith of truth and from the love of
good; but that when a man thinks ill
concerning them, and wills evil to
them, he then thinks and wills from
an infernal internal, because from the
faith of the false, and from the love of
evil. In a word, as far as a man is in
love to the Lord and in love to the
neighbor, so far he is in a spiritual in
ternal, and from it he thinks and wills,
and likewise from it he speaks and
acts ; but as far as a man is in the love
of self and in the love of the world, so
far he thinks and wills from hell, al
though he speaks and acts otherwise
7. It is so provided and ordered bj
the Lord, that, as far as a man thinks
and wills from heaven, so far the spir
itual man is opened and formed ; the
opening is into heaven, even to the .
Lord, and the forming is to those things
which are of heaven. But, on the othei
hand, as far as a man thinks and wills,
not from heaven, but from the world,
so far the internal spiritual man is

294

Concerning Charity,

closed, and the external is opened and
formed ; the opening is into the world,
and the forming is to those things which
are of hell. 8. Those with whom the
internal spiritual man is opened into
heaven to the Lord, are in the light of
heaven and in illumination from the
Lord, and thence intelligence and wis
dom ; these see truth from the light of
truth, and perceive good from the love
of good. But those with whom the in
ternal spiritual man is closed, do not
know what the internal man is, neither
do they believe the Word, nor a life
after death, nor those things which are
of heaven and the church ; and be
cause they are only in natural light,
they believe nature to be from itself
and not from God ; they see the false
as true, and perceive evil as good. 9.
The internal and external of which we
have treated are the internal and ex
ternal ofthe spirit of man ; his body is
only an external superadded, within
which they exist ; for the body does
nothing of itself, but from the spirit
which is in it. It should be known
that the spirit of man, after its separa
tion from the body, equally thinks and
wills, and speaks and acts ; to think
and will are its internal, and to speak
and do are then its external.
402. (6.) Concerning the merely
Natural and Sensual Man.
Since few know who are meant by
sensual men, and what they are, and
yet it is important to know, they will
therefore be described. 1. He is called
a sensual man who judges all things by
the senses of the body, and who believes
nothing but what he can see with the
eyes and touch with the hands, saying,
These things are something, and re
jecting the rest. Wherefore, a sensual
man is, in the lowest degree, a natural
man. 2. That the interiors of his
mind, which see from the light of
heaven, are closed, so that he sees
there nothing of the truth which is of
heaven and the church, since he thinks
in the outermost things, and not interi
orly from any spiritual light. 3. And
since he is in gross natural light, he is
inwardly against those things which
are of heaven and the church, and yet

outwardly he can speak in favor of
them ardently, according to the domin
ion attainable by means of them. 4.
That sensual men reason keenly and
shrewdly, because their thought is sc
near the speech that it is almost in it,
and, as it were, in the lips ; and be
cause they place all intelligence in the
speech from memory alone. 5. That
some of them can confirm whatever
they please, and falses dexterously ; and
that after confirmation they believe
them to be true ; but that they reason
and confirm from the fallacies of the
senses, by which the common people are
captivated and persuaded. 6. That
sensual men are cunning and malicious
above all others. 7. That the interiors
of their mind are foul and filthy, since
by them they communicate with the
hells. 8. That those who are in the
hells are sensual; and the more sensual
they are, the deeper they are in hell ;
and that the sphere of infernal spirits
conjoins itself with the sensual things
of man from behind. 9. Since sensual
men do not see any genuine truth in
the light, but reason and dispute about
every thing whether it be so, and these
disputations are heard at a distance
from them like gnashings of the teeth,
which, viewed in themselves, are col
lisions of falses among themselves, and
also of the false and the true, it is
manifest what is signified by gnashinu
of the teeth in the Word ; the rea
son is, because reasoning from the fal
lacies of the senses corresponds to the
teeth. 10. That men of science and
erudition, who have deeply confirmed
themselves in falses, and especially
against the truths of the Word, are
sensual above all others, although to
the world they do not appear such.
That heretical things have flowed
chiefly from such as were sensual.
11. That the hypocritical, the deceit
ful, the voluptuous, the adulterous and
the covetous are, for the most part,
sensual. 12. That those who'reasoned
from sensual things alone, and against
the genuine truths of the Word, and
thence of the church, were called by
the ancients, serpents of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil.

and concerning Good Works.

295

Since by sensual things are meant
the things presented to the senses of
the body, and imbibed through those
senses, it follows, 13. That man, by
sensual things, communicates with the
world, and by the rational things above
them, with heaven. 14. That sensual
things furnish such things from the
natural world as serve for the interiors
of the mind in the spiritual world.
15. That there are sensual things
which furnish the understanding, and
that these are the various things which
are called physical ; and that there are
sensual things which furnish the will,
and that these are the delights of the
senses and ofthe body. 16. That un
less the thought be elevated above sen
sual things, man has little wisdom ;
that a wise man thinks above sensual
things ; and that when the thought is
elevated above sensual things, he comes
into clearer light, and at length into
the light of heaven ; thence man has
perception of truth, which is properly
intelligence. 17. That elevation of
the mind above sensual things, and
abstraction from them, was known to
the ancients. 18. That if sensual
thing's are in the last place, a way is
opened by them for the understanding,
and truths are polished by the mode of
extraction : but that if sensual things
are in the first place, that way is closed
by them, and man does not see truths
except as in a thick cloud, or as in the
night. 19. That sensual things, with
a wise man, are in the last place, and
s-ibject to the interiors ; but that, with
a foolish man, they are in the first
place, and have dominion. These are
they who are properly called sensual.
20. That with man there are sensual
things in common with beasts, and
that there are sensual things not in
common with them. That as far as
any one thinks above sensual things,
so far he is a man: but that no one can
think above sensual things, and see the
truths of the church, unless he ac
knowledge God and live according to
his commandments ; for God elevates
and illustrates.
403. II. That -ihose three Loves,
when they are rightly subordi

nated, perfect Man ; but raw
THEY ARE NOT RIGHTLY SUBORDINAT
ED, THEY PERVERT AND INVERT HIM.
In the first place, something will
be said concerning the subordina
tion of those three universal loves,
which are the love of heaven, the love
ofthe world, and the love of self; and
afterwards concerning the influx and
insertion of one into the other ; and
lastly, concerning the state of man ac
cording to subordination. Those three
loves, in relation to each other, are
like the three regions of the body, the
highest of which is the head; the mid
dle is the breast with the belly ; and the
knees, the feet, and the soles ofthe feet,
make the third. When the love of
heaven makes the head, the love of the
world the breast with the belly, and
the love of self the feet with the soles
of the feet, then man is in a perfect
state, according to creation : since
then the two inferior loves are subser
vient to the highest, as the body and
all its parts to the head. When, there
fore, the love of heaven makes the
head, it then flows into the love of the
world, which is principally the love of
riches, and by these it does uses, and
mediately through this into the love
of self, which is principally the love
of dignities, and by these it does uses;
so those three loves breathe uses from,
the influx of one into the other. Who
does not comprehend, that when man,
from spiritual love, which is from the
Lord, and is what is meant by the love
of heaven, wills to do uses, the natural
man does them by his riches and by
his other goods, and the sensual man
in his own function, and that it is his
honor to produce them ? Who also.
does not comprehend, that all the works
which a man does with his body, are
done according to the state of his mind
in the head, and that, if the mind is in
the love of uses, the body, by means of
its members, effects them ? And this
is done, because the will and the un
derstanding, in their principles, are in
the head, and in their derivatives, in
the body, like will in deeds, and thought
in speech ; and, comparatively, as the
prolific principle of the seed is in the

296

Concerning Charity,

whole and every part of a tree, by
which it produces fruits, which are its
uses ; and it is like fire and light with
in a crystal vessel, which from them
becomes hot and transparent. And
also the spiritual sight in the mind,
and at the same time the natural sight
in the body, with him in whom those
three loves are justly and rightly sub
ordinated, from the light which flows
in through heaven from the Lord, may
be likened to an African apple, which
is transparent even to the middle,
where is the repository of the seeds.
Something similar is meant by these
words of the Lord : The light of the
body is the eye; if the eye be single
(that is, good), the whole body is lucid,
Matt. vi. 22; Luke xi. 34. No man
of sound reason can condemn riches,
for they are in the body ofthe commu
nity, like the blood in man ; nor can
he condemn the honors annexed to
offices or functions, for they are the
hands of the king and the pillars of
society, provided their natural and sen
sual loves are subordinate to spiritual
love. There are also administrations
in heaven, and dignities annexed to
them ; but those who are employed in
them love nothing more than to do
uses, because they are spiritual.
404. But a man puts on an entirely
different state, if the love of the world
or of riches makes the head, that is,
if that is the reigning love ; for the
love of heaven is banished from the
bead and removed to the body. The
man who is in this state prefers the
world to heaven; he worships God,
indeed, but from merely natural love,
which places merit in all worship ;
and also he does good to the neighbor,
but for the sake of rewards. The
things which are of heaven are to
them as coverings, in which they go
shining before the eyes of men, but
dusky before the eyes of angels ; for
when the love of the world possesses
the internal man, and the loveof heaven
the external, then the former darkens
all the things ofthe church, and hides
them as under a veil. But this love is
in much variety ; more pernicious in
the degree in which it inclines to ava

rice ; in this the love of heaven grows
black; in like manner, if it inclines to
pride and eminence above others, from
the love of self; but it is otherwise if
it inclines to prodigality ; it is less
noxious if for an end it regards the
splendid things of the world, as pal
aces, decorations, fine clothes, domes
tics, horses and chariots in high style,
besides other such things ; the quality
of every love is predicated from tho
end which it regards and intends.
This love may be likened to a crysta1
of a blackish hue, which suffocates the
light, and variegates it only into dark
and faint colors. And it is like a mist
and a cloud, which intercept the ray
of the sun. It is also like new, unfei
mented wine, which tastes sweet, but
troubles the stomach. Such a man,
viewed from heaven, appears like a
hunch-backed man, walking with his
head bowed down looking to the earth ;
and when he raises it to heaven, he
writhes back the muscles, and soon
afterwards relapses into his stooping
posture. These were called, by the
ancients in the church, Mammons, and
by the Greeks, Plutos.
405. But if the love of self, or the
love of ruling, makes the head, ther
the love of heaven passes through th'1
body to the feet; and as far as that love
increases, so far the love of heaven de
scends through the ankles to the soles
of the feet ; and if it still increases, it
passes through the shoes, and is tram
pled under foot. There is a love of
ruling from the love of the neighbor,
and there is a love of ruling from the
love of self. Those who are in the
love of ruling from the love of the
neighbor, seek after dominion, for the
purpose of performing uses to the pub
lic and to individuals ; and to these the
office of ruling is intrusted also in the
heavens. Emperors, kings and dukes,
who are born and educated for ruling,
if they humble themselves before God,
are sometimes less in that love than
those who are of mean extraction, and
from pride seek after eminent stations
above others. But to those who are in
the love of ruling from the love of self,
the love of heaven is as a seat, upon

and concerning Good Works.

29^

which, for the sake of the common
people, they place their feet, which yet,
when the common people do not ap
pear, they throw into a corner or out
of doors; the reason is, because they
love themselves alone, and thence im
merse their wills and the thoughts of
their mind into the proprium, which,
viewed in itself, is hereditary evil ; and
this is diametrically opposite to the
love of heaven. The evils appertain
ing to those who are in the love of
ruling from the love of self, are in gen
eral these : contempt of others, envy,
enmity against those who do not favor
them, hostility thence, hatred, revenge,
unmercifulness, tyranny, and cruelty;
and where such evils are, there also is
contempt of God and of divine things,
which are the truths and goods ofthe
church; which if they honor, it is only
with the mouth, that they may not be
defamed by the ecclesiastical order,
and censured by others. But this love
assumes one form with the clergy, and
another with the laity ; with the clergy
this love mounts aloft, when the reins
are given to it, until they wish to be
gods, but with the laity, until they
wish to be kings ; the fantasy of that
love raises their minds to such an ex
travagant pitch. Since the love of
heaven, with a perfect man, holds the
highest place, and makes, as it were,
the head of the rest which succeed,
and the love ofthe world is below that,
and is as the breast is under the head,
and the love of self is below this, as the
feet are, it follows that, if this should
make the held, it would entirely invert
the man ; and then he would appear
to the angels like one lying with the
head bowed to the earth, and the back
to heaven ; when he is in worship, he
would appear to dance upon his hands
and feet, like the cub of a panther.
And, moreover, they appear under va
rious forms of beasts with two heads,
one above, having a bestial face, an
other below, having a human face,
which by the higher one would be con
tinually thrust forwards and compelled
to kiss the earth. All these are sen
sual men, and such as were described
above, n. 402. 38

406. III. That every Man, indi
vidually, is the Neighbor, that is
to be loved, but according to the
Quality of his Good.
Man is not born for the sake of him
self, but for the sake of others, that
is, that he may not live for himself
alone, but for others ; otherwise, there
would not be any coherent society, and
in it any good. It is a common saying,
that every one is neighbor to himself;
but the doctrine of charity teaches how
this is to be understood, namely ; every
one should procure for himself the
necessaries of life, as food, clothing, a
habitation, and other things, which, in
the civil life in which he is, are neces
sarily required ; and these not only for
himself, but also for his family, and not
only for the present time, but also for
the future ; for unless one procures the
necessaries of life, he is not in a state
of exercising charity, for he is in want
of all things. But how every one ought
to be neighbor to himself, may be evi
dent from this similitude. Every one
ought to provide his body with food ;
this will be the first thing ; but to the
end that there may be a sound mind
in a sound body. And every one ought
to provide his mind with its food, name
ly, with such things as are of intelli
gence and judgment; but to the end
that he may thence be in a state to
serve his fellow citizen, society, coun
try, the church, and thus the Lord.
He who does this, provides well for
himself to eternity. Thence it is man
ifest, what is first in time, and what is
first in end, and that that which is first
in end, is that to which all have re
spect. This also is like the case of
one who builds a house ; he first lays
the foundation, but the foundation will
be for the house, and the house for a
habitation. He who believes that he
is neighbor to himself, in the first place,
or primarily, is like him who regards
the foundation as the end, not a habi
tation ; when yet a habitation is itself
the first and last end, and the house
with the foundation is only a means to
the end.
407. It shall be told what it. is to
love the neighbor. To love the neigh-

298

Concerning Charity,

bor, is not only to will and do good to
a relation, a friend, and a good man,
but also to a stranger, an enemy, and
a bad man. But charity is exercised
towards these and those in different
ways ; towards a relation and friend,
by direct acts of kindness, but towards
an enemy and a bad man, by indirect
acts of kindness, which are done by
exhortations, discipline and punish
ments, and thus corrections. This
may be illustrated thus : A judge who,
according to law and justice, punishes
a malefactor, loves the neighbor ; for
thus he corrects him, and consults for
the citizens, that he may not do mis
chief to them. Every one knows that
a father, who chastises his children
when they do amiss, loves them ; and,
on the other hand, that he who does
not chastise them for so doing, loves
their evils; of which charity cannot be
predicated. Further, if any one repels
an insulting enemy, and for protection
whips him, or delivers him to the judge,
that thus he may avert harm from him
self, yet with a disposition to become
his friend, he acts from a principle of
charity. Wars which have for their
end the protection of one's country or
the church, are not contrary to charity ;
the end for which they are undertaken
shows whether they are charity or not.
408. Since, therefore, charity, in its
origin, is good will, and good will re
sides in the internal man, it is mani
fest, that when any one, who has char
ity, resists an enemy, punishes a crim
inal, or chastises the evil, he does this
by means ofthe external man ; where
fore, after he has done it, he returns
into charity, which is in the internal
man, and then, as far as it is possible
and profitable, he wishes him well, and
from wishing well, does him good.
Those who have genuine charity, have
a zeal for what is good, and that zeal
in the external man may be seen like
anger and flaming fire, but it is extin
guished and appeased as soon as the
adversary repents. It is otherwise with
those who have no charity ; their zeal
is anger and hatred, for from these
their internal is heated and inflamed.
409. Before the Lord came into the

world, scarcely any one knew what the
internal man was, or what charity was ;
wherefore, in so many places, He taught
dilection, that is, charity ; and this
makes the distinction between the Old
and New Testament or Covenant.
That we should, from charity, do good
to an adversary and an enemy, the
Lord taught in Matthew : Ye have
heard that it was said to the ancients,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate
thine enemy. But I say unto you,
Love your enemies, bless those who
curse you, do good to those who hate
you, and pray for those who injure
and persecute you ; that ye may be. sons
of your Father who is in the heavens,
v. 43, 44, 45. And when Peter asked
how often he should forgive one sinning
against him, whether till seven times,
He answered, I say not unto thee till
seven times, but even till seventy times
seven times, xviii. 21, 22. And I have
heard from heaven, that the Lord re
mits to eveiy one his sins, and never
avenges, and does not even impute
them, because He is Love itself and
Good itself, but that still sins are not
thereby wiped away, for they are not
wiped away except by repentance ; for,
when He said to Peter that he should
forgive even to seventy times seven
times, why should not the Lord ?
410. Since charity itself resides in
the internal man, in which it is to will
well, and thence in the external man,
in which it is to do good, it follows
that the internal man should be loved,
and thence the external ; consequently,
that a man should be loved according
to the quality of the good which is in
him ; wherefore, good itself is essen
tially the neighbor. This may be illus
trated by these considerations : when
any one chooses for himself a steward
or a servant out of three or four, does
he not find out his internal man, and
choose a sincere and faithful one, and
thence love him ; in like manner, a
king or a magistrate proceeds, that, out
of three or four, he may choose one
qualified for the office, and reject him
who is unqualified, whatever counte
nance he may show, or however plausi
bly he may speak and act. Since,

and concerning Good Works

299

therefore, every man is a neighbor,
and there is an infinite variety of men,
and every one is to be loved as neigh
bor according to his good, it is manifest
that there are kinds and sorts and also
degrees of love towards the neighbor.
Now, because the Lord is to be loved
above all things, it follows, that the de
grees of love towards the neighbor
are to be measured according to love
to the Lord, thus by how much of the
Lord or from the Lord another pos
sesses in himself; for so much good he
also possesses, because all good is from
the Lord. But because these degrees
are in the internal man, and this sel
dom manifests itself in the world, it is
enough that the neighbor be loved ac
cording to the degrees which one
knows ; but these after death are clear
ly perceived, for there the affections of
the will, and thence the thoughts ofthe
understanding, make a spiritual sphere
around them, which is felt in various
ways ; but that spiritual sphere is ab
sorbed in the world by the material
body, and includes itself in the natural
sphere, which then exudes from man.
That there are degrees of love towards
the neighbor, is evident from the Lord's
parable concerning the Samaritan, who
showed mercy to him who was wound
ed by robbers, whom the priest and the
Levite, when they saw him, passed by;
and when the Lord asked, which of
those three seemed to have been a
neighbor, it was answered, He that
showed mercy, Luke xi. 30 to 37.
411. It is read, Thou shalt love the
Lord God above all things, and the
neighbor as thyself, Luke x. 27. To
love the neighbor as one's self, is not
to despise him in comparison with one's
self, and to deal justly with him, and
not to bear a bad judgment concerning
him. The law of charity, made and
given by the Lord himself, is this :
Whatsoever ye would wish that men
should do to you, do ye also to them,
for this is the law and the prophets,
Matt. vii. 12; Luke vi. 31, 32. Thus
those love the neighbor, who are in the
love of heaven ; hut those who are in
the love ofthe world, love the neighbor
from the world and for the sake of the

world ; and those who are in the love of
self, love the neighbor from self and
for the sake of self.
412. IV. That Man collective
ly, that is, a smaller and a larger
Society, and that Man in what is
composed of them, that is, one's
Country, is the Neighbor that is
to be loved.
Those who do not know what the
neighbor is, in the genuine sense,
imagine that it is no other than man
as an individual, and that to perform
acts of kindness to him, is to love the
neighbor ; but neighbor is more exten
sive, and love towards him extends it
self more widely ; for it ascends, as
men are multiplied. Who cannot com
prehend, that to love many men in a
congregation, is to love the neighbor
more than to love one individual ofthe
congregation ? Wherefore, the reason
why a smaller or a larger society is
the neighbor, is, because that is man
collectively ; thence it follows, that he
who loves a society, loves those of
whom the society consists ; wherefore,
he who wishes well and does good to
the society, consults for each of its
members. A society is like one man,
and those who enter into it compose,
as it were, one body, and are distin
guished from each other like the mem
bers in one body. The Lord, and
from Him the angels, when they look
down into the earth, see a whole so
ciety no otherwise than as one man,
and the form of it from their qualities.
It has also been given me to see a cer
tain society in heaven, altogether as
one man, in a similar stature with a
man in the world. That love towards
a society is a fuller love to the neigh
bor than towards a separate or indi
vidual man, manifests itself in this,
that dignities are dispensed according
to the extent of government over soci
eties, and honors annexed to them ac
cording to the uses which they per
form. For there are offices in the
world, higher and lower, in subordina
tion, according to the more and less
universal government over societies ;
and he is a king whose government is
most universal; and every one, accord-

300

Concerning Charity,

ing to the magnitude of hi« office
and the goods of use which he per
forms, has recompense, glory, and the
love of the community. But the gov
ernors of this age may perform uses,
and consult for society, and still not
love the neighbor as those do who per
form uses and consult for the sake of
the world and for the sake of themselves,
that they may appear, or that they may
"be esteemed worthy to be promoted to
higher dignities : but although these
are not discerned in the world, still
they are discerned in heaven ; where
fore, those who, from love to the neigh
bor, had performed uses, are appointed
also as governors over a heavenly so
ciety, and are there in splendor and
honor ; but still they do not place their
heart in these, but in uses. But the
others, who had done uses from the love
of the world and of self, are rejected.
413. The difference of love towards
the neighbor, and its exercise towards
man individually and towards man col
lectively or a society, is like that be
tween the office of a citizen, the office
of a magistrate, and the office of a
duke ; and like that between him who
traded with two talents and him who
traded with ten, Matt. xxv. 14 to 31.
The difference is also like that be
tween the value of a shekel and the
value of a talent ; and like that be
tween the fruit from a vine and from a
vineyard ; or from an olive-tree and
from an olive-yard, or from a fruit-tree
and from an orchard. Love towards
the neighbor also ascends more and
more interiorly with man, and, as it
ascends, he loves a society more than a
single man, and his country more than
a society. Now, since charity consists
In wishing well and thence acting well,
it follows that it is to be exercised
almost in the same manner towards a
society as towards a single man ; but
in one manner towards a society of
good men, and in another towards a
society of bad men ; towards the latter,
charity should be exercised according
to natural equity; towards the former,
according to spiritual equity ; but con
cerning the former and the latter equi
ty, more will be seen elsewhere.

414. The reason why one's country
is a neighbor more than a society, is,
because it consists of many societies,
and thence the love towards it is more
extensive and higher ; and besides, to
love one's country is to love the public
welfare. The reason why one's coun
try is his neighbor, is, because it is like
a parent, for there he was born ; it
nourished and nourishes him, it pro
tected and protects him from injuries.
A man should from love do good to his
country, according to its necessities,
some of which are natural, and some
spiritual ; the natural respect civil life
and order, and the spiritual, spiritual
life and order. That one's country
should be loved, not as a man loves
himself, but more than himself, is a
law inscribed on the human heart;
whence is promulgated this, which is
professed by every just man, that if its
ruin is threatened by an enemy, or by
any thing whatever, it is honorable to
die for it, and glorious for a soldier to
shed his blood for it ; this is said, be
cause it is to be loved so much. It
should be known, that those who love
their country, and from good will do
good to it, after death love the king
dom of the Lord, for this is then their
country ; and those who love the king
dom of the Lord, love the Lord, be
cause the Lord is all in all of his king
dom. 415. V. That the Church is the
Neighbor that is to be loved in a
higher Degree, and the Kingdom of
the Lord in the highest Degree.
Since man was born for eternal life,
and is introduced into it by the church,
therefore the church is to be loved as
a neighbor in a higher degree ; for she
teaches the means which lead to eter
nal life, and introduces into it; she
leads to it by the truths of doctrine,
and introduces by the goods of life
It is not meant that the priesthood
should be loved in a higher degree, and
from it the church, but that the good
and the truth of the church should be
loved, and for the sake of these the
priesthood ; this only serves, and as it
serves, it is to be honored. The reason
why the church is a neighbor that is

and concerning Good Works.

301

to be loved in a higher degree, thus
even above one's country, is also be
cause a man by his country is initiated
into civil life, but by the church into
spiritual life, and this life distinguishes
man from merely animal life. More
over, civil life is temporary, which has
an end, and then it is as if it had never
been; but spiritual life, because it has
no end, is eternal ; wherefore, of the
latter may be predicated to be {esse),
and ofthe former, not to be {non esse).
The difference is as between finite and
infinite, between which there is no
ratio ; for what is eternal is infinite as
to time.
416. The reason why the kingdom
jf the Lord is the neighbor, that is to
oe loved in the highest degree, is be
cause by the kingdom' of the Lord is
meant both the church throughout the
whole world, which is called the com
munion of saints, and also heaven ;
wherefore he who loves the kingdom of
the Lord, loves all in the whole world
who acknowledge the Lord and have
faith in Him and charity towards the
neighbor ; and he also loves all in
heaven. Those who love the kingdom
of the Lord, love the Lord above all
things ; consequently they are more than
others in love to God ; for the church
in the heavens and in the earth is the
body of the Lord, for they are in the
Lord and the Lord in them. There
fore, love towards the kingdom of the
Lord, is love towards the neighbor in
its fulness ; for those who love the
kingdom ofthe Lord, not only love the
Lord above all things, but they also
love the neighbor as themselves; for
love to the Lord is a universal love, and
thenc? it is in all and every thing of
spiritual life, and also in all and every
thing of natural life ; for that love re
sides in the highest things with man,
and the highest flow into the lower and
vivify them, as the will flows into all
things of the intention and thence of
action, and the understanding into all
things of the thought and thence of
the speech. Wherefore the Lord says,
Seek first the kingdom of the heavens
and its righteousness; then all things
will be added to you, Matt. vi. 33.

That the kingdom of the heavens is the
kingdom of the Lord, is evident from
these words in Daniel ; Behold, as it
were, the Son of Man was coming
with the clouds of the heavens ; and to
Him was given dominion, glory and a
kingdom ; and all people, nations ana
tongues shall worship Him. His do
minion is the dominion of an age which
will not pass away, and his kingdom one
which will not be destroyed, vii. 13, 14.
417. VI. That to love the Neigh
bor, viewed in itself, is not to
love the Person, but the Good
which is- in the Person.
Who does not know that man is
not man from a human face and from
a human body, but from the wisdom
of his understanding and from the
goodness of his will ? The quality of
these, ascending, makes him more and
more a man. Man, when he is born,
is more brutish than any animal ; but
he becomes a man by instructions,
and as these are received, his mind is
formed, from which and according to
which, man is man. There are beasts
whose faces are similar to human faces;
but they enjoy no faculty of under
standing and of acting from under
standing, but they act from an instinct
which their natural love excites. The
distinction is, that a beast sounds the
affections of its love, but a man speaks
them when brought into thought ; and
also, that a beast looks with its face
downwards to the earth, but a man
with an erect face looks to heaven on
every side ; whence it may be con
cluded, that man is man so far as he
speaks from sound reason, and looks to
his abode in heaven ; and that he is so
far not a man as he speaks from per
verted reason, and looks only to his
abode in the world. But still these are
men, though not in act, but in power ;
for every man enjoys the faculty of
understanding truths and of willing
goods ; but as far as he is not willing
to do goods and understand truths, so
far he can in externals counterfeit a
man, and act the part of an ape.
418. The reason why good is the
neighbor, is, because good is of the
will, and the will is the esse of the life

302

Concerning

Charity,

of man ; the truth of the understanding
is also the neighbor; but so far as it
proceeds from the good of the will, for
the good of the will forms itself in the
understanding, and there exhibits itself
to be seen in the light of reason. That
good is the neighbor, is evident from all
experience. Who loves a person, ex
cept from the quality of his will and
understanding, that is, from what is
good and just in him ? As, for exam
ple, who loves a king, a prince, a duke,
a governor, a consul, any magistrate,
or any judge, but from the judgment
from which they act and speak 1 Who
loves a primate, a minister or canon of
the church, but for learning, integrity
of life, and zeal for the salvation of
souls? Who loves the general of an
army, or any officer under him, but for
courage, and, at the same time, pru
dence ? Who loves a merchant, but for
honesty ? or a workman and a servant,
but for fidelity ? Yea, who loves a
tree, but for its fruit? or ground, but
for its fertility ? or a stone, but for its
preciousness? &c. And, what is re
markable, not only the honest man loves
what is good and just in another, but
also the dishonest man, because with
him he is not in any fear ofthe loss of
fame, honor or wealth. But the love
of good with a dishonest man, is not
love of the neighbor ; for a dishonest
man does not inwardly love another,
only so far as he serves him. But to
love the good in another, from good in
one's self, is genuine love towards the
neighbor, for then the goods mutually
kiss each other and join themselves to
gether. 419. The man who loves what is
good because it is good, and what is
true because it is true, eminently loves
the neighbor, because he loves the Lord,
who is Good itself and Truth itself;
the love of good, and thence of truth,
and thus of the neighbor, is from no
other source ; thus love towards the
neighbor is formed from a heavenly
origin. Whether it be said, use or
good, it is the same ; wherefore, to do
uses is to do goods, and according to
the quantity and quality of the use in
goods, so far the goods are good.

420. VII. That Charity and Good
Works are two distinct Things,
like willing well and doing well.
With every man, there is an inter
nal and an external ; his internal is
what is called the internal man, ana
his external, what is called the external
man. But he who does not know what
the internal man is, and what the ex
ternal is, may believe that the internal
man is that which thinks and wills,
and the external that which speaks and
acts: these, indeed, are ofthe external
man, and those, ofthe internal; but
still they do not essentially make the
external and the internal man. The
mind of man is, indeed, in the common
perception, the internal man ; but the
mind itself is divided into two regions;
one region, which is the higher and
interior, is spiritual, and the other,
whicli is the lower and exterior, is nat
ural. The spiritual mind looks princi
pally into the spiritual world, and has
for objects those things which are there,
whether they be such as are in heaven,
or such as are in hell, for both are in
the spiritual world ; but the natural
mind looks principally into the natural
world, and has for objects those things
which are there, whether they be good
or evil. All the action and the speech
of man proceed from the lower region
ofthe mind directly, and from its higher
region indirectly ; since the lower re
gion of the mind is nearer to the senses
of the body, and the higher region is
farther from them. This division of
the mind is with man, because he was
created so as to be spiritual and at the
same time natural, and thus a man
and not a beast. Hence it is manifest
that the man who looks to the world
and himself primarily, is an external
man, because he is natural, not only in
body, but also in mind ; and that the
man who looks to the things which are
of heaven and the church, primarily,
is an internal man, because he is spir
itual both in mind and in body ; the rea
son why he is so also in body, is, be
cause his actions and speech proceed
from the higher mind, which is spiritual,
through the lower mind, which is nat
ural ; for it is known that effects pro-

and concerning Good Works.

303

ceed from the body, and the causes
which produce them from the mind,
and that the cause is all in the effect.
That the human mind is so divided, is
very manifest from this, that a man can
act the dissembler, flatterer, hypocrite
and buffoon, and that he can assent to
the words of another, and yet laugh at
them ; this he does from the higher
mind, but that from the lower.
421. Hence it may be seen how it
is to be understood that charity and
good works are distinct, like willing
well and doing well ; namely, that they
are formally distinct, as the mind which
thinks and wills, and the body by
whicli the mind speaks and acts ; but
that they are essentially distinct, be
cause the mind itself is distinct, the
interior region of which is spiritual,
and the exterior natural, as was shown
above. Wherefore, if works proceed
from the spiritual mind, they proceed
from its good will which is charity ;
but if from the natural mind, they pro
ceed from a good will which is not
charity, although it may appear like
charity in the external form, yet still it
is not charity in the internal form ; and
charity in the external form alone,
wears indeed the semblance of charity,
but the essence of charity it does not
possess. This may be illustrated by
comparison with seeds in the earth ;
from every seed there arises a shoot
useful or otherwise according to the
quality of the seed. The case is simi
lar vtith spiritual seed, which is the
truth of the church from the Word ;
from this is firmed doctrine, useful if
from genuine truths, otherwise if from
falsified truths. The case is similar
with charity from good will, whether
the good will be for the sake of self
and the world, or for the sake of the
neighbor, in a strict or a wide sense ;
if for the sake of self and the world,
it is spurious charity, but if for the sake
of the neighbor, it is genuine charity.
But more may be seen concerning these
things in the chapter concerning Faith ;
particularly in the article wheie it is
shown, That charity is to will well,
anf that good works are to do well from
willing well, n. 473. And that charity

and faith are only mental and perish
able things, unless, when it can be done,
they are determined to works, and co
exist in them, n. 375, 376.
422. VIII. That Charity itself
is to act justly and faithfully in
the Office, Business and Work in
which any one is, and with whom
soever he has any intercourse.
The reason why charity itself is to
act justly and faithfully in the office,
business and work in which any one
is, is because all the things that a
man does so, are of use to society,
and use is good; and good, in the
sense abstracted from persons, is the
neighbor. That not only a single man,
but also a smaller society, and one's
country itself, is the neighbor, was
shown above. As, for example, a king,
who sets before his subjects an exam
ple in doing well, wishes them to live
according to the laws of justice, rewards
those who do live so regards every
one according to his merit, defends
them against injuries and invasions,
acts as the father of the kingdom,
and consults for the general prosperity
of his people — he has charity in his
heart, and his deeds are good works.
A priest, who teaches truths from the
Word, and by them leads to the good
of life and thus to heaven, he, because
he consults for the souls of the men of
his church, eminently exercises charity.
A judge, who judges according to jus
tice and law, and not from the influence
of a bribe, friendship and relationship
consults for society and for each indi
vidual man ; for society, because it is
thereby kept in obedience to the law,
and in the fear of transgressing it; and
for each individual man, in that justice
triumphs over injustice. A merchant,
if he acts from sincerity and not from
fraud, consults for the neighbor with
whom he has business. In like man
ner a workman and an artist, if he does
his work uprightly and honestly, and
not fraudulently and deceitfully. The
case is similar with others, as with cap
tains of vessels and sailors, and with
farmers and servants.
423. The reason why this is charity
itself, is, because this may be defined.

304

Concerning Charity,

that it is to do good to the neighbor,
daily and continually, and not only to
the neighbor individually, but also to
the neighbor collectively ; and this can
not be done without doing what is good
and just in the office, business and
work in which any one is, and with
whomsoever he has any intercourse,
for this he does daily ; and when he is
not doing it, still it is continually fixed
in his mind, and he thinks and intends
it. The man who thus exercises char
ity becomes more and more charity in
form ; for justice and fidelity form his
mind, and their exercises his body ; and
in course of time from his form he wills
and thinks nothing else than such
things as are of charity. These at
length become like those of whom it is
said in the Word, that they have the
law written in their hearts. These also
do not place merit in works, since they
do not think of merit, but of duty, that
it becomes a citizen to do so. But a
man can by no means act from spirit
ual justice and fidelity, of himself; for
every man hereditarily derives from his
parents an inclination to do what is
good and just for the sake of self and
the world, and no one for the sake of
what is good and just ; wherefore he
only who worships the Lord, and acts
from Him while he acts from himself,
obtains spiritual charity, and imbues it
by exercises.
424. There are many who act justly
and faithfully in the execution of their
office, and although they thus perform
works of charity, still they do not pos
sess any charity in themselves. But
there are those with whom the love of
self and the world predominates, and
not the love of heaven ; and if by chance
this be present, it is under that, like a
slave under his master, and like a com
mon soldier under his captain ; and it
is like a doorkeeper standing at the
door. 425. IX. That the beneficent
Acts of Charity are, to give to the
Poor, and to help the Needy; but
with Prudence.
A distinction is to be made be
tween the duties of charity, and the
beneficent acts of charity. By the du

ties of charity are meant the exercises
of charity which proceed immediately
from charity itself, and which, as was
shown just above, are primarily of the
employment in which every one is;
but by beneficent acts are meant those
helps that are afforded out of his em
ployment. They are called beneficent
acts, because a man is to do them at
his liberty and pleasure, and when they
are done they are not regarded by the
recipient otherwise than as beneficent
acts or favors, and they are dispensed
according to the reasons and intentions
which the benefactor has in his mind.
It is a common opinion, that charity is
nothing else than giving to the poor,
helping the needy, taking care of
widows and orphans, and contributing
to the building of hospitals and houses
for the accommodation of invalids,
strangers and orphans ; and especially
to the building of temples, and to the
ornaments and revenues of them ; but
many of these things are not the proper
constituents of charity, but are things
extraneous to it. Those who place
charity itself in those beneficent acts,
cannot do otherwise than place merit
in those works ; and although they con
fess with the mouth that they do not
wish them to be merits, still inwardly
there lurks the belief of merit. This
is very manifest from them after death;
then they enumerate their works, aDd
demand salvation as a reward. But it
is then inquired, from what origin they
are, and thence of what quality; and
if it is found that they proceeded from
vain glory, or from a desire of fame, or
from bare munificence, or from friend
ship, or from merely natural inclination,
or from hypocrisy, they are then judged
from that origin ; for the quality of the
origin is in the works. But genuine
charity proceeds from those who are
imbued with it from justice and judg
ment in the works which they do with
out the expectation of reward as an end,
according to the words of the Lord,
Luke xiv. 12, 13,14; these also call such
things as have been mentioned above,
beneficent, acts, as also debts, although
they are of charity.
426. It is known that some whe

and concerning Good Works.

305

have done those beneficent acts which,
before the world, appear as images of
charity, think and believe that they
have exercised works of charity; and
that they regard them as many regard
papal indulgences, as things on account
of which they are purified from sins ;
and, as regenerate, are to be gifted with
hraven ; and yet they do not regard
as sins, adultery, hatred, revenge, fraud,
and, in general, the concupiscences of
the flesh, which they indulge at their
pleasure. But, then, what else are
those good works, than painted images
of angels in company with devils, or
boxes of lapis lazuli, in which are hy
dras? But the case is quite otherwise,
if those beneficent acts are done by
those who shun the above-mentioned
evils as enemies of charity. Neverthe
less, those beneficent acts are in many
respects advantageous, particularly giv
ing to poor people and beggars ; for
thereby boys and girls, servants and
maids, and, in general, all the simple,
are initiated into charity, for they are
its externals, by which they become
accustomed to the offices of charity ;
for they are the rudiments of it, and
are then like unripe fruits ; but with
those who are afterwards perfected in
just knowledges respecting charity and
faith, they become like ripe fruits ; and
then they regard those former works
done from simplicity of heart, no other
wise than debts.
427. The reason that those benefi
cent acts are at this day believed to be
the proper deeds of charity, which in
the Word are meant by good works, is,
because charity is often described in
the Word by giving to the poor, help
ing the needy, providing for widows
and orphans ; but hitherto it has been
unknown that the Word, in the letter,
mentions only such things as are ex
ternal, yea, such as are the most exter
nal things of worship; and that spiritual
things, which are internal, are meant
by them ; as may be seen above, in
the chapter concerning the Sacred
Scripture, n. 173 to 209; whence it
is manifest, that by those called poor,
needy, widows and orphans, not those
are there meant, but those who are
39

spiritually such. That by the poor are
meant those who are not in the knowl
edges of what is good and true, may
be seen in the Apocalypse Revealed,
n. 209; that by widows, those who
are without truths, and still desire
truths, n. 764, &c.
428. Those who are from nativity
pitiful, and do not make their natural
pity spiritual by deeds of genuine char
ity, believe that it is charity to give to
every poor person, and to help every
needy person, and they do not first in
quire whether that poor and needy per
son be good or bad, for they say that
this is not necessary, since God looks
only at the help and alms. But these
after death are well distinguished and
separated from those who did the be
neficent acts of charity from prudence ;
for those who did them from that blind
idea of charity, then do good equally to
the bad and the good ; and thereby the
bad do evils, and by them hurt the good ;
wherefore, those benefactors are the
occasion of hurting even the good.
For to do a beneficent act to a mis
chievous man, is like giving bread to
the devil, which he turns into poison ,
for all the bread in the hand of the
devil is poison ; and if it is not, he turns
it into poison, which he does by using
good deeds to allure to evil. And it is
like handing a sword to an enemy,
that he may kill some one ; and it is
like giving a shepherd's crook to a man-
wolf, that he may lead the sheep to the
pasture, when yet, as soon as he has
got it, he drives the sheep from the
pasture into the wilderness, and there
kills them ; and it is like giving an
office to a robber, who only cares and
watches for plunder, according to the
excellence and abundance of which, he
dispenses laws and executes judgments.
429. X. That there are Debts of
Charity; some Public, some Do
mestic, and some Private.
The beneficent acts of charity
and the debts of charity are distinct
from each other, like the things which
are done from liberty and those which
are done from necessity. But still, by
the debts of charity, are not here meant
the debts of offices in a kingdom and

306

Concerning Charity,

a republic — as of a minister, that he
should minister, of a judge, that he
should judge, &c. — but the debts of
every one, in whatever office he is, are
meant. Wherefore they are from a dif
ferent origin, and flow from another
will ; and so they are done from charity,
by those who are in charity, and, on
the other hand, from no charity, by
those who are in no charity.
430. The Public Debts of Char
ity are, especially, duties and taxes,
which should not be mixed together
with the debts of offices. Those who
are spiritual pay them with one dispo
sition of heart, and those who are
merely natural, with another. The
spiritual pay them from good will, be
cause they are collected for the preser
vation of their country, and for the pro
tection of it and the church, and for
the services performed by officers and
rulers, to whom salaries and wages are
to be paid from the public treasury.
Wherefore those to whom their country
and also the church are the neighbor,
pay them voluntarily and cheerfully,
and esteem it as iniquity to deceive
and defraud ; but those to whom their
country and the church are not the
neighbor, pay them unwillingly and re
luctantly, and whenever opportunity is
given, they defraud and cheat, for with
them their own house and their own
flesh is the neighbor.
431. The Domestic Debts of
Charity are those of a husband to
wards his wife, and of a wife towards
her husband ; also those of a father
and a mother towards their children,
and of children towards their father
and mother, as also those of a master
and a mistress towards their servants
and maids, and of the latter towards
the former. These debts, because they
relate to education and administration
in the house, are so many, that if they
should be enumerated they would fill a
volume. Every man is brought to these
debts from a love different from that
which brings him to the debts of his
office ; to those of a husband towards his
wife, and of a wife towards her husband,
from conjugial love and according to
it ; of a father and a mother towards

their children, from a love implanted
in every one, which is called storge or
parental affection ; and of children to
wards their parents, from another love,
and according to it, which closely con
joins itself with obedience from debt.
But the debts of a master and a mis
tress towards their servants and maids
partake of the love of reigning, and
this according to the state of each one's
mind. But conjugial love and love to
wards children, with their debts and
the discharge of them, do not produce
love towards the neighbor, like the
discharge of debts in offices ; for the
love called storge exists with the bad
equally as with the good, and some
times it is stronger with the bad ; and
also it exists with beasts and birds,
with which no charity can be formed ;
that it is with bears, tigers and ser
pents equally as with sheep and goats;
and with owls equally as with doves, is
known. As to what particularly re
gards the debts of parents towards chil
dren, the debts with those who are in
charity are inwardly different from the
debts with those who are not in char
ity, but outwardly they appear similar.
With those who are in charity, that love
is conjoined with love towards the
neighbor and with love to God ; for by
them children are loved according to
their morals, virtues, desires and tal
ents for serving the public ; but with
those who are not in charity, there is
no conjunction of charity with the love
called storge; wherefore many of them
love bad, immoral and crafty children
even more than those who are good,
moral and prudent; thus those who are
not useful to the public more than those
who are useful.
432. The Private Debts of Char
ity are also many, such as paying
wages to workmen, paying interest and
rents, performing contracts, keeping
pledges, and other such like things;
of which some are debts by virtue of
the statute law, some of the civil law,
and some of the moral law. These
also are discharged in one state of
mind by those who are in charity, and
in another by those who are not in
charity ; by those who are in charity

and concerning Good Works.

307

they are performed justly and faithfully ;
for it is i precept of charity that every
one should act justly and faithfully
with all with whom he is in any busi
ness and intercourse, of which above,
n. 422, and the following ; but those
same things are performed altogether
differently by those who are not in
charity. 433. XI. That the Recreations
of Charity are Dinners, Suppers,
and Parties.
It is known that dinners and sup
pers are in use every where, and that
they are made for various purposes, and
that with many they are for the sake
of friendship, for the sake of relation
ship, for the sake of gladness, and for
the sake of gain and recompense ; and
that they are bribes to draw over to a
jarty; and that with grandees they
are also for the sake of honor, and in
the palaces of kings for the sake of
splendor. But dinners and suppers of
charity are with those only who are in
mutual love from a similar faith. In
the primitive church, among Christians,
dinners and suppers were for the sake
of no other end, and they were called
Feasts, instituted both for promoting
joy of the heart and also mutual con
junction. Suppers with them signi
fied consociations and conjunctions, in
the first state of the establishment of
the church ; for the evening, in which
they were made, signified that : but
Dinners, in the second state, when the
church was established ; for the morn
ing and the day signified that. At ta
ble they had conversations upon vari
ous subjects, as well domestic as civil,
but particularly uporr such things as
were of the church ; and because they
were feasts of charity, on whatsoever
subject they spoke, charity with its
joys and delights was in their speech.
The spiritual sphere reigning in those
feasts, was a sphere of love to the Lord
and of love towards the neighbor,
which exhilarated the mind of every
one, softened the sound of every speech,
and brought festivity from the heart into
all the senses ; for from every man there
emanates a spiritual sphere, which is of
the affection of his love, and thence of

his thought, and it inwardly affects
those who are in his company, es
pecially at feasts ; it emanates through
the face as well as by respiration.
Since by dinners and suppers, or by
feasts, such consociations of minds
were signified, therefore they are so
often mentioned in the Word ; and by
them there nothing else is meant in
the spiritual sense ; and in the highest
sense, by the paschal supper amongst
the sons of Israel, as also by the ban
quets at the other feasts ; as also by
eating together of the sacrifices at the
tabernacle. Conjunction itself was
then represented by breaking the bread
and distributing it, and by drinking
from the same cup and handing it to
another. 434. As to social parties, they
were in the primitive church amongst
such as called themselves brethren in
Christ; wherefore they were social
meetings of charity, because they were
a spiritual fraternity. They were also
consolations for the adversities of the
church, exultations for its increase,
and also recreations of the mind '•after
studies and labors, and at the same time
conversations on various subjects ; and
because they flowed from spiritual love,
as from a fountain, they were rational
and moral from a spiritual origin.
There are given at this day parties
of friendship, which regard as their
end the pleasures of conversation, the
exhilaration of the mind, and thence
they are for the expansion of the soul
and the liberation of the imprisoned
thoughts, and thus for the refreshment
of the sensual parts of the body, and
the restoration of their state. But as
yet there are not given any parties
of charity ; for the Lord says, In the
consummation of the age, that is, in
the end of the church, iniquity will be
multiplied, and charity will grow cold,
Matt. xxiv. 12. The reason is, be
cause the church had not yet acknowl
edged the Lord God the Savior, as the
God of heaven and earth, and ap
proached Him immediately, from whom
alone genuine charity proceeds and
flows in. But the parties, where
a friendship emulating charity does

308

Concerning Charity,

not join minds together, are no other
than counterfeits of friendship, and false
attestations of mutual love, alluring
insinuations into favor, and indul
gences of the delights of the body, es
pecially of sensual gratifications, by
which others are carried, as a ship by
sails and favorable winds, while syco
phants and hypocrites stand at the stern
and hold the rudder in their hand.
435. XII. That the first Thing
of Charity is to put away Evils,
and the second Thing of it is to
do Goods which are of use to the
Neighbor. In the doctrine of charity this holds
the first place, that the first thing of
charity is not to do evil to the neigh
bor, and the second, to do good to him ;
this tenet is as a door to the doctrine
of charity. It is known that evil re
sides in the will of every man, from na
tivity, and because all evil regards man
near itself and at distance from itself,
and also society and one's country, it
follows that hereditary evil is evil
against the neighbor in every degree.
Man may see from reason itself, that as
far as the evil residing in the will is
not removed, so far the good which he
does is impregnated with that evil ;
for then evil is inwardly in the good,
like a nut in the shell, and like marrow
in the bone ; wherefore, although the
good which is done by such a man ap
pears as good, still, inwardly, it is not
good ; for it is like a bright shell with
in which there is a nut eaten by worms,
and it is like a white almond, within
which there is rottenness, from which
rotten veins extend even to the surface.
To will evil and to do good are in
themselves opposites ; for evil is of ha
tred against the neighbor, and good is
of love towards the neighbor ; or evil
is the neighbor's enemy, and good is
bis friend. Those two cannot exist in
one mind, that is, evil in the internal
man, and good in the external man ; if
they do, the good in the external man
is like a wound superficially healed, in
which inwardly there is rotten matter.
Man is then like a tree whose root is
decayed, and yet it produces fruit which
outwardly appears like agreeable and

useful fruit, but inwardly it is disagree
able and useless. He is also like the
dross of metals, which, when polished
on the surface and beautifully colored,
are sold for precious stones. In a word, ¦
such are like the eggs of an owT, which
are believed to be the eggs of a dove.
Let every man know that the good
which a man does with the body pro
ceeds from his spirit, or from the inter
nal man ; the internal man is his spirit,
which lives after death ; wherefore,
when a man casts off the body which
made his external man, then whoso
ever is in evils and delights himself in
them, he abhors good, as offensive to
his life. That man cannot do good,
which is good, before evil is removed,
the Lord teaches in many places : Thiy
do not gather grapes from therns, ar
figs from thistles. A corrupt tree can
not produce good fruit, Matt. vii. 16,
17, 18. Wo to you, scribes and Phar
isees ; ye cleanse the outside of the cup
and of the platter, but the insides are
full of rapine and excess. Blind Phar
isee, cleanse first the inside of the cup
and of the platter, that the outside may
be clean also, xxiii. 25, 26. And in
Isaiah ; Wash yourselves ; put away
the evil of your works ; cease to do evil;
learn to do good; seek judgment. Then,
if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be
come white like snow ; if they be red as
crimson, they shall be like wool, i. 16,
17, 18.
436. This may be further illustrated
by these comparisons : one cannot go
to another who keeps a leopard and a
panther in his chamber, and because
he gives them food to eat lives secure
ly with them, unless he first remove
those wild beasts. Who, when invited
to the table of a king and queen, would
not first wash his face and hands be
fore he goes to it ? Who does not puri
fy metallic ore by fire, and separate it
from the drws, before he obtains pure
gold and silver ? Who does not separate
the tares from the wheat, before he
brings it into the bam ? Who does not
cook raw meat by boiling, before it be
comes eatable and is set upon the ta
ble ? Who does not shake off the worms
from the leaves of a tree in the garden

and concerning Good Works.

309

lest the leaves should be consumed, and
thus the fruit should perish ? Who ioves
a virgin, and intends marriage with her,
who is infected with a malignant dis
ease, and covered with pimples and
sores, however she paints her face,
dresses herself splendidly, and studies
to infuse the incentives of love by the
charms of her conversation ? That man
ought to purify himself from evils is,
comparatively, as if a servant, having
his face and clothes bedaubed with soot
or dung, should go to his master and
say, "Wash me, sir." Would not the
master say to him, "You foolish ser
vant, what do you say ? Behold, there
is water, soap and a towel ; have
you not hands, and power in them?
wash yourself." And the Lord God
would say, " The means of purification
are from Me, and also your will and
power are from Me ; use those my gifts
and talents as your own, and you will
be purified."
437. It is believed at this day, that
charity is only to do good, and that
then one does not do evil ; consequent
ly, that the first thing of charity is to
do good, and the second not to do evil.
But it is altogether the reverse ; the
first thing of charity is to put away evil,
and the second is to do good ; for it is
a universal law in the spiritual world,
and thence also in the natural world,
that as far as any one does not will
evil, so far he wills good ; thus as far
as he turns himself away from hell,
whence all evil ascends, so far he turns
himself towards heaven, whence all
good descends ; hence also that as far
as any one rejects the devil, so far he
is accepted by the Lord. No one can
stand between both, with a versatile
neck, and at the same time pray to the
one and to the other ; for these are they
concerning whom the Lord says these
words : I know thy works, that thou
art neither cold nor hot ; I would thou
wert cold or hot ; but because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I
will spew thee out of my mouth, Rev.
iii. 15, 16. Who can fly about with
his troop between two armies, and favor
both ? Who can be in evil against his
neighbor, and at the same time in good

towards him ? Does not the evil then
hide itself in the good ? And, although
the evil which hides itself does not ap
pear in acts, still it manifests itself in
many things, if they are duly reflected
upon. The Lord says, No servant can
serve two masters ; ye cannot serve God
and mammon, Luke xvi. 13.
438. But no one can, by his own
power and his own strength, purify
himself from evils ; yet still it cannot
be done without the power and strength
of man, as his own. Unless it were so,
no one could fight against the flesh and
its concupiscences, which yet is en
joined upon every one ; yea, he would
not think of that conflict, and so would
give up his mind to evils of every kind,
and would only be restrained from them
as to the deeds, by the laws of justice
made in the world and their punish
ments ; and thus he would be inwardly
like a tiger, a leopard and a serpent,
which never reflect on the cruel de
lights of their loves. Hence it is man
ifest that man, who is more rational
than wild beasts, ought to resist evils
from the power and strength given him
by the Lord, which in every sense ap
pear to him as his own ; and this ap
pearance is given to every man by the
Lord, for the sake of regeneration, im
putation, conjunction, and salvation.
439. XIII. That Man, in the Ex
ercises of Charity, does not place
Merit in Works, while he believes
that all Good is from the Lord.
To place merit in works which are
done for the sake of salvation is hurt
ful, for therein are concealed evils,
concerning which the doer knows noth
ing. There is concealed a denial ofthe
influx and operation of God with man ;
trust in one's own power in the things
of salvation, faith in one's self and not
in God, a justification of one's self,
salvation by one's own strength, anni
hilation of the divine grace and mercy,
the rejection of reformation and regen
eration by divine means, and particu
larly derogation from the merit and
righteousness of the Lord God the Sa
vior, which they claim to themselves
besides a continual looking for rewaru,
which they regard as the first and last

310

Concerning Charity,

end, a suffocation and extinction of
love to the Lord and love towards the
neighbor, a total ignorance and imper-
ceptibility of the delight of heavenly
love, which is without merit, and a sen
sation only of the love of self. For
those who put reward in the first place,
and salvation in the second, thus this
for the sake of that, invert order, and
immerse the interior desires of their
mind in their proprium, and in the body
defile them with the delights of their
flesh. Thence it is that the good of
merit appears to the angels like rust,
and the good not of merit like purple.
That good should be done without the
end of reward, the Lord teaches in
Luke : If ye do good to those ivho do
good to you, what thank have ye ?
Rather love your enemies, and do good;
and lend, hoping for nothing thence ;
then your reward will be great, and ye
will be sons of the Most High ; for He
is kind to the unthankful and the evil,
vi. 33 to 36. That man cannot do
good, which in itself is good, except
from the Lord, in John ; Abide in Me
and I in you ; as the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in
the vine, so neither can ye, unless ye
abide in Me; because without Me ye
cannot do any thing, xv. 4, 5. And
in another place ; A man cannot take
any thing, unless it be given to him
from heaven, iii. 27.
440. But for men to think that they
may come into heaven, and that good
should be done for that reason, is not
to regard reward as an end, and to
place merit in works ; for those also
think that, who love the neighbor as
themselves, and God above all things ;
for these think thus from faith in the
words of the Lord, That their reward
will be great in the heavens, Matt. v.
11, 12, vi. ], x. 41, 42; Luke vi. 23,
25, xiv. 12, 13, 14; John iv. 36. That
those who have done good will possess,
as an inheritance, the kingdom prepared
from the foundation ofthe world, Matt.
xxv. 34. That every one will be re
warded according to his works, Matt.
xvi. 27 ; John v. 29 ; Rev. xiv. 13, xx.
12, 13; Jerem. xxv. 14, xxxii. 19;
Hosea iv. 9; Zech. i. 6; and other

places. These are not in the confi
dent expectation of reward from merit,
but in the faith of the promise from
grace. With these the delight of doing
good to the neighbor is a reward ; this
delight the angels have in heaven, and
it is a spiritual delight which is eternal,
and immensely exceeds every natural
delight. Those who are in that de
light do not wish to hear of merit, for
they love to do good, and perceive
blessedness in it ; but they are sorry
if it is believed that they do it for the
sake of retribution ; they are like those
who do good to friends for the sake of
friendship, to a brother because he is
a brother, to wife and children because
they are wife and children, to their
country because it is their country ;
thus from friendship and love. Those
who do good to others also say and
persuade that they do it not for the
sake of themselves, but for the sake of
them. 441. It is quite otherwise with those
who regard reward in works as the end
itself; these are like those who enter
into friendship for the sake of gain,
and also send gifts, perform kind offices,
testify love as from the heart, and when.
they do not obtain the things hoped
for, they turn themselves away, re
nounce friendship, and attach them
selves to his enemies and haters. And
they are like nurses who suckle infants
only for wages, and in the sight of the
parents they kiss and fondle them ; but
as soon as they are not fed delicately,
and remunerated exactly according to
their wish, they cast away the infants,
treat them cruelly, and beat them,
laughing at their cries. They are also
like those who regard their country
from the love of self and the world, and
say that they are willing to spend their
goods and their lives for it ; and yet,
if they do not get honors and riches as
rewards, they speak evil of it, and join
themselves to its enemies. They are
likewise like shepherds who feed sheep
only for the sake of wages, which if
they do not receive at the proper time,
they drive the flock with their staff
from the pasture into the wilderness.
Similar to these are priests who dis-

and concerning Good Work*

311

charge the duties of their ministry only
for the sake of the emoluments annex
ed to them; that these care little for
the salvation of the souls over whom
they are appointed leaders is manifest.
[t is similar with magistrates who look
only to the dignity of their office or
function, and to the revenues of it ;
when they do good, it is not for the
sake of the. public, but for the sake of
the delight of the love of self and the
world, which they regard as the only
good. It is similar with others; for the
end in view is every thing, and the
mediate causes, which are of the office,
if they do not promote the end, are re
nounced. The case is similar with
those who claim recompense for their
merit in the things of salvation.
These after death demand heaven
with great confidence ; but after they
are found to possess nothing of love to
God, and nothing of love towards the
neighbor, they are sent back to those
who may instruct them concerning
charity and faith ; and if they reject
the doctrinals of these, they are sent
away to those of a similar character,
amongst whom are some who are angry
with God, because they do not obtain
rewards; and they call faith an imagi
nary entity. These are they who in
the Word are meant by hirelings, to
whom services of the lowest kind in
the courts of the temple were allotted ;
they appear at a distance as if splitting
wood. 442. It should be well known that
charity and faith in the Lord are close
ly conjoined ; thence charity is such as
faith is. That the Lord, charity and
faith make one, like life, will and un
derstanding; and that, if they are. di
vided, each perishes like a pearl re
duced to powder, may be seen above, n.
362 and the following. And that char
ity and faith are. together in good
works, n. 373 to 377. Thence it fol
lows that charity is such as faith is,
and that works are such as faith and
charity together are. Now, if the faith
is, that ail the good which man does,
as of himself, is from the Lord, man is
then the instrumental cause of it, and
the Lord the principal cause ; which

two causes appear to man together,
when yet the principal cause is all in
all of the instrumental cause. Thence
it follows, that if a man believes that
all good which in itself is good is from
the Lord, he does not place merit in
works ; and in that degree in which
this faith with man is perfected, the
fantasy concerning merit is removed
from him by the Lord. A man in this
state performs exercises of charity in
abundance, and at length perceives
the spiritual delight of charity, and
then he begins to abhor merit as nox
ious to his life. Merit is easily wiped
away by the Lord with those who im
bue charity, by acting justly and faith
fully in the work, business and office
in which they are, and with whomso
ever they have any intercourse, con
cerning which see above, n. 422, 423,
424 ; but merit is removed with diffi
culty from those who believe that char
ity is procured by giving alms and
helping the needy ; for these, while
they are doing those works, in their
mind, first openly, and then tacitly, wish
for recompense and attract merit.
443. XIV. That a Moral Life,
WHEN IT IS AT THE SAME TIME SPIR
ITUAL, is Charity.
Every man learns from parents and
masters to live morally, that is, to act
in a civil capacity, and to perform the
offices of honesty, which refer them
selves to the various virtues, which are
the essentials of honesty, and to pro
duce them by its formal manifestations,
which are called the decencies or pro
prieties of life ; and as he advances in
age, he learns to superadd rational en
dowments, and to perfect the moral
things of life by them ; for moral life,
with children, even to the first stage of
manhood, is natural, which afterwards
becomes more and more rational. He
who reflects well may see, that a moral
life is the same with the life of charity:
that this is to act well with, the neigh
bor, and to regulate one's self so as
not to be contaminated with evils, fol
lows from those things which Were
shown above, n. 435 to 438. But still,
in the first period of the life of m;m,
moral life is the life of charitv in the

312

Concerning Charity,

extremes, that is, only the outward and
superficial part of it, and not its in
ward part. For there are four periods
of life through which a man passes
from infancy to old age. The first
is that in which he acts from others,
according to instructions ; the second
is that in which he acts from himself,
according to the direction of the un
derstanding ; the third is that in
which the will acts into the under
standing, and the understanding modi
fies it ; the fourth is that in which
he acts from a confirmed principle and
from purpose. But these periods of
life are periods of the life of the spirit
of man, and not in like manner of his
body ; for this can act morally and
speak rationally, and yet his spirit can
will and think the contrary. That the
natural man is such, is very manifest
from dissemblers, flatterers, liars and
hypocrites; that these have a double
mind, or that, their mind is divided into
two discordant parts, is evident. It is
otherwise with those who will well and
think rationally, and thence act well
and speak rationally ; these are they
who are meant in the Word by the sim
ple in spirit; they are called simple,
because they are not double, or have
not a double spirit. Hence it may be
seen, what is properly meant by the ex
ternal and the internal man ; and that
no one can conclude from the morality
of the external man to the morality of
the internal, since this may be in the
opposite state, and may hide itself, as a
tortoise hides its head in its shell, and
as a serpent hides its head in its folds ;
for such a moral man, so called, is like
a robber in a city and in a forest, who
in the city acts the part of a moral man,
but in the forest the part of a robber.
It is altogether otherwise with those
who are inwardly moral, or moral as to
the spirit, which they become by re
generation by the Lord ; these are they
who arc meant by the spiritual moral.
444 The reason why a moral life,
when it is at the same time spiritual,
is a life of charity, is because the ex
ercises of a moral life and of charity
•ire the same : for charity is to will
well to the neighbor, and thence to act

well with him; this also is of mora.
life. The spiritual law is this of the
Lord ; All things whatsoever ye would
that men should do to you, so also do
ye to them ; this is the law and the
prophets, Matt. vii. 12. This same
law is the universal law of moral life.
But to enumerate all the works of
charity, and compare them with the
works of a moral life, is a work of
many pages ; let only six precepts
of the second table of the law
of the decalogue be for illustration.
That these are precepts of moral
life is manifest to every one, and that
they contain all the things which are
of love towards the neighbor, may be
seen above, n. 329, 330, 331. That
charity fulfils all those, is evident from
these words in Paul : Love ye one an
other ; for he that loveth another hath
fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt
not commit adultery, Thou shalt not
kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt
not bear false witness, Thou shalt not
covet, and if there be any other com
mandment, it is comprehended in this
saying, Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. Charity doeth no evil to
the neighbor ; charity is the fulfilment
of the law, Rom. xiii. 8,9, 10. He
who thinks from the external man only,
cannot but wonder that the seven pre
cepts of the second table were promul
gated by Jehovah upon mount Sinai
with so great a miracle ; when yet
those same precepts, in all the king
doms upon earth, consequently also in
Egypt, whence the sons of Israel lately
came, were precepts ofthe law of civil
justice ; for no kingdom subsists with
out them. But the reason why they
were promulgated by Jehovah, and
moreover written upon tables of stone
with his finger, was, that they might
be not only precepts of civil society,
and thus of natural moral life, but also
precepts of heavenly society, and thus
of spiritual moral life; so that to do
contrary to them would be not only to
do contrary to men, but also contrary
to God.
445. If moral life be viewed in its
essence, it may be seen that it is a life
according to human and divine laws at

and concerning Good Works.

313

the same time ; wherefore, he who
lives according to those two laws as
one, is a truly moral man, and his life
is charity. Every one can comprehend,
if he will, from external moral life,
what charity is; only transcribe the
external moral life, such as it is in the
intercourse of civil society, into the
internal man, that it may be, in the
will and thought of this, similar and
conformable to the acts in the external,
and you will see charity in its type.
446. XV. That Friendship of
Love contracted with a Man, of
whatsoever Quality he is, as to
the Spirit, is detrimental after
Death.
By friendship of love is meant inte
rior friendship, which is such, that not
only the external man of the person is
loved, but also the internal, and this
without examining what he is as to
the internal, or the spirit, that is, as to
the affections of the mind ; whether
they be of love towards the neighbor
and of love to God, thus capable of
being consociated with the angels of
heaven ; or whether they be of love
contrary to the neighbor, and of love
contrary to God, thus capable of being
consociated with devils. Such friend
ship with many is contracted from va
rious causes, and for the sake of va
rious ends. This is distinguished from
external friendship, which is of the
person alone, and is formed for the sake
of various delights of the body and the
senses, and for the sake of various
kinds cf intercourse. This friendship
may be formed with any one, even
with a buffoon who jests at the table of
a duke. This is called simply friend
ship, but that, the friendship of love,
because friendship is natural conjunc
tion, but love is spiritual conjunction.
447. That the friendship of love is
detrimental after death, may be evi
dent from the state of heaven, from
the state of hell, and from the state of
the spirit of man respectively. As to
the state of heaven ; it is distinguished
into innumerable societies, according
to all the varieties of the affections of
the love of good ; hell also is divided
into societies, according to all the va-
40

rieties of the affections of the love of
evil ; and man, after death, who then
is a spirit, according to his life in the
world, is presently assigned to the so
ciety where his reigning love is ; to
some heavenly society, if love to God
and love towards the neighbor had
made the head of his loves; and to
some infernal society, if the love of
self and the world had made the head
of his loves. Presently after his en
trance into the spiritual world (which
is made by death and the rejection of
the material body into the sepulchre),
man is for some time being prepared
for his society to which he has been
assigned, and the preparation is made
by the rejection of the loves which do
not agree with his principal love ;
wherefore one is then separated from
another, friends from friends, clients
from patrons, and also parents from
children, and brother from brother ; and
each of them is joined to his like, with
whom he is to live a life in common
with them and properly his own to eter
nity. But, at the first time of the
preparation, they meet together and
converse in a friendly manner, as in
the world ; but by degrees they are
separated, which is done insensibly.
448. But those who in the world
had contracted friendships of love one
with another, cannot, like others, be
separated according to order, and as
signed to the society corresponding to
their life; for they are inwardly, as to
the spirit, tied, nor can they be torn
asunder, because they are like branches
ingrafted into branches ; wherefore,
if one, as to his interio*s, is in heaven,
and another, as to his interiors, in hell,
they cohere scarcely otherwise than as
a sheep tied to a wolf, or as a goose to
a fox, or as a dove to a hawk ; and he
whose interiors are in hell breathes
his infernal influences into him whose
interiors are in heaven ; for among the
knowledges which are in heaven, this
also is one, that evils may be inspired
into the good, but not goods into the
evil. The reason is, because every
one, by birth, is in evils ; thence the
interiors of the good, who thus cohere
with the evil, are shut up, and both

314

Concerning Chanty.

are thrust down into hell, where the
good suffer hard things; but at length,
after a certain space of time, they are
taken out, and then they first begin to
be prepared for heaven. It has been
given me to see such tyings, particu
larly between brothers and relations,
and also between patrons and clients,
and of many with flatterers, who pos
sessed contrary affections and diverse
dispositions ; and I have seen some,
like kids with leopards, and them then
kissing each other and swearing to
the former friendship. And I then
perceived the good sucking in the de
lights of the evil, and both holding
each other by the hand, entering to
gether into caverns, where troops of
the evil were seen in hideous forms ; but
to themselves, from the illusion of fan
tasy, they appeared in beautiful forms.
But after a while, I heard from the
good, lamentations of fear as for snares,
and from the evil, exultations as of en
emies over their spoil ; besides other
sad scenes. I heard that the good,
when they were taken out, were pre
pared for heaven, by means of refor
mation, but with more difficulty than
others. 449. The case is altogether other
wise with those who love the good in
another, that is, who love justice, judg
ment, sincerity, benevolence from char
ity, especially who love faith and
love to the Lord ; those, because they
love the things which are within a man
abstracted from those which are with
out him, if they do not observe the
same qualities in the person after death,
immediately break off friendship, and
are associated by the Lord with those
who are in similar good. It may be
said that no one can explore the inte
riors of the mind of those with whom
he is associated and connected ; but
this is not necessary ; only let him be
cautious of forming a friendship of
love with every one ; external friend
ship, for the sake of various uses, is
not hurtful.
450. XVI. That there is spurious
Charity, hypocritical Charity, and
dead Charity.
There is no genuine charity, which

is living, unless it makes one with
faith, and unless they both together .ook
to the Lord ; for these three, the Lord,
charity and faith, are the three essen
tials of salvation, and when they make
one, charity is charity, and faith is
faith, and the Lord is in them, and
they in the Lord ; see above, n. 363 to
367, 368 to 372 ; but when those three
are not conjoinea, charity is either
spurious, or hypocritical, or dead.
There have been diverse heresies in
Christendom, since the foundation of
the Christian church, and also there are
at this day, in each of which these three
essentials, which are God, charity and
faith, were and are acknowledged ; for
without those three, there is no reli
gion. As it respects charity in partic
ular, it may be adjoined to any heret
ical faith, as to the faith of Socinians,
to the faith of enthusiasts, to the faith
of Jews, yea, to the faith of idolaters ;
and by all it may be believed that it is
charity, since, in the external form, it
appears similar ; but still it changes its
quality, according to the faith to which
it is adjoined or conjoined ; that it is
so, may be seen in the chapter con
cerning faith.
451. All charity which is not con
joined to faith in one God, in whom
there is a Divine Trinity, is spurious ;
as the charity ofthe church at this day,
whose faith is in three persons of the
same divinity, in successive order, in
the Father, Son, and Holy .Spirit ; and
because in three persons, each of whom
is a God subsisting by himself, there
fore in three Gods ; to which faith
charity may be adjoined, as also has
been done by. the asserters of that
faith, but it never can be conjoined ;
and the charity only adjoined to faith,
is merely natural, and not spiritual,
wherefore it is spurious charity. It is
similar with the charity of many other
heresies, as of those who deny a Divine
Trinity, and so address God the Father
alone, or the Holy Spirit alone, or both,
without God the Savior ; to the faith of
these charity cannot be conjoined, and
if it be conjoined or adjoined, it is
spurious. It is said spurious, because
it is like offspring from an illegitimate

and concerning Good Works.

315

bed, like the son of Hagar by Abra
ham, who was cast out of the house,
Gen. xxi. 9. Such charity is like fruit
not naturally belonging to the tree, but
fastened to it by a needle ; and it is
tike a chariot to which the horses are
fastened only by the reins in the hands
of the charioteer, which, when they
run, pull the charioteer from the seat,
and leave the chariot
4-52. But hypocritical charity is
with those who, in temples and houses,
bow themselves down almost to the
floor before God, pour out long prayers
devoutly, wear sanctified faces, kiss
images of the cross and the bones of
the dead, and now bend their knees at
sepulchres, and there mutter with the
mouth words of holy veneration for
God, and yet in heart think of the
worship of themselves, and intend to
be adored as divinities. These are
similar to those whom the Lord de
scribes in these words ; When thou
best alms, do not sound a trumpet be
fore thee, as the hypocrites do, in the
lynagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may have glory of
men. And if thou pray est, thou shalt
not be like the hypocrites, who love to
pray, standing in the synagogues and
in the corners of the streets, that they
may be seen by men, Matt. vi. 2, 5.
Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites; because ye shut up the
kingdom of the heavens to men, for
ye neither enter, nor permit those to
enter who wish to enter. Wo unto you,
hypocrites, because ye compass sea and
land to make one proselyte, and when
he is made, ye make him two-fold more
a child of hell than yourselves. Wo
unto you, hypocrites, because ye cleanse
the outside of the cup and of the plat
ter, but within they are full of rapine
and excess, Matt, xxiii. 13, 15, 25.
Well hath Isaiah prophesied concern
ing you hypocrites, saying, This peo
ple honor eth Me with their lips, but
their heart is far from Me, Mark
vii. 6. Wo unto you hypocrites, be
cause ye are like graves which do not
appear, so that the, men ivho walk upon
them do not know it, Luke xi. 44;
besides other passages. Those are

like flesh without blood; like ravens
and parrots taught to speak the words
of some psalm ; and like birds taught
to sing the tune of a sacred hymn. The
sound of their speech is like the
sound of a fowler's pipe.
453. But dead charity is with those
who have a dead faith, since charity is
such as faith is ; that they make one,
was shown in the chapter concerning
Faith. That the faith of those who
are without works is dead, is evident
from the Epistle of James, ii. 17, 20.
Moreover, those have a dead faith, who
do not believe in God, but in living and
dead men, and worship idols as holy in
themselves, as the gentiles formerly
did. The gifts of those who are in
this faith, which for the sake of sal
vation they bestow upon miraculous
images, as they call them, and reckon
them among the works of charity, are
no other than as the gold and silver
put into the urns and monuments of
the dead ; yea, like the little cakes
given to Cerberus, and the fare, to
Charon, that they may be transported
to the Elysian fields. But the charity
of those who believe that there is no
God, but that nature is instead of God,
is not spurious, nor hypocritical, nor
dead, but none, because it is not ad
joined to any faith ; for it cannot be
called charity, because the quality of
charity is predicated from faith. The
charity of these, when viewed from
heaven, is like bread made of ashes, or
cake made offish scales, and like fruit
made of wax.
454. XVII. That the Friendship
of Love among the Evil is intestine
Hatred towards each other.
It was shown above, that every man
has an internal and an external, and
that his internal is called the internal
man, and his external, the external
man ; to this it shall be added, that the
internal man is in the spiritual world,
and the external, in the natural
world. The reason why man was cre
ated such, is, that he might be asso
ciated with spirits and angels in their
world, and thence think analytically,
and after death be transferred from his
own world to another. By the spirit

316

Concerning Charity,

ual world, is meant both hearen and
hell. Since the internal man is to
gether with spirits and angels in their
world, and the external with men, it
is manifest that man may be consociat
ed with the spirits of hell," and also
consociated with the angels of heaven ;
by this faculty and power, man is dis
tinguished from beasts. Man is such
in himself, as he is as to his internal
man, but not as he is as to the exter
nal, because the internal man is his
spirit, which acts by the external.
The material body, with which his spirit
is clothed in the natural world, is an
accessory for the sake of procreations,
and for the sake of the formation of the
internal man ; for this is formed in the
natural body, as a tree in the earth,
and seed in the fruit. More concern
ing the internal and the external man
may be seen above, n. 401.
455. But what an evil man is, as to his
internal man, and what a good man is,
as to his, may be seen from this short
description of hell and heaven ; for the
internal man, with the evil, is conjoined
with the devils in hell ; and with the
good, it is conjoined with the angels in
heaven. Hell is, from its loves, in the
delights of all evils, that is, in the de
lights of hatred, revenge and murder,
in the delights of robbery and theft, in
the delights of reviling and blasphem
ing, in the delights of the denial of
God and the profanation of the Word.
These are concealed in the concupis
cences, upon which man does not re
flect ; by those delights they burn like
lighted torches ; those are what are
meant in the Word by infernal fire.
But the delights of heaven are the
delights of love towards the neighbor
and of love to God. Since the delights
of hell are opposite to the delights of
heaven, there is a great interstice be
tween them, into which the delights of
heaven flow from above, and the de
lights of hell from beneath ; in the mid
dle of this interstice is man, while he
lives in the world, in order that he may
be in equilibrium, and thus in a state of
freedom to turn himself to heaven or to
hell. This interstice is what is meant
by the great gulf fixed between those

who are in heaven and those who are
in hell, Luke xvi. 26. Hence it may
be evident what the friendship of love
amongst the evil is ; that, as to the ex.
ternal man, it imitates or mimics the
gestures and puts on the semblance of
morality, for the purpose of spreading
its nets and of finding occasions of
enjoying the delights of its loves, from
which their internal man is enkindled ;
it is only the fear of the law, and
thence of the loss of fame and life,
which restrains and prevents the acts ;
wherefore their friendship is like a
spider in sugar, a viper in a loaf of
bread, a young crocodile in a cake of
honey, and a snake in the grass. Such
is the friendship of the evil with every
one ; but among those who are confirm
ed in evil, as amongst thieves, robbers,
and pirates, that friendship is fa
miliar, whilst they unanimously desire
and seek after plunder ; for then they
kiss each other as brethren, they enter
tain themselves with feasting, singing
and dancing, and conspire together for
the destruction of others ; yet still each
deeply in himself looks at his compan
ion as an enemy looks at an enemy;
this also a cunning robber sees and
fears in his companion. Hence it is
manifest that amongst such there is
no friendship, but intestine hatred.
455. Every man, who has not openly
attached himself to malefactors, and
committed robberies, but has led a civil
moral life, for the sake of various uses,
as ends, and yet has not bridled the
concupiscences residing in the internal
man, may believe that his friendship is
not such ; but that still it is, in various
degrees, with all who have rejected
faith, and despised the holy things of
the church, and reputed them as noth
ing for them, but only for the common
people, has been given me to know for
certain, by many examples in the spir
itual world. With some of them, the
delights of infernal love have been
concealed, like fire in burning wood
covered over with the bark ; with some.
like live coals under embers ; with
some, like little waxen torches, which
blaze as soon as fire is put to them ;
and with some,' in other ways. Such

and concerning Good Works.

317

is every man who rejects from his
heart those things which are of reli
gion : the internal man of these is in
hell, and as long as they live in the
world, and then are ignorant of it,
on account of an apparent morality in
externals, they acknowledge none for
the neighbor, but themselves and their
children ; and all others they regard
either with contempt, and are then
like cats watching for birds in their
nests; or with hatred, and are then
like wolves, when they see dogs which
they may devour. These things are
adduced that it may be known what
charity is by its opposite.
456. XVIII. Concerning the Con
junction of Love to God, and Love
towards the Neighbor.
It is known, that the law promul
gated from mount Sinai was written
upon two tables, and that one of them
is concerning God, and the other con
cerning men ; and that they, in the
hand of Moses, were one table, on the
right side of which it was written con
cerning God, and on the left side, con
cerning men ; and that thus, when pre
sented to the eyes of men, the writing
of both sides might be seen at the same
time ; thus one side was in sight of
the other, like Jehovah speaking with
Moses, and Moses with Jehovah, face
to face, as it is read. This was done,
in order that the tables, thus united,
might represent the conjunction of God
with men, and the reciprocal conjunc
tion of men with God ; for which
reason, the law written upon them was
called the Covenant and the Testimony ;
covenant signifies conjunction, and
testimony a life according to the condi
tions of the covenant. From these two
tables, thus united, may be seen the
conjunction of love to God and love
towards the neighbor. The first table
involves all the things which are of
love to God, which are, primarily, that
we ought to acknowledge One God,
the divinity of his Human, and the
holiness of the Word ; and that He is
to be worshipped by the holy things
which proceed from Him. That this
table involves these things, is evident
from the comments upon the precepts

of the decalogue, in the fifth chapter.
The second table involves all those
things which are of love towards the
neighbor ; the five first precepts of it,
those things which are of the deed,
and are called works ; and the two last,
those things which are of the will,
thus those things which are of charity
in its origin ; for in these it is said,
Thou shalt not covet ; and when a man
does not covet those things which are
the neighbor's, then he wishes well to
him. That the Ten Precepts of the
Decalogue contain all things which
are of love to God, and all things
which are of love towards the Neighbor,
may be seen above, n. 329, 330, 331;
where it was also shown, that there is
a conjunction of both tables, with those
who are in charity.
457. The case is otherwise with those
who are only in the worship of God,
and not at the same time in good works
from charity ; these are like those who
break a covenant ; and it is still other
wise with those who divide God into
three, and worship each separately :
and again, it is otherwise with those
who do not go to God in his Human ;
these are they who do not enter through
the door, but climb up some other way,
John x. 9 ; and still otherwise with
those who deny the divinity of the Lord
from confirmation. In all these cases,
there is not conjunction with God, and
hence no salvation ; and the charity of
those is no other than spurious, and
this does not conjoin face to face, but
side to side, or back to back. How
conjunction is effected shall also be
told in a few words. God flows in
with every man with an acknowledg
ment of Him into the knowledges con
cerning Him, and at the same time
He flows in with his love towards men.
The man who only receives the former
and not the latter, receives that influx
in the understanding and not in the
will, and remains in knowledges with
out an interior acknowledgment o(
God, and his state is like that of a gar
den in the time of winter ; but the
man who receives both the former and
the latter, receives the influx in the
will, and thence in the understanding,

318

Concerning Charity,

thus in the whole mind ; and he has an
interior acknowledgment of God, which
vivifies his knowledges concerning
God, and his state is like that of a
garden in the time of spring. The
reason why conjunction is effected by
charity, is, because God loves every
man ; and, because He cannot do good
to him immediately, but mediately by
men, therefore He inspires his love
into them, as He inspires into parents
love towards their children ; and the
man who receives it is conjoined to
God, and loves the neighbor from the
love of God ; with him the love of God
is inwardly in the love of man towards
the neighbor, which produces the will
and the power with him. And be
cause a man does nothing of good, un
less it appear to him as if the power,
the will and the deed were from him
self, therefore this is given to him; and
when he does good freely, as from him
self, it is imputed to him and accepted,
as that reciprocal operation by which
conjunction is effected. This is like
the active and the passive, and the
cooperation of the latter, which is ef
fected from the active in the passive ;
it is also like the will in actions, and
the thought in speech, and the soul
from the inmost operating into both ;
it is also like the effort in motion, and
likewise like the prolific principle of a
seed, which from within acts in the
juices, by which the tree grows even to
fruits, and by fruits, produces new
seeds ; it is also like light in precious
stones, which is reflected according to
the textures of the parts, whence are
various colors as if they were cf the
stones, when yet they are of the light.
458. Hence it is manifest, whence
and what is the conjunction of love to
God and love towards the neighbor ;
that there is an influx of the love of God
towards men ; and that the reception
of it by man, and cooperation with him,
is love towards the neighbor. In short,
conjunction is according to these words
of the Lord ; In that day ye shall know
that I am in my Father, and ye in
Me, and I in you, John xiv. 20 ; and
according to these ; lie that hath my
commandments and doith them,, he it is
'fur' lovcth Me; and I will love him,

a/id will manifest Myself to him ; and
I will make an abode with him, 21, 22,
23. The commandments of the Lord
all refer themselves to love towards
the neighbor, which, in the sum, are
not to do him evil, but to do him good
That those love God, and God loves
them, is according to those words of
the Lord. Since those two loves are
so conjoined, John says, He that keep-
eth the commandments of Jesus Christ,
abideth in Him, and He in him. If
any one say, I love God, but hateih his
brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth
not his brother, whom he seeth, how can
he love God, whom he doth not see?
This commandment we have from Him,
that he that loveth God, love his bro
ther also, 1 John iii. 24; iv. 20, 21.

459. To the above will be added
these Relations. First ; I saw at a
distance five gymnasiums, which were
encompassed with various light; the
first, with flammeous light, the second
with yellow light, the third with a
white light, the fourth with a light half
way between that of noon and evening,
the fifth scarcely appeared, for it stood
as it were in the shade of the even
ing. And I saw in the ways some
upon horses, some in chariots, and
some walking, and some running and
hastening, and these to the first gym
nasium, which was covered with flam
meous light. On seeing them, I was
seized and impelled by a strong desire
of going thither, and hearing what was
there canvassed; wherefore, I quickly
girded myself, and associated myself
with those hastening to the first gym
nasium, and entered together with
them. And lo, there was a great as
sembly of people, part of whom turned
to the right hand, and part to the left,
to sit upon the benches which were
along the walls. In front I saw a low
pulpit, in which stood one who officiat
ed as president ; he had a staff in his
hand, a cap on his head, and a vesture
tinged with the flammeous light ofthe
gymnasium. After they were gathet-
ed together, he lifted up his voice and
said, " Brethren, canvass on this
occasion, What is Charity? Each of

and concerning Good Works.

319

you may know that charity is spiritual
in its essence, and natural in its exer
cises." And immediately one arose
from the first bench on the left hand,
upon which those sat who were reput
ed wise, and, beginning to speak, he
said, " My opinion is, That Morality
inspired by Faith is Charity;" and
he confirmed it thus: "Who does
not know, that charity follows faith, as
a waiting maid her mistress; and
that a man who has faith, does the law,
and thus charity, so spontaneously, that
he does not know that it is the law and
charity that he lives, since, if he should
know it, and should do so, and at the
same time should think of salvation on
account of it, he would defile holy
faith with his proprium, and so would
weaken its efficacy ? Is not this ac
cording to the dogma of our church?"
And he looked at those sitting at the
sides, among whom there were canons,
and they assented. "But what is
spontaneous charity, but the morality
into which every one is initiated from
his infancy, which therefore in itself is
nitural, but which, when faith is in
spired into it, becomes spiritual ? Who
distinguishes men from their moral life,
whether they have faith or not, for
every one lives morally? But God
alone, who puts in and seals faith,
knows and distinguishes. Wherefore
I assert, that charity is morality in
spired by faith ; and that this morality,
from the faith in its bosom, is saving;
but no other morality is conducive to
salvation, because it is meritorious.
All, therefore, lose their labor, who
mix charity and faith together, that is,
who conjoin them from within, instead
of adjoining them from without ; for to
mix them together, and to conjoin them,
would be like letting the servant, who
stands behind, get into the chariot with
a primate, or like introducing a door
keeper into the dining room to sit at
the table with a grandee." After this
arose one from the first bench on the
right hand, and he spoke and said,
" My opinion is, That Piety inspired
by Pity is Charity ; and I confirm it
by these considerations, that nothing
else- can propitiate God more than piety

from an humble heart, and piety prays
continually that God would give faith
and charity ; and the Lord says, Ask
and it shall be given to you, Matt. vii.
7; and because it is given, they are
both in it. I say that piety inspired
by pity is charity ; for all devout piety
pities ; for piety moves the heart of a
man to groan, and what else is this
but pity ? This, indeed, recedes after
prayer, but still it returns with it, and
when it returns, piety is in it, and thus
in charity. Our priests ascribe every
thing that promotes salvation to faith,
and not any thing to charity ; what
then remains, but piety praying pitiful
ly for both ? When I read the Word,
I could not see otherwise, that faith
and charity were two means of
salvation ; but when I consulted the
ministers of the church, I heard that
faith was the only means, and charity
not any thing ; and then I seemed to
myself as if in the sea, upon a ship
floating between two rocks ; and when
I feared the wreck of it, I betook my
self to a boat, and sailed away ; my
boat was piety. And besides, piety is
profitable for all things." After him
arose one from the second bench on the
right, and he spoke and said, "My
opinion is, That Charity is, to do
Good to every One, to the Virtuous
as well as the Vicious ; and I con
firm it by these considerations. What
is charity but goodness of heart, and a
good heart wishes well to all, to the
virtuous and also to the vicious. And
the Lord says, that we should do good
even to our enemies. If, therefore,
you take away charity from any one,
does not charity then become, as to
that particular instance, none, and so
like a man hopping upon one foot, the
other being cut off? A vicious man is
a man, as well as a virtuous man, and
charity regards man as man ; if he be
a vicious man, what is this to me? It
is with charity as it is with the heat
of the sun : this vivifies beasts, the
fierce as well as the gentle, wolves as
well as sheep ; and it causes trees to
grow, the bad as well as the good, and
thorns as well as vines." Having said
these words, he took in his hand a

320

Concerning Charity,

fresh grape and said, "It is with char
ity as with this grape ; if you divide it,
all that is in it flows out." And he
divided it, and what was in it did flow
out. After he had declared his opinion,
another arose from the second bench on
the left, and said," My opinion is, That
Charity is, to be serviceable, in
EVERY WAY, TO One's RELATIONS AND
Friends ; which I confirm thus.
Who does not know that charity begins
from one's self; for every one is
neighbor to himself? Wherefore, char
ity proceeds from itself by the degrees
of nearness, first to brothers and sisters,
and from these to other relations and
connections, and thus the progression
of charity is terminated by itself. Those
who are without are strangers, and
strangers are not inwardly acknowl
edged ; thus by the internal man they
are alienated or treated as strangers.
But kindred and relations are con
joined by nature, and friends by cus
tom, which is a second nature, and thus
they become the neighbor ; and char
ity unites to itself another, from within,
and so from without ; and those who
are not united from within, should only
be called companions. Do not all
birds know their relations, not by their
feathers, but by their sound, and when
they are near, from the sphere of life
exhaled from their bodies ? This af
fection of kindred, and thence conjunc
tion, with birds, is called instinct ; but
the same with men, when it is for their
own, is truly the instinct of human
nature. What makes homogeneity,
but blood? This the mind of man,
which also is his spirit, feels, and as it
were smells ; in this homogeneity and
consequent sympathy, consists the es
sence of charity. But, on the contrary,
heterogeneity, from which also exists
antipathy, is, as it were, not blood, and
thence not charity : and because cus
tom is a second nature, and this also
makes homogeneity, it follows that
charity is also to do good to friends.
Any one who comes from the sea into
any port, and hears that it is a foreign
country, inhabited by those with whose
language, manners and customs he is
not acquainted, is. as it were, out of

himself, and feels nothing of the de
light of love towards them ; but if he
hears that it is his own country, the
language, manners and customs of
whose inhabitants he knows, he is, as
it were, within himself, and feels the
delight of love, which also is the delight
of charity." Afterwards one arose
from the third bench on the right, and
spoke with a loud voice, saying, " My
opinion is, That Charity is, to give
Alms to the Poor, and to help the
Needy. This certainly is charity, for
this the Divine Word teaches, whose
dictate does not admit of contradiction
What is it to give to the rich and the
opulent, but vain-glory, in which there
is no charity, but the prospect of remu
neration ; and in this there can be no
genuine affection of love towards the
neighbor, but a spurious affection,
which avails on earth and not in the
heavens ; wherefore want and need
should be relieved, because, into this the
idea of retribution does not enter. In the
city of my residence, where I knew who
were virtuous and who were vicious, I
saw that all the virtuous, on seeing a
poor man in the street, would stop and
give alms ; but all the vicious, on see
ing a poor man at their side, would pass
by as if they were blind and deaf, as
to seeing and hearing him ; and who
does not know, that the virtuous have
charity, and that the vicious have not ?
He who gives to the poor, and helps the
needy, is like a shepherd who leads the
hungry and thirsty sheep to pasture
and to water ; but he who gives only to
the rich and affluent, is like one, who
worships deastcrs,^ and urges food and
wine upon those who eat and drink to
excess." After him arose one from
the third bench on the left, and, speak
ing, he said, " My opinion is, That
Charity is to build Hospitals and
Houses for the accommodation of
Invalids, Orphans and Strangers,
AND TO SUPPORT THEM BY GlFTS. This
I confirm by this consideration, that
such beneficent acts and aids are pub
lic, and exceed by many degrees those
which are private ; thence charity be
comes more opulent and replete with
goods, which goods are manifold in

and concerning Good Works.

321

number, and the recompense expected
from the promises of the Word becomes
more abundant; for as any one pre
pares the ground and sows, so he reaps.
Is not this to give to the poor, and to
help the needy, in an eminent degree ?
Who does not thence obtain glory from
the world, and at the same time praises,
with the humble voice of gratitude,
from those who are thus supported?
Does not this elevate the heart, and
at the same time the affection which
is called charity, even to its highest
pitch ? The rich, who do not walk in
the streets, but ride in coaches, cannot
take notice of those who sit at the sides
of the streets, near the walls of the
houses, and give them little pieces of
money, but they contribute large sums
for such objects as are useful to
many, at the same time ; but the poorer
people, who walk in the streets, and
have not such means, do otherwise."
On hearing these words, another upon
the same bench suddenly drowned his
voice by a louder sound, and said;
¦' Still the rich should not prefer the
munificence and excellence of their
charity, to the pittance which one poor
man gives to another ; for we know
that every one, who acts, acts accord
ing to the dignity of his person ; a king,
a general, a captain, and a sergeant,
each, respectively, according to his dig
nity ; for charity, viewed in itself, is
not estimated according to the excel
lence of the person, and thence of the
gift, but according to the fulness of
the affection which does it : and that
thus a common servant, when he gives
one little piece of money, may give
from fuller charity than a grandee,
who gives or bequeaths a treasure ;
which also is according to these words ;
Jesus seeth the rich casting their gifts
into the treasury ; He seeth also a poor
widow casting in thither two mites. He
said, Verily I say unto you, that this
poor widow hath cast in more than all,"
Luke xxi. 1,2, 3. After these arose
one from the fourth bench on the left,
and he spoke and said, " My opinion
is, That Charity is to endow
ClJVRCHES, AND TO DO GoOD TO THEIR
Ministers. This I confirm by the
41

consideration, that whoever does those
things, revolves in his mind a holy
thing, and from that holy thing there
he acts, which also sanctifies his gifts ;
this charity requires, because it in
itself is holy. Is not all the worship in
churches holy? For the Lord says,
Where two or three are gathered to
gether in my name, I am in the midst
of them ; and the priests, his servants,
minister to him. Thence I conclude,
that the gifts which are bestowed on
ministers and on churches are superior
to the gifts which are bestowed on
other persons and on other objects.
And besides, to the minister is given
the power of blessing, by which also
he sanctifies them ; and afterwards
nothing more expands and exhilarates
the mind, than to see one's gifts as so
many sanctuaries." Afterwards arose
one from the fourth bench on the
right, and spoke thus : " My opinion is,
That the old Christian Brother
hood is Charity. And this I confirm
by this consideration, that every church
that worships the true God, begins
from charity, in like manner as the
old Christian church ; which, because
charity unites minds, and makes one
out of many, therefore they called
each other brethren, but in Jesus
Christ, their God. But because they
were surrounded by barbarous na
tions, of whom they were afraid, they
made a common stock of their goods,
which they enjoyed together in har
mony; and in their social meetings,
every day, they conversed concerning
the Lord God their Savior Jesus Christ,
and at the dinners and suppers, con
cerning charity ; hence their brother
hood. But after their times, when
schisms began to arise, and at last the
wicked heresy of Arius, which, with
many, took away the idea of the divin
ity of the Lord's Human, charity de
cayed, and the brotherhood was dis
persed. It is true, that all who in
truth worship the Lord, and do his
commandments, are brethren, Matt.
xxiii. 8, but brethren in spirit ; yet be
cause, at this day, no one is known,
what he is in the spirit, it is not neces
sary that they should call each other

322

Concerning Charity,

brethren. A brotherhood of faith alone,
and still less of faith in any other God
than in the Lord God the Savior, is not
.r. brotherhood, because charity, which
makes it, is not in that faith. Where
fore I conclude that the old Christian
.brotherhood was charity ; but this was,
and is not; but I prophesy that it
¦is about to be." When he said this,
,a flimmeous light shone through the
.window on the east, and tinged his
wheeks; on seeing which, the assembly
Were astonished. At last there arose
one from the fifth bench on the left,
and requested that he might be allowed
to add something to what the last had
«aid, and after his request was granted,
he said, " My opinion is, That Char
ity is to forgive every One his
Trespasses. This opinion I have
received from a form of speaking used
by those who come to the holy sup
per ; for some then say to their friends,
' Forgive me whatever I have done
amiss,' supposing thus that they
have fulfilled all the duties of charity.
But I have thought with myself, that
this is only a painted figure of charity,
and not the real form of its essence ;
for those say this who do not forgive,
and also those who do not make any
effort to obtain charity ; and these are
not amongst those in the prayer, which
the Lord himself taught, Father, for
give us our trespasses, as we forgive
those who trespass against us. For
trespasses are like ulcers, which must
be opened and healed, or else corrupt
ed matter is collected in them, which
corrupts the neighboring parts, and
creeps about like a serpent, and turns
the blood in all parts of the body into
corruption. It is similar with trespass
es against the neighbor ; these remain
and consume us, unless they are remov
ed by repentance, and by a life accord
ing to the commandments of the Lord.
And those who, without repentance,
only pray to God, that He would forgive
them their sins, are like the citizens of
a city, infected with a contagious dis
ease, who go to the consul and say,
' Heal us, sir.' To whom the consul
would say, ' How can I heal you ? Go
to a physician, and learn the medicines

proper for you, and buy ttiem of an
apothecary, and take them, and you will
be healed.' And the Lord wili say tc
those who pray for the forgiveness of
sins without actual repentance, ' Open
the Word and read that, which I have
spoken in Isaiah : Ah, sinful nation,
heavy with iniquity; wherefore, when ye
spread forth your hands, I hide my eyes
from you ; although ye multiply prayers,
I do not hear. Wash yourselves ; re
move the evil of your works from before
mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn lo
do good; and then your sins shall be
removed and forgiven,' " i. 4, 15, 16,
17, 18. When this was done, I
stretched forth my hand, and requested
that I might be allowed, although
I was a stranger, to declare my opin
ion also ; which request the presi
dent proposed, and after it was granted,
I spoke as follows : " My opinion is,
That Charity is, to act from the
love of Justice with Judgment, in
every Work and Office, but from a,
love from no other Source, than
from the Lord God the Savior.
All the things that I have heard from
those who sit upon the benches on the
right side and on the left, are renowned
instances of charity ; but, as the presi
dent of this assembly premised, charity
is spiritual in its origin and natural in
its derivation ; and natural charity, if it
is inwardly spiritual, appears to the
angels transparent, hke a diamond;
but if it is not inwardly spiritual, and
thence merely natural, it appears to
the angels like a pearl similar to the
eye of a boiled fish. It is not mine lo
say whether the renowned instances
of charity, which you have set forth in
order, are inspired by spiritual charity,
or not ; but it is mine to say here, what
the spiritual which ought to be in them,
must be, that they may be the natu
ral forms of spiritual charity Their
spiritual principle is this, that they be
done from the love of justice with judg
ment, that is, that a man in the exer
cises of charity should see plainly
whether he acts from justice, and he
sees this from judgment. For a man
may do evil by good deeds ; and also,
by such acts as appear to be evil, he

and concerning Good Works.

323

may do good ; as, /or example, he does
evil by good deeds, who gives to a
poor robber money to buy him a sword,
although he does not say this when he
asks for it ; or if he takes him out of
prison, and shows him the way to the
woods, and says with himself, ' It is
not my fault that he practises robbery ;
I have afforded assistance to a man.'
Take also another example ; he who
feeds an idler, and keeps him from
being compelled to labor, and says to
him, ' Go into a chamber in my house,
and lie down upon the bed ; why will
you fatigue yourself?' That man favors
idleness ; as also he who promotes re
lations and friends of a dishonest
disposition to offices of honor, in
which they can do many kinds of mis
chief. Who does not see that such
works of charity are not from any love
of justice with judgment? Also, on the
other hand, that a man may do good by
such acts as appear to be evil ; as, for ex
ample, a judge who acquits a criminal
because he sheds tears, and utters
words of piety, and prays that he would
forgive him, because he is his neigh
bor; when yet the judgte performs a
work of charity when he imposes a
punishment on him according to the
'aw ; for thus he prevents him from
doing further mischief, and from being
a nuisance to society, which is his
neighbor in a higher degree, and he
prevents the scandal of a partial judg
ment. Who does not know also, that
it is good for servants if they are chas
tised by their masters, and for children
if they are chastised by their parents,
on account of offences ? The case is
similar with those in hell, all of whom
have a love of doing evil, in that they
are kept shut up in prison, and when
they do evils they are punished ; which
the Lord permits for the sake of amend
ment. This is done, because the Lord
is justice itself, and whatever He does,
He does from judgment itself. Hence
it may be clearly seen, whence it is,
that, as was said above, charity be
comes spiritual from the love of justice
with judgment, but from love from no
other sourcp than from the Lord God

the Savior. The reason is, because all
the good of charity is from the Lord ;
for He says, He that abideth in Me,
and I in him, beareth much fruit ; be
cause without Me, ye cannot do any
thing, John xv. 4; and that He hath
all power in heaven and in earth, Matt.
xxviii. 18. And there is no love of
justice with judgment from any other
source, than from the God of heaven,
who is justice itself, and from whom
man has all judgment, Jer. xxiii. 5;
xxxiii. 15. Hence is made this conclu
sion, that all those things that have
been said from the benches on the
right and on the left, concerning char
ity, which are, That charity is morality
inspired by faith ; That it is piety in
spired by pity ; That it is to do good to
the good as well as to the evil ; That
it is to be every way serviceable to
relations and friends ; That it is to
give to the poor, and to help the needy ;
That it is to build hospitals, and to
support them by gifts; That it is to
endow churches, and to do good to their
ministers ; That it is the old Christian
brotherhood ; That it is to forgive every
one his trespasses ;— -Kill these are excel
lent instances of charity, when they
are done from the love of justice with
judgment ; otherwise they are not char
ity, but are only like streams separated
from their fountain, and like branches
plucked from their tree : since genuine
charity is to believe in the Lord, and to
act justly and uprightly in every work
and office. Whoever, therefore, from
the Lord, loves justice, and does it
with judgment, he is charity in its im
age and likeness." After these things
were said, a silence was made, such as
is made by those who see and acknowl
edge something in the internal man, that
it is so, but not as yet in the external ;
this I observed from their faces. But
suddenly I was then taken away from
their sight, for I reentered from the
spirit into my material body; for the
natural man, because he is clothed with
a material body, does not appear to any
spiritual man, that is, to a spirit and an
angel ; neither does any spiritual man
appear to the natural man

324

Concerning Charity,

460. Second Relation. Once,
when I looked around in the spiritual
world, I heard, as it were, a gnashing
of teeth, and also, as it were, a knock
ing, and intermixed with them, as it
were, a jarring sound ; and I asked what
they were ; and the angels who were
with me said, " They are colleges,
which by us are called inns, where
they dispute one with another. Their
disputations are heard thus at a dis
tance, but near they are heard only as
disputations." I went up and saw lit
tle houses built of rushes, cemented
together with clay, and I wished to
look in through a window, but there
was none ; for it was not lawful to en
ter through the door, because thus light
would flow in from heaven and con
found. But then, on a sudden, a win
dow was made on the right side, and
then I heard them complaining that
they were in darkness ; but presently a
window was made on the left side, the
window on the right side being shut,
and then by degrees the darkness was
dispersed, and they seemed to them
selves in their light. And after this,
it was given me to enter through the
door and hear. There was a table in
the middle, and benches round about ;
yet they all seemed to me to stand upon
the benches, and to dispute sharply
among themselves concerning Faith
and Charity ; on one side, that faith
was the essential ofthe church, and on
the other, that charity was. Those
who made faith the essential, said,
" Do we not deal with God by faith,
and with men by charity ? Is not, then,
faith heavenly, and charity earthly?
Are we not saved by what is heavenly,
and not by what is earthly? Also can
not God give faith from heaven, be
cause it is heavenly? And is not man to
give himself charity, because this is
earthly? And that which a man gives
himself is not ofthe church, and there
fore does not save. Can any one, then,
be justified before God by works, which
are called the works of" charity ? Be
lieve us, that by faith alone we are
not only justified, but also sanctified,
if faith be not defiled with the things

of merit, which are from the works of
charity ;" besides other things. But
those who made charity the essential
of the church, sharply refuted those
things, by saying " That charity saves,
and not faith. Does not God hold all
dear, and will good to all? How can
God do this except through men ? Does
God only give to speak with men the
things which are of faith, and does He
not give to do to men the things which
are of charity? Do you not see, that
you spoke absurdly concerning charity,
that it is earthly ? Charity is heavenly,
and because you do not do the good of
charity, your faith is earthly. How do
you receive your faith, but as a stock or
a stone ? You say, ' By the hearing of
the Word.' But how can the Word,
only heard, operate? and how can it
operate upon a stock or a stone ? Per
haps you are vivified, while you are
altogether unconscious of it; but what
is that vivification, except that you can
say that faith alone justifies and saves?
But what faith is, and what saving faith
is, you do not know." But then arose
one, who was called by the angel that
spoke with me, a syncrctist. He took
off his hood and laid it upon the table;
but suddenly he put it on his head
again, because he was bald. He said,
"Hear; you are all wrong; it is true
that faith is spiritual, and charity moral,
but still they are conjoined, and they
are conjoined by the Word, and then
by the Holy Spirit, and by the effect,
which indeed may be called obedience,
but in which man has not any part,
because when faith is brought in, man
knows no more than a statue. I have
long thought with myself concerning
these things, and have at length found
out, that man can receive faith from
God, which is spiritual, but that he can
not be moved by God to charity which
is spiritual, more than a stock." When
these things were said, those who were
in faith alone clapped, but those who
were in charity hissed ; and the latter
from indignation said, "Hear, friends;
do you not know that there is a spirit
ual moral life, and that there is a
merely natural moral life ; the spiritual

and concerning Good Works.

325

moral life is with those who do good
from God, and still as from themselves,
and the merely natural moral life is
with those who do good from hell, and
yet still as from themselves.
It was said that the disputation was
heard as a gnashing of teeth, and a
knocking, with which was intermixed
a jarring sound. The disputation
heard as the gnashing of teeth was
from those who made faith the only
essential of the church, and the knock
ing was from those who made charity
the only essential of the church, and
the jarring sound intermixed was from
the syncretist. The reason why their
sounds were thus heard at a distance,
was, because they all had disputed in
the world, and had not shunned any
evil, and therefore had not done any
good from a spiritual origin ; and they
were also entirely ignorant, that all of
faith is truth, and all of charity is good,
and that truth without good is not
truth in spirit, and that good without
truth is not good in spirit, and that
thus one makes the other.
461. Third Relation. I was
once conveyed to the southern region
in the spiritual world, and into a cer
tain paradise there, and I saw that this
excelled the rest that I had hitherto
surveyed; the reason was, because a
garden signifies intelligence; and all
who are superior to others in intelli
gence are transferred to the south; the
garden of Eden, in which Adam with
his wife was, signifies nothing else ;
wherefore their being expelled from it
involves that they were deprived of
intelligence, and thus also of integrity
of life. As I was walking in this
southern paradise, I observed some sit
ting under a certain laurel-tree eating
figs. I went to them and asked them
for some figs, and they gave me some ;
and lo, the figs in my hand became
grapes ; and when I was wondering at
this, an angelic spirit, who stood by me,
said to me, " The figs in your hand have
become grapes, because figs from corre
spondence signify the goods of charity,
and thence of faith, in the natural or
external man ; but grapes the goods of
charity, and thence of faith, in the spir

itual or internal man ; and because you
love spiritual things, therefore it has
so happened to you ; for, in our world,
all things are done, and exist, and also
are changed, according to correspon
dences." Then, instantly, there came
upon me a desire of knowing how man
can do good from God, and yet alto
gether as from himself; wherefore I
asked those who were eating figs how
they comprehend it. They said that
they could not comprehend it otherwise
than that God works it, inwardly, in
man and by man, when he is ignorant
of it ; since if man should be conscious
of it, and should thus do it, he would
do only apparent good, which inwardly
is evil; for all that proceeds from man
proceeds from his proprium, and this
from nativity is evil ; how, then, can
good from God, and evil from man, be
conjoined, and thus conjointly proceed
into act? And the proprium of man
in the things of salvation continually
breathes merit, and as far as it does
this, it takes away from the Lord his
merit, which is the highest injustice
and impiety. In a word, if the good
which God works in man should flow
into the willing of man, and thence
into his doing, that good would be ut
terly defiled and also profaned, which,
however, God never permits. Man,
indeed, can do good and think that it
is from God, and call it the good of
God through him ; but still that it is, we
do not comprehend. But then I opened
my mind and said, " You do not com
prehend it, because you think from
appearance ; and thought from appear
ance, when confirmed, is fallacy. The
appearance and fallacy thence are in
consequence of your believing that all
the things that a man wills and thinks,
and thence does and speaks, are in
himself, and consequently from himself,
when yet nothing of them is in himself
except the state of receiving what flows
in. Man is not life in himself, but he
is an organ receptive of life ; the Lord
is life in Himself, as He also says in
John ; As the Father hath life in Him
self, so also hath He given to the Son
to have life in Himself, v. 26; besides
in other places, as John xi. 25 ; xiv. 6.

326

Concerning Cliarity,

9. There are two things which make
life, love and wisdom ; or, what is the
same, the good of love and the truth of
wisdom ; these flow in from God, and are
received by man as if they were his;
and because they au felt thus, they
also proceed from man as his. Their
being thus felt by man is given by
the Lord, that that which flows in may
affect him, and thus may be received
and remain. But, because all evil
also flows in, not from God, but from
hell, and this is received with delight,
because man is born such an organ,
therefore no more of good is received
from God, than there is of evil removed
by man as by himself, which is done by
repentance, and at the same time by
faith in the Lord. That love and wis
dom, charity and faith, or, more gener
ally speaking, the good of love and
charity and the truth of wisdom and
faith, flow in, and that the things which
flow in appear in man altogether as
his, and thence proceed as his, may be
seen manifestly from the senses of see
ing, hearing, smelling, tasting and
touching : all the things which are felt
in the organs of those senses flow in
from without, and are felt in them : in
like manner, in the organs of the inter
nal senses, with the difference only,
that spiritual things, which do not ap
pear, flow into these, but natural things,
which do appear, flow into the former.
In a word, man is an organ receptive
of life from God ; consequently he is
receptive of good, so far as he desists
from evil. The power to desist from
evil the Lord gives to every man, be
cause He gives him to will and to un
derstand ; and whatsoever man does
from the will according to the under
standing, or, what is the same, what
ever he does from the freedom of the
will according to the reason of the un
derstanding, this remains ; by it the
Lord leads man into a state of conjunc
tion with Himself, and in this reforms,
regenerates, and saves him. The life
which flows in is life proceeding from
the Lord, which life also is called the
Spirit of God; in the Word, the Holy
Spirit, concerning which also it is said
that it enlightens and enlivens, yea,

that it operates in him ; but this life is
varied and modified according to the
organization induced by love. You
may also know that all the good of
love and charity, and all the truth of
wisdom and faith, flow in, and are not
in man, from this, that whosoever thinks
that such a thing is in man from crea
tion, must finally think that God infus
ed Himself into man, and thus that men
were in part gods ; and yet those who
think this from faith become devils,
and with us stink like carrion. Be
sides, what is the action of man, but
the mind acting? for what the mind
wills and thinks, this it acts and speaks
by the body, its organ; wherefore, when
the mind is led by the Lord, the action
and speech are also led, and the action
and speech are led by the Lord, when
man believes in Him. Unless it were
so, say, if you can, why the Lord in his
Word has, in thousands of places, com
manded that man should love his neigh
bor ; that he should perform the goods
of charity, and produce fruits as a tree,
and should do the commandments ; and
this and that, that he may be saved.
And also, why did He say that man
should be judged according to his
deeds or works ; he who does goods to
heaven and life, and he who does evils
to hell and death ? How could the Lord
have spoken such things, if all that
proceeds from man were meritorious,
and thence evil ? You may know,
therefore, that if the mind be charity,
the action also is charity ; but if the
mind be faith alone, which also is faith
separate from spiritual charity, the
action also is that faith." On hearing
this, those who sat under the laurel-
tree said, " We comprehend that you
have spoken justly, but still we do not
comprehend." To whom I replied,
" You comprehend that I have spoken
justly, from the common perception
which man has from the influx of light
from heaven, when he hears any truth;
but you do not comprehend, from the
peculiar perception which man has
from the influx of light from the world.
Those two perceptions, namely, the
internal and the external, or the spirit
ual and the natural, make one with the

and concerning Good Works.

32;

wise ; you also can make them one, if
you look to the Lord and remove
evils. Because they understood this, I
plucked some twigs from a certain vine,
and handed to them, and said, " Do you
believe that this is from me, or from
the Lord?" And they said, " That it
was of me from the Lord." And lo,
the twigs in their hands put forth
grapes. But when I retired, I saw a
table of cedar, upon which there was
a book, under a green olive-tree, the
trunk of which was bound around with
a vine. I looked at it, and behold, it
was a book written by me, called Ar
cana Coelestia. And I said, that in
that book it is fully shown that man is
an organ receptive of life, and not life ;
and that this cannot be created, and
thus created be in man, any more than
light in the eye.
462. Fourth Relation. I looked
towards the sea-coast in the spiritual
world, and I saw a spacious dock-yard.
I went to it, and looked into it, and
behold, there were vessels there, large
and small, and in them merchandise
of every kind, and upon the decks
were sitting boys and girls distributing
it to those who wished for it. And
they said, " We expect to see our beau
tiful turtles, which will soon rise up
out of the sea to us." And lo, I saw
little and great turtles, upon the shells
and scales of which there sat young
turtles, which were looking to the
islands round about. The turtles, the
fathers, had two heads ; one great one,
covered over with a. shell similar to the
shell of their bodies, whence they shone;
and another little one, such as turtles
have, which they drew back into the
fore part of the body, and also in
serted in a secret way into the greater
head. But I kept my eyes upon the
great shining head, and saw that this
had a face like a man, and talked with
the boys and girls upon the decks, and
licked their hands, and then the boys
and girls stroked them, and gave'them
food and dainties, and also precious
things, as silk for clothes, almug wood
for tables, purple for decorations, and
scarlet for coloring. On seeing
these things, I desired to know what

they represented, because I knew that
all the things that appear in the spirit
ual world are correspondences, and
represent spiritual things, which are of,
affection and thence of thought. And.
then they spoke with me from heaven
and said, "You know yourself what
the dock represents, and also what the
vessels, as also what the boys and girls
upon them ; but you do not know what
the turtles represent." And they said.,,
" The turtles represent those of the
clergy there, who entirely separate?
faith from charity and its good works^,
affirming with themselves that there is.
plainly no conjunction ; but that the..
Holy Spirit, by faith in God the Father,"
for the sake of the Son's merit, enters.
into man and purifies his interiors even
to his own will, of which they make, as
it were, an oval plane ; and that, when
the operation of the Holy Spirit ap;
proaches to that plane, on the left side'
of it, it turns itself away around it, andj
does not touch it at all, and that thus
the interior or higher part ofthe mental
powers of man is for God, and that the
exterior or lower part is for man; and
thus that not any thing that man does,
appears before God, neither the good
nor the evil ; not the good, because this
is meritorious, and not the evil, because
this is evil ; since if they appeared be-5
fore God, man would perish from both ;
and because it is so, that it is allowable,
for man to will, think, speak and do,
whatever he likes, provided he takes
heed to himself before the world." I
asked, whether they also assert that it
is allowable to think concerning God,
that He is not omnipresent and omnis
cient. They said from heaven, that;
this also is allowable for them, because
God, with him who has got faith, and
is purified and justified by it, does not
look at any thing of his thought and
will, and that he still retains in the
inner bosom, or higher region of his
mind or mental powers, the faith which
he had received in the act of it, and
that this act may some time return'
when man is ignorant of it. These
things are what the little head repre
sents, which they draw into the fore
part of the body, and also insert into

Concerning Charity,

the great head, when tney speak with
the laity ; for they do not speak with
them from the little head, but from the
great one, which in front appears en
dued, as it were, with a human face;
and they speak with them from the
Word, concerning love, concerning
charity, concerning good works, con
cerning the commandments ofthe dec
alogue, concerning repentance ; and
they take from the Word almost all the
things that are there concerning them ;
but then they insert the little head into
the great one, from which they think
inwardly with themselves that all those
things should not be done for the sake
of God and salvation, but only for the
sake of the public and private good.
But because they speak concerning
those things from the Word, especially
concerning the Gospel, the operation
ofthe Holy Spirit and salvation, sweetly
and elegantly, therefore they appear to
the hearers like beautiful men, and
wiser than all others in the world :
wherefore you also saw that dainties
and precious things were given to them
by the boys and girls sitting upon the
decks ofthe vessels. These, therefore,
are those whom you saw represented
as turtles. In your world, they are
scarcely distinguished from others, only
by this, that they believe themselves
wiser than all, and laugh at others, even
those who are in similar doctrine as to
faith, but not in those secrets. They
carry with them in their clothes some
little sign by which they make them
selves distinguished from others. The
one who spoke with me said, " I shall
not tell you what they think concerning
the other things of faith, as what con
cerning election, concerning free agen
cy, concerning baptism, and concerning
the holy supper, which are such things
as they do not divulge, but we in heav
en know them. But because they are
such in the world, and after death it is
not allowable for any one to speak
otherwise than he thinks, therefore, be
cause they cannot then speak other
wise than from the insanities of their
own thoughts, they are reputed as in
sane, and are cast out of the societies,
and at length are let down into the pit

of the abyss mentioned in Rev. ix. 2,
and they become corporeal spirits, and
appear like the mummies of the Egyp
tians ; for a hardness is induced upon
the interiors of their minds, because in
the world also they interposed a hedge.
There is an infernal society of them
near to the infernal society of the Ma-
chiavelians, and they enter every where
from one to the other, and call each
other companions ; but they go out be
cause there is a diversity arising from
this, that there was with the former
something religious concerning the act
of justification by faith, but not any
with the Machiavelians.
After I had seen them cast out from
the societies, and collected, that they
might be cast down, I saw a vessel
in the air, flying with seven sails, and
in it.officers and sailors clad in purple
garments, having upon their caps mag
nificent laurels, exclaiming, " Lo, we
are in heaven ; we are doctors, clothed
in purple and decked with laurels above
all, because we are the heads ofthe wise
of all the clergy in Europe." I won
dered what this was; and it was said
to me, that they were images of pride,
and ideal thoughts which are called fan
tasies, from those who before seemed
like turtles, and now like insane persons
cast out from the societies and collected
together, and were standing together
in one place. And then I desired to
speak with them, and went to the place
where they stood, and saluted them
and said, " Are you those who have
separated the internals of men from
their externals, and the operation of
the Holy Spirit as in faith, from its co
operation with man out of faith, and so
have separated God from man? Have
you not thus not only removed charity
itself and its works from faith, as many
other teachers amongst the clergy have
done, but also faith itself, as to its man
ifestation before God from man? But
I ask, Do you wish that I should speak
with you concerning this subject from
reason, or from the Sacred Scripture?"
They said, " Speak first from reason."
And I spoke, saying, " How can the
internal and the external with man be
separated ? Who does not, or may not

and concerning Good Works.

329

see, from common perception, that all
the interiors of man proceed and are
continued to the exteriors and even to
his extremes, that they may produce
their effects and perform their works ?
Are not internal things for the sake of
the external, that they may terminate
and subsist in them, and thus exist,
scarcely otherwise than as a pillar on
its pedestal ? You can see, that, unless
there were a continuation, and thus
conjunction, the extremes would be
dissolved and dissipated like bubbles
in the air. Who can deny that the in
terior operations of God with man are
myriads of myriads, concerning which
man knows nothing? And of what
use is it for him to know them, if he
only knows the extremes,in which, with
his thought and will, he is together with
God. But this shall be illustrated by
an example. Does man know the in
terior operations of his speech ; as how
the lungs draw in the air, and with it
fill the vesicles, the bronchia? and the
lobes ; how they send forth that air
into the trachea, and there turn it into
sound ; how the sound is modified in
the glottis by help of the larynx ; and
how the tongue then articulates it, and
the lips complete the articulation, that
it may become speech? Are not all
these interior operations, concerning
which man knows nothing, for the sake
of the extreme, that man may be able
to speak ? Remove or separate one of
those internal things from its con
nection with the extremes, would man
have been able to speak any more
than a stock? Let there be another
example. The two hands are ultimate
things of man : are there not interior
things, which are continued thither
from the head, through the neck, also
through the breast, the shoulders, the
arms and the fore arms ; and are there
not innumerable muscular textures, in
numerable phalanxes of moving fibres,
innumerable bundles of nerves and
blood-vessels, and many ginglymuses
of the bones with their ligaments and
membranes'? Does man know any
thing concerning them ? And yet his
hands operate from all and each of
them. Suppose that those interior
42

things should turn themselves back
about the elbow, to the left or to the
right, and should not enter by con
tinuity, would not the hand fall off from
the arm, and putrify like something
inanimate torn asunder ? Yea, if you
will believe, it would be as with the
body, if a man were beheaded. Just so
it would be with the human mind and
its two lives, the will and the under
standing, if the divine operations which
are of faith and charity should stop in
the middle of the way, and not extend
by continuity even to man ; man, indeed,
would then be not only a brute but a
rotten log. These things are accord
ing to reason. Now, if you will hear,
the same are also according to the
Sacred Scripture. Does not the Lord
say, Abide in Me, and I in you ; I am
the Vine, and ye the branches. He
that abideth in Me, and I in him, bear-
eth much fruit, John xv. 4, 5. Are
not fruits the good works which the
Lord does through man, and man of
himself from the Lord? The Lord
also says, that He stands at the door
and knocks, and that to him who opens,
He goes in and sups with him, and he
with Him, Rev. iii. 20. Does not the
Lord give pounds and talents that man
may trade with them, and gain ? and
as he gains, does He not give eter
nal life? Matt. xxv. 14 to 34; Luke
xix. 13 to 26. Also, that He gives
wages to every one according to the
labor in his vineyard, Matt. xx. 1 to 17.
But these are a few ; pages may be
filled from the Word concerning this,
that man should produce fruits like a
tree, should work according to the
commandments, should love God and
the neighbor, &c. But I know that
your own intelligence cannot have any
thing, such as it is in itself, in common
with the things which are from the
Word, which although you speak, still
your ideas pervert them ; and you can
not do otherwise, because you remove
all things of God from man, as to com
munication and thence conjunction ;
what, then, remains, but to remove
also all things of worship?" After
wards they appeared to me in the
light of heaven, which discloses and

330

Concerning Charity, and concerning Good Works.

manifests what every one is ; and then
they did not appear, as before, in a
vessel in the air, as if in heaven, nor
dressed in purple as to clothes, nor
crowned with laurels as to the head ;
but in a sandy place, in garments of

rags, and girded with nets like those,
of fishermen, about the loins, througli
which their nakedness appeared ; and
then they were let down into a society
which was contiguous to the Machi-
avelians.

Concerning Free Agency.

331

CHAPTER VIII.

CONCERNING FREE, AGENCY.

463. Before I proceed to deliver
the doctrinal of the New Church con
cerning Free Agency, it is necessary
that those things be premised, which
the present church delivers in its dog
matical books concerning it ; since,
unless this be done, a man who has
sound reason and religion may be
lieve that it is not worth while to write
any thing new concerning it ; for he
might say, " Who does not know that
man has free agency in spiritual things ?
Otherwise, what reason would there be
that priests should preach, that men
should believe in God, that they should
turn themselves about, that they should
live according to the precepts in the
Word, that they should fight against the
concupiscences of their flesh, and that
they should make themselves new crea
tures; besides many such like things?
Wherefore he cannot think with him
self otherwise than that those things
would be only words of wind, if there
were not any free agency in the things
of salvation, and that to deny it would
be madness, because contrary to com
mon sense. But that still the present
church goes against it, and casts it out
of its temples, may be evident from the
book called Formula Concordia, to
which the Evangelical swear, from
these things there, which follow. That
there is the same doctrine, and thence
faith, concerning free agency, with the
Reformed, thus the same in the whole
Christian world, therefore in Germany,
Sweden, Denmark, England and Hol
land, is evident from their dogmatical
books. These things, therefore, were
taken from the Formula Concordia,
ofthe Leipsic edition, in the year 1756.
464. " I. The doctors of the Augs
burg Confession assert, that man, from

the fall of his first parents, was so en
tirely corrupted, that, in spiritual things
which relate to our conversion and sal
vation, he is by nature blind ; that he
neither understands, nor can under
stand, the Word of God when preached,
but esteems it as a foolish thing, and
never of himself approaches to God, but
rather is an enemy of God, and remains
so, until, by the power of the Holy
Ghost, through the Word preached and
heard, he is, of mere grace, without
any cooperation on his part, convert
ed, gifted with faith, regenerated and
renewed ; page 656. II. We believe
that the understanding, heart and will of
a man not born again, in spiritual and
divine things, of their own natural
powers, cannot at all understand, be
lieve, embrace, think, will, begin, fin
ish, act, operate, and cooperate ; but
that man is altogether corrupt and dead
to good ; so that, in the nature of man,
since the fall, before regeneration, there
is not remaining a single spark of spir
itual strength, by which he can pre
pare himself for the grace of God,
or apprehend it when offered, or ac
commodate himself, and of himself be
capable of receiving it; or can, by his
own strength, contribute any thing to
his conversion, either in the whole, or
by halves, or in the least part, act, op
erate, or cooperate of himself, or as of
himself; but that man is the servant of
sin and the slave of Satan, by whom he
is actuated; thence, therefore, his natu
ral free agency, by reason of his cor
rupted powers and his depraved nature,
is active and efficacious only to those
things which displease and offend God ;
p. 656. III. That man is industrious
and ingenious in civil and natural
things, but in spiritual and divine

332

Concerning Free Agency.

things, which relate to the salvation of
the soul, he is like a stock, a stone, the
pillar of salt, Lot's wife, which have
not the use of eyes, mouth or of any
of the senses ; p. 661. IV. Thatman
has still a locomotive power, can gov
ern his external members, hear the gos
pel, and in some manner meditate, but
that still in his secret thoughts he des
pises it as a foolish thing, neither can
he believe, and in this respect he is
worse than a stock, unless the Holy
Ghost in him be efficacious and enkin
dle and operate in him faith and other
virtues approved by God, and obedi
ence ; p. 662. V. With some reason it
may be said that man is not a stone or
a stock ; a stone or a stock does not
resist nor understand or feel what is
done with it, as man by his will resists
God, until he is converted to God ; and
yet it is true that man, before conver
sion, is a rational creature, that has an
understanding, but not in divine things,
and a will, but not that he may will
any good conducive to salvation ; but
yet he can contribute nothing to his
conversion, and in this respect he is
worse than a stock or a stone ; p. 672,
673. VI. That the whole of conver
sion is the operation, gift and work of
the Holy Ghost alone, who operates
and effects it, by his virtue and power
through the Word, in the understand
ing, heart and will of man, as in a pas
sive subject, when man does not act at
all, but is only acted upon; that yet it
is not done in the same manner as a
statue is formed out of stone, or a seal
impressed upon wax, because the wax
has neither knowledge nor will ; p.
681. VII. It is according to the say
ings of some fathers and modern doc
tors, That God draws but the willing,
thus that the will of man does some
thing in conversion ; but these are not
according to the sacred words, for
they confirm a false opinion concern
ing the powers of the human will in
conversion ; p. 5S2. VIII. That in the
outward things of the world, there is
still left to man something of under
standing, powers and faculties, al
though these miserable remains are
very weak • and even these themselves,

small as they are, are infected and con
taminated with poison by hereditary
disease, so that they are of no account
in the sight of God ; p. 64 1 . IX. That
man in conversion, by which from a
child of wrath he becomes a child of
grace, does not cooperate with the
Holy Ghost, for the conversion of man
is solely and exclusively his work ; p.
219, 519 and the following, 663 and
the following; appen. p. 143. That
yet a man born again by virtue of the
Holy Ghost, can cooperate, although
much infirmity still accompanies ; and
that he operates well, so far and so
long as he is led, guided and governed
by the Holy Ghost ; but still he does
not cooperate with the Holy Ghost, as
two horses together draw a chariot ; p,
674. X. Original sin is not a certain
fault which is perpetrated in act, but
it is fixed most deeply in the nature,
substance and essence of man, which
is the source of all actual sins, such as
depraved thoughts, words, and evil
works ; p. 577. That hereditary dis
ease, by which the whole nature was
corrupted, is a horrible sin, and indeed
the beginning and head of all sins,
from which, as the root and source, all
transgressions proceed ; p. 640. That
the whole nature, by that sin, as by a
spiritual leprosy, is, even in the inmost
bowels and deepest recesses of the
heart, wholly infected and corrupted in
the sight of God ; and on account of
this corruption, the person of man is
accused and condemned by the law of
God ; so that by nature we are children
of wrath, slaves of death and damna
tion, unless, by the benefit of Christ's
merit, we are delivered and saved from
these evils ; p. 639. That hence there
is a total want or privation of original
righteousness or the image of God,
created with him in paradise, and that
thence is the impotence, unfitness, and
stupidity, by which man is altogether
unfit for all divine or spiritual things.
That instead of the image of God lost
in man, there is an inmost, most vile,
most deep, inscrutable, inexpressible
corruption of the whole nature, and of
all the powers, especially of the higher
and principal faculties of the soul, ir

Concerning Free Agency.

333

the mind, understanding, heart and
will; p. 640."
465. These are the precepts, dogmas
and decrees of the present church con
cerning man's free agency in spiritual
and in natural things, as also concern
ing original sin. These have been
adduced, in order that the precepts,
dogmas and decrees of the New
Church concerning those things, may
more evidently appear ; for from the
two forms thus placed together, the
truth appears in the light ; as is done
in pictures, in which an ugly face is
placed at the side of a beautiful face,
from which, seen together, the beauty
of the one and the ugliness of the
other, are clearly exhibited to the eye.
The decrees of the New Church are
these which follow.
466. I. That two Trees were
PLACED IN THE GARDEN OF EdEN,
one of Life, and the other of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil, sig
nifies that Free Agency in spirit
ual Things was given to Man.
It has been believed by many, that
by Adam and Eve, in the book of
Moses, are not meant the man and
woman first created ; and to confirm it,
they have adduced arguments concern
ing the Preadamites, from computa
tions and chronologies among some
nations; and also from the saying of
Cain, the first-born of Adam, to Jeho
vah ; / shall be a fugitive and vag
abond in the earth, so that whoever
findeth me will kill me. Wherefore
Jehovah set a mark upon Cain, that
whoever should find him, might not kill
him, Gen. iv. 14, 15. And after he
had gone out from the face of Jehovah,
he dwelt in the land qf Nod, and built a
city, 16, 17 ; consequently, that the
earth was inhabited before Adam.
But that by Adam and his wife is
meant the most ancient church in this
earth, has been abundantly demonstrat
ed in the Arcana Coelestia, published
by me at London ; and there also, that
by the garden of Eden, is meant the
wisdom of the men of that church ; and
by the tree of life, the Lord in man, and
man in the Lord ; and by the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil, man

not in the Lord, but in his proprium,
as he is who believes that he does all
things from himself, even good ; and
that by eating from this tree is meant
the appropriation of evil.
467. In the Word, by the garden of
Eden, is not meant any garden, but
intelligence ; nor by tree, any tree, but
man. That the garden of Eden signi
fies intelligence and wisdom, may be
evident from these passages ; In thy
intelligence and wisdom thou hadst
made for thyself riches ; thou hast been
in Eden, the garden of God ; and
in what follows there, Full of wisdom,
thou hast been in Eden, the garden
of God ; every precious stone thy cover
ing, Ezek. xxviii. 4, 12, 13. These
things are concerning the prince and
concerning the king of Tyre, of whom
wisdom is predicated, because by Tyre,
in the Word, is signified the church as
to the knowledges of truth and good,
by which is wisdom ; by the precious
stones which were his covering, are
also signified the knowledges of truth
and good ; for the prince and the king
of Tyre were not in the garden of
Eden. And elsewhere, in Ezekiel ;
Ashur, a cedar in Lebanon ; the cedars
did not hide him in the garden of
God ; no tree in the garden of God
was equal to him in beauty. All the
trees of Eden, in the garden of
God, emulated him, xxxi. 1, 8. And fur
ther ; To whom hast thou become like,
thus in glory and in greatness, among
the trees of Eden, verse 18. This
is said concerning Ashur, because
by him, in the Word, is signified ra
tionality and thence intelligence. In
Isaiah ; Jehovah will comfort Zion ; He
will turn her desert into Eden, and her
wilderness into the garden of Jeho
vah, li. 3. Zion there is the church,
and Eden and the garden of Jehovah,
is wisdom and intelligence. In the
Revelation ; To him that overcometh, 1
will give to eat of the tree of life,
which is in the midst of the para
dise of God, iii. 7. In the midst of
the street and of the river on each side
shall be the tree of life, xxii. 2. From
these it is clearly manifest, that by the
garden in Eden, in which Adam is

334

Concerning Free Agency.

said to have been placed, is meant in
telligence and wisdom, because similar
things are said concerning Tyre,
Ashur and Zion. By garden is signi
fied intelligence also in other places in
the Word, as Isaiah lviii. 11, Ixi. 11;
Jer. xxxi. 12; Amos ix. 14; Numbers
xxiv. 6. This spiritual meaning of
garden derives its cause from the rep
resentations in the spiritual world ;
there paradises appear where angels in
intelligence and wisdom are. The in
telligence itself and wisdom which they
have from the Lord, exhibit such
things around them ; and this is done
from correspondence, for all the things
which exist in the spiritual world are
correspondences. 468. That tree signifies man, is evi
dent from these passages in the Word ;
All the trees of the field shall know that
I Jehovah humble the high tree, exalt
the low tree, and dry the green tree,
and make the dry tree flourish, Ezek.
xvii. 24. Blessed is he whose delight
is in the law; he will be like a tree
planted by rivers of waters, which
will produce its fruit in its season,
Psalms i. 1, 3, Jer. xvii. 8. Praise
Jehovah, ye trees of fruit, Psalms
cxlviii. 9. The trees of Jehovah are
fitted full, civ. 16. The axe lieth at
the root of the tree ; every tree not pro
ducing good fruit shall be cut down,
Matt. iii. 10; vii. 16 to 21. Either
make the tree good, and the fruit good,
or make the tree corrupt ; for the tree
is known from the fruit, Matt. xii. 33;
Luke vi. 43, 44. / will kindle a fire,
which shall devour every green tree and
every dry tree, Ezek. xx. 47. Since
tree signifies man, therefore it was a
statute, That the fruit of a tree ser
viceable for food in the land of Canaan
should be accounted uncircumcised.
Lev. xix. 23, 24. Since olive-tree sig
nifies a man of the celestial church, it
is said concerning the two witnesses
who prophesied, That they were two
olive-trees standing by the Lord of the
whole earth, Rev. xi. 4 ; also Zech.
iv. 3, 11, 12. And in David ; lam a
green olive-tree in the house of God,
Psalms Iii. 8. And in Jeremiah ; The
Lord called thy name a green olive-tree,

beautiful with fruit, xi. 16, 17; besides
many other passages, which, on ac
count of their abundance, are not here
brought forward.
469. Every one at this day, who has
interior wisdom, may perceive or con
jecture, that those things which are
written concerning Adam and his wife,
involve spiritual things, which no one
has hitherto known, because the spirit
ual sense of the Word has never till
now been laid open. Who cannot see
afar off, that Jehovah would not have
placed two trees in the garden, and
one for a stumbling-block, except for the
sake of some spiritual representation ?
And that, because they both ate of a
certain tree, they were cursed ; and
that that curse adheres to every man
after them, thus that the whole hu
man race, on account of the fault of
one man, in which there was not any
evil of the concupiscence of the flesh
and iniquity of heart, was condemned ;
does this square with the divine jus
tice? Especially, why did not Jeho
vah withhold him from eating, when,
being present, He saw it? And why
did he not cast the serpent down
into hell before he persuaded? But, my
friend, God did not do this, since thus
He would have taken away free agency
from man ; from which, however, man
is man, and not a beast. When this
is known, it appears in evidence, that
by those two trees, one for life and
the other for death, was represented
man's free agency in spiritual things,
Besides, hereditary evil is not thence,
but from parents, by whom the inclina
tion to evil, in which they themselves
were, is communicated to their children
That it is so, is clearly seen by anyone
who attentively observes the manners,
minds and faces of the children, yea,
of the families, from one father ; but
still it depends upon each one in the
family, whether he will accede or recede,
since every one is left to his own choice.
But what, in particular, the tree of life
signifies, and the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, has been fully ex
plained in a Relation above, n. 48,
which may be seen.
470. II. That man is not Life,

Concerning Free Agency.

33o

but a Receptacle of Life from
God.
It is commonly believed, that life is
in man his, so that he is not only a re
ceptacle of life, but also life. That it is
commonly so believed, is from appear
ance, because he lives, that is, feels,
thinks, speaks and acts altogether as
from himself. Wherefore this, that
man is a receptacle of life, and not life,
cannot but seem as something unheard
of, or as a paradox adverse to sensual
thought, because to appearance. The
cause of this fallacious belief, that man
is also life, consequently that life was
created inherent in him, and after
wards produced in man by natural gen
eration, I have deduced from appear
ance ; but the cause of the fallacy from
appearance is, that most at this day are
natural, and few spiritual, and the nat
ural man judges from appearances, and
thence fallacies, and these are diamet
rically opposite to this truth, that man
is only a receptacle of life, and not life.
That man is not life, but only a recep
tacle of life from God, is evident from
these clear testimonies, that all things
which are created are in themselves
finite ; and that man, because he is
finite, could not have been created but
from finite things ; wherefore in the
book of Creation it is said, that Adam
was made of the earth and its dust,
from which also he was named, for
Adam signifies the ground of the earth ;
and every man actually consists only
of such things as are in the earth, and
from the earth, in the atmospheres : those
things which are in the atmospheres
from the earth man sucks in through
the lungs, and through the pores of the
whole body, and the grosser parts by
food made of things from the earth.
But as to what concerns the spirit of
man, that also is created from finite
things. What is the spirit of man, but
a receptacle of the life of the mind ?
The finite things, from which that is,
are the spiritual substances, which are
in the spiritual world, and also are
brought together into our earth, and
therein concealed. Unless these were
together with material things in the
earth, no seed could be impregnated

from the inmost parts, and thence grow
wonderfully, without any deviation,
from the first stamen even to the fruit
and to new seeds ; nor would any
worms be procreated from the effluvia
from the earth and from the exhalation
of vapors from vegetables, by which
the atmospheres are impregnated. Who
can from reason think, that the Infi
nite can create any thing else than
finite ; and that man, because he is
finite, is any thing else than a form,
which the Infinite can vivify from the
life in itself? And this is meant by
these Words; Jehovah formed man, the
dust of the earth, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of lives, Gen. ii. 7.
God, because He is infinite, is life in
Himself; this He cannot create and
thus transcribe into man, for this would
be to make him God; that this was
done, was an insanity of the serpent or
devil, and from him of Eve and Adam ;
for the serpent said, In the day that ye
eat of the fruit of this tree, your eyes
will be opened, and ye will be as God,
Gen. iii. 5. That this direful persua
sion, that God transfused and transcrib
ed himself into men, was entertained
by the men of the most ancient church,
at its end, when it was consummated,
I have heard from their mouth ; and
these, on account of that horrible be
lief, that thus they were gods, lie deeply
concealed in a cavern, to which no
one can approach, without being seized
with an inward dizziness, so that he
falls down. That by Adam and his
wife is understood and described the
most ancient church, was made known
in the preceding article.
471. Who does not see, if he can
think from reason, elevated above the
sensual things of the body, that life is
not creatable? For what is life, but the
inmost activity of love and wisdom,
which are in God, and are God, which
life also may be called the very living
force ? He who sees this, can also see
that that life cannot be transcribed into
any man, except together with love and
wisdom. Who denies, or can deny,
that all the good of love and all the
truth of wisdom are solely from God :
and that, as far as man receives them

336

Concerning Free Agency.

from God, so far he lives from God,
and is said to be born of God, that is,
regenerated. And, on the other hand,
as far as any does not receive love and
wisdom, or, what is similar, charity and
faith, so far he does not receive life,
which in itself is life, from God, but
from hell, which is no other life than
inverted life, which is called spiritual
death. 472. From the things said above, it
may be perceived and concluded that
the following things are not creatable,
viz : 1. that the infinite is not ; 2.
that love and wisdom are not ; 3. and
thence life is not; 4. nor light and
heat ; 5. yea, neither activity itself
viewed in itself; but that organs re
ceiving them are creatable and created.
These things may be illustrated by
these comparisons ; — that light is not
creatable, but its organ, which is the
eye; that sound, which is an activity
ofthe atmosphere, is not creatable, but
its organ, which is the ear ; that neither
is heat, which is the primary active
principle, for receiving which, all the
things which are in the three kingdoms
of nature were created, which accord
ing to reception do not act, but are
acted upon. It is from creation, that
where there are things active, there are
also things passive, and that those two
join themselves together as into one.
If the active were creatable, as the
passive, there would have been no need
of the sun, and of heat and light thence,
but all created things might subsist
without them : when yet, if those
should be removed, the created uni
verse would fall into chaos. The sun
of the world itself consists of created
substances, the activity of which pro
duces fire. These things are adduced
for the sake of illustration. It would
be similar with man, if spiritual light,
which in its essence is wisdom, and
spiritual heat, which in its essence is
love, should not flow into man and be
received by man. The whole man is
nothing else than a form organized for
the reception of those two, as well from
the natural world as from the spiritual
world, for they correspond to each
other. If it were denied that man is a

form receptive of love and wisdom from
God, influx would also be denied, and
thus that all good is from God ; and
likewise conjunction with God would
be denied, and thence it would be an
empty word, that man may be a habita
tion and temple of God.
473. But that man does not know
this from any light of reason, is because
fallacies from the believed appearances
ofthe external senses ofthe body over
shadow that light. That man feels no
otherwise than that he lives from his
own life, is because the instrumental
feels the principal as its own, and can
not, therefore, distinguish them; for the
principal cause and the instrumental
cause act together as one cause, ac
cording to a maxim known in the learned
world. The principal cause is life,
and the instrumental cause is the mind
of man. It appears as if beasts also
possessed life created in themselves,
but this is a similar fallacy; for they
are organs created for receiving light
and heat from the natural world, and
at the same time from the spiritual
world ; for every species is a form of
some natural love, and receives light
and heat from the spiritual world me
diately through heaven or hell, gentle
beasts through heaven, and ferocious
ones through hell. Man alone receives
light and heat, that is, wisdom and
love, immediately from the Lord ; this
is the difference.
474. That the Lord is Life in Him
self, thus Life itself, He teaches in
John ; The Word was with God, and
God was the Word. In Him was Life,
and. the Life was the light of men, John
i. 1,4. And also, As the Father hath
Life in Himself, so He hath given to
the Son to have Life in Himself, v. 26
And again, / am the Way, the Truth
and the Life, xiv. 6. And again, He
that followeth Me shall have the light
of Life, viii. 12.
475. III. That Man, while he
lives in the world, is held in
the middle between heaven and
Hell, and there in spiritual Equi
librium, which is Free Agency.
That it may be known what free
agency is, and of what quality, it ia

Concerning Free Agency.

337

necessary that it should be known
whence it is ; from a knowledge of its
origin, especially, it is known not only
that it is, but also what it is. Its origin
is from the spiritual world, where the
mind of man is held by the Lord The
mind of man is his spirit, which lives
after death ; and his spirit is continually
in consociation with its like in that
world; and his spirit, by the material
body with which it is encompassed, is
with men in the natural world. That
man does not know that he is in the
midst of spirits as to his mind, is be
cause those spirits with whom he is
in consociation in the spiritual world,
think and speak spiritually, but the
spirit of man, while it is in the material
body, naturally ; and spiritual thought
and speech cannot be understood nor
perceived by the natural man, nor the
reverse ; thence it is, that neither can
they be seen. But when the spirit of
a man is in society with spirits in their
world, then it is also in spiritual
thought and speech with them, because
his mind is inwardly spiritual, but out
wardly natural ; wherefore, by its inte
riors, it communicates with them, but
by its exteriors, with men. By this
communication, man perceives things,
and thinks them analytically ; if man
had not this, he would not think any
more nor any otherwise than a beast ;
as also, if all commerce with spirits
should be taken away from him, he
would die in an instant. But that it
may be comprehended how man can
be held in the middle between heaven
and hell, and thereby in spiritual equi
librium, whence he has free agency, it
shall be told in a few words. The
spiritual world consists of heaven and
hell ; heaven is over the head, and hell
there under the feet ; yet still not in the
middle of the globe inhabited by men,
but under the earths of that world,
which also are of a spiritual origin, and
thence not in what is extended, but in
the appearance of what is extended.
Between heaven and hell there is a
great interstice, which appears to those
who are there like an entire orb.
Into this interstice evil from hell is ex
haled in all abundance; and on the
43

other hand, good from heaven flows in
thither also in all abundance. It is this
interstice, of which Abraham said to
the rich man in hell, Between us and
you there is a great gulf fixed, so that
those who would pass over from hence
to you cannot; neither can those who
are there pass over to us, Luke xvi. 26.
Every man, as to his spirit, is in the
middle of this interstice, solely in order
that he may be in free agency. This
interstice, because it is so great, and
appears to those who are there as a
great orb, is called the World of
Spirits ; it is also full of spirits, be
cause every man after death first, comes
thither, and is there prepared either for
heaven or for hell ; he is there among
them in consociation, as before among
men in the former world. There is no
purgatory there ; this is a fable invented
by the Roman Catholics. But that
world has been particularly treated of
in the work concerning Heaven and
Hell, published at London, in the
year 1758, n. 536 to 603.
476. Every man, from infancy even,
to old age, changes places, or situa
tions in this world. When an infant,,
he is held in the eastern quarter toward:
the north there; and when a child, as.
he learns the rudiments of religion, he-
successively recedes from the north to
the south; when a youth, as he begins.
to think from his own mind, he is car
ried towards the south ; and afterwards,.
when he has come to the exercise of
his own judgment and his own right,
according to his advancement in such
things as inwardly have respect to God
and love towards the neighbor, into the
south to the east. But if he favors evil,
and imbibes it, he advances towards
the west ; for all in the spiritual world
dwell according to quarters ; in the
east, those who are in good from the
Lord, for there is the sun, in the midst
of which is the Lord ; in the north,
those who are in ignorance ; in the
south, those who are in intelligence ;
and in the west, those who are in evil.
Man himself is not held, as to his body,
in that interstice or middle region, but
as to his spirit; and as this changes
state by coming to good or to evil, so it

338

Concerning Free Agency.

is transferred to places or situations in
this or that quarter, and there comes
into consociation with the inhabitants.
But it is to be known, that the Lord
does not transfer man hither or thither,
but man himself in different ways. If
he chooses good, then man, together
with the Lord, or rather the Lord, to
gether with man, transfers his spirit
towards the east; but if man chooses
evil, then man, together with the devil,.
or rather the devil, together with man,
transfers his spirit towards the west.
It is to be observed, that when heaven
is here mentioned, the Lord also is
meant, because the Lord is the all in
all of heaven ; and when the devil is
mentioned, hell is meant, because all
there are devils.
477. That man is held in this great
interstice, and there continually in the
middle of it, is solely in order that he
may be in free agency in spiritual
things ; for this equilibrium is a spir-
tual equilibrium, because it is be-
ween heaven and hell, thus between
good and evil. All who are in that
great interstice, as to their interiors,
are conjoined either with the angels of
heaven, or with the devils of hell ; but
at this day, either with the angels of
Michael, or with the angels of the
dragon. Every man, after death, be
takes himself to his own in that inter
stice, and associates himself with those
who are in a similar love, for love con
joins every one there with his like, and
causes him to respire freely, and to be in
the state of his past life. But then the
externals, which do not make one with
the internals, are successively put off;
which being done, the good are elevated
into heaven, and the evil betake them
selves to hell, each to those with whom,
as to the reigning love, he makes one.
478. But this spiritual equilibrium,
which is free agency, may be illustrated
by natural equilibriums. It is like the
equilibrium of a man bound around the
body, or at the arms, between two men
of the same strength, one of whom
draws the middle man to the right, and
the other to the left ; that then the man
in the middle can turn himself either
way, as if not acted upon by any force ;

and if he betakes himself to the right
hand, he draws the man at the left
hand to himself with violence, so' that
the man at the left, hand falls to the
earth. So it would be if any one, ever
so weak, should be bound between
three men on the right hand and as
many on the left, of the same power ;
and so also if between camels or horses.
Spiritual equilibrium, which is free
agency, may be compared with a bal
ance, in each scale of which are placed
equal weights; if then a little be added
to the scale of one side, the tongue of
the balance above vibrates : it is simi
lar also with a bar or with a large
beam placed upon its roller. All and
each of the things which are within
man, as the heart, the lungs, the stom
ach, the liver, the pancreas, the spleen,
the intestines, and the rest, are in such
equilibrium ; thence it is that every one
in the greatest quietness can perform
its functions. It is so with all the
muscles ; without such an equilibrium
of these, all action and reaction would
cease, and man would no longer act as
man. Since, therefore, all the things
that are in the body are in such equi
librium, all the things that are in the
brain are also in the like ; consequently
all the things that are in the mind
there, which refer themselves to the
will and the understanding. Beasts,
birds, fishes and insects, also have
freedom, but these are carried away by
the senses of their body, at the sug
gestion of appetite and pleasure. Man
would not be unlike these, if he had the
liberty of doing, as he has the liberty
of thinking ; he likewise would be car
ried away only by the senses of his
body, at the suggestion of lust and
pleasure. The case is otherwise with
him who imbibes the spiritual things
of the church, and restrains his free
agency by them ; he is withdrawn by
the Lord from lusts and evil pleasures,
and the connate desires of them, and
acquires an affection for good, and an
aversion to evil ; he is then transferred
by the Lord nearer to the east, and at
the same time to the south, in the spir
itual world, and is put in celestial free
dom, which is truly freedom.

Concerning Free Agency.

339

479. IV. That from the Permis
sion of Evil, in which the inter
nal Man of every one is, it is evi
dently manifest that Man has
Free .Agency in spiritual Things.
That man has free agency in spirit
ual things, is to be confirmed, first
from general things, and afterwards
from particular things, which every one
at the first hearing will acknowledge.
The general things are these : 1."
That the wisest of mankind, Adam and
his wife, suffered themselves to be se
duced by the serpent. 2. That their
first son, Cain, killed his brother Abel ;
and Jehovah God did not withdraw
them by speaking with them, but only
by cursing them after the deeds. 3.
That the Israelitish nation, in the
desert, worshipped a golden calf; when
yet Jehovah saw this, from mount
Sinai, and did not guard against it. 4.
That David numbered the people,
and therefore a pestilence was sent,
by which so many thousands of men
perished ; and that God, not before,
but after the deed, sent to him the
prophet Gad, and denounced punish
ment. 5. That Solomon was permit
ted to institute idolatrous worship. 6.
And many kings after him, to profane
the temple and the holy things of the
church. 7. And at length, that that
nation was permitted to crucify the
Lord. That Mahomet was permitted
to institute a species of religion in many
things not conformable to the Sacred
Scripture. 8. That the Christian reli
gion is divided into many sects, and
each into heresies. 9. That there are
so many impious people in Christen
dom, and also glorying in impiety ; as
also machinations and stratagems, even
against the pious, just and sincere.
10. That injustice sometimes triumphs
over justice in judgments and business.
11. That the impious also are exalted
to honors, and become grandees and
primates. 12. That wars are permit
ted, and then the destruction of so
many men, and the plundering of so
many cities, nations and families ; be
sides many other things. Can any one
deduce such things from any other
source, than from the free agency with

every man ? The permission known
in the whole world, is from no other
origin. That the laws of permission
are also laws of Divine Providence, may
be seen in the work concerning the
Divine Providence, printed at Am
sterdam, in the year 1765, n. 234 te
274, where the things above adduced
also are explained.
480. The particular things, show
ing that there is free agency in spiritual
things equally as in natural, are innu
merable. Let every one, if he will,
consult himself, whether he cannot
think seventy times in a day, or three
hundred times in a week, concerning
God, concerning the Lord, concerning
the Holy Spirit, and concerning divine
things, which are called the Spiritual
things of the church ; whether he then
feels any thing forced, if he be carried
to it from any pleasure, yea, if from any
lust, and this whether he have faith, or
whether he have not faith. Try, also,
in whatever state you may be, whether
you can think any thing without free
agency, as well in your conversation as
in your prayers to God, then in preach
ing, and also in hearing ; does not free
agency carry every point in those
things? Yea, that without free agency
in every thing, yea, in the least things,
you would not respire any more than a
statue; for respiration follows thought,
and thence speech, at every step. I
say, not any more than a statue, and
not any more than a beast, for a beast
respires from natural free agency, but
man from free agency in natural things,
and at the same time in spiritual : for
man is not born like a beast. A beast
is born, with all the ideas, attendants
of its natural love, into such things as
are of nutrition and prolification ; but
man, without connate ideas, only into
the faculty of knowing, understanding
and being wise, and into the inclina
tion to love himself and the world, and
also the neighbor and God. Where
fore it is said, that if free agency
should be taken away from him in
every thing that he wills and thinks,
he would not respire any more than a
statue; and it is not said, not any more
than a beast.

340

Concerning Free Agency.

481. That man has free agency in
natural things, is not denied : but man
has this from his free agency in spirit
ual things ; for the Lord from above,
or from within, flows into every man
with the divine good and the divine
truth, as was before shown, and thereby
inspires life into man, distinct from the
life of beasts, and gives him the ability
to will to receive those things, and to
act from them ; and this He never
takes away from any one. Thence it
follows, that it is the perpetual will of
the Lord, that man should receive truth
and do good, and thus become spiritual,
for which he was born ; and to become
spiritual without free agency in spirit
ual things, is as impossible as it is to
thrust a camel through the eye of a
sewing needle, or as to touch with the
hand a star in heaven. That abili
ty to understand the truth, and to will
it, is given to every man, and also to
the devils, and is never taken away,
has been shown to me by lively experi
ence. One of those who were in hell
was once taken up into the world of
spirits, and there, being asked by angels
from heaven, whether he could under
stand the things which they were speak
ing with him (they were spiritual di
vine things), he answered, that he did
understand them ; and being asked,
why he did not receive such like things,
he said that he did not love them, and
thence did not will them. Again, it
was said to him, that he could will
them. He wondered at this, and said,
that he could not; wherefore the angels
inspired into his understanding the
glory of fame with its delight, which
be, having received, also willed and
likewise loved those things. But pres
ently he was let back into his former
state, in which he was a robber, an
adulterer and a reviler of his neighbor ;
and then, because he did not will, he
neither any longer understood those
things. Hence it is manifest that man
is man from free agency in spiritual
things, and without it man would be a
stock, a stone, or a statue, — Lot's wife.
482. That man would not have any
free agency in civil, moral and natural

things, if he had no free agency in
spiritual things, io evident from this,
that spiritual things, which are called
theological, reside in the highest region
of man's mind, as the soul in the body.
That they reside there, is because there
is the door through which the Lord
enters to man ; under those are civil,
moral and natural things, which in man
receive all their life from the spiritual
things which sit above them ; and be
cause life from the highest things flows
in from the Lord, and the life of man
is to be able freely to think, to will,
and thence to speak and to do, it fol
lows, that thence, and from no other
source, is free agency in political and
natural things. From that spiritual
freedom, man has the perception of
what is good and true, and just and
right, in civil things, which perception
is understanding itself in its essence.
The free agency of man in spiritual
things is, comparatively, like air in the
lungs, which is inspired, detained and
expired, according to all the changes
of thought; and without it, it would
be worse for him than it is for one
who is afflicted with the night-mare,
with the quinsy, or with the asthma.
And it would be like the blood in the
heart, which if it should begin to be
deficient, the heart would first palpi
tate, and after convulsions, it would en
tirely cease to beat. And it would also
be like a body moved, which is carried
as long as the effort is in it, and they
both cease together. So, also, it is with
the free agency in which the will of
man is ; both together, free agency and
will, may be called the living effort
in man ; for when the will ceases, action
ceases, and when free agency ceases,
the will ceases. If spiritual freedom
were taken away from man, it would
be, comparatively, as if the wheels
were taken away from machines, the
wings from wind-mills, and the sails
from ships : yea, it would be as
with a man who yields up the spirit
when he dies ; for the life of man's
spirit consists in his free agency in
spiritual things. The angels groan
when it is only said, that this free

Concerning Free Agency.

341

agency is at this day denied by many
ministers ofthe church, and the denial
of it they call madness upon madness.
483. V. That without Free Agen
cy in spiritual Things, the Word
WOULD NOT BE OF ANY Use ; CONSE
QUENTLY, the Church would not be
"any Thing.
It is known in all the Christian
world, that the Word is, in a wide
sense, the law, or book of laws, accord
ing to which man is to live, that he
may obtain eternal life : and what is
said there more frequently, than that
man should do good, and not evil; and
that he should believe in God, and
not in idols? And it is full of com
mands and exhortations to those things,
and of blessings and promises of re
wards for those who do, and of curses
and threatenings for those who do not.
To what purpose would all these things
be, if man had no free agency in spirit
ual things, that is, in such things as con
cern salvation and eternal life? Would
they not be vain things, which would
serve for no use? And if man should
persist in the idea that he has no power
and no liberty in spiritual things, thus
abstractly from any power of the will
in them, would the Sacred Scripture
then appear to him otherwise than as
blank paper without a single syllable; or
like paper upon which a whole bottle of
ink has been cast ; or like dots and points
alone, without letters, thus as an empty
volume ? It would not, indeed, be
necessary to confirm this from the
Word ; but, because the churches at
this day have plunged themselves into
emptiness of mind in spiritual things,
and to confirm it have produced some
passages thence, which they have false
ly interpreted, it is necessary to adduce
some, which command man to do and
to believe, which are these : The king
dom of God shall be taken from you, and
given lo a nation producing the fruits
of it, Matt. xxi. 43. Produce fruits
worthy of repentance. Now the axe lies
at the root of the tree ; every tree, there
fore, not producing 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 that cometh to Me
and heareth my sayings, and doeth
them, is like a man building a house
upon a rock; but he that heareth ana
doeth not, like a man building a house
upon the ground without a foundation,
vi. 46 to 49. Jesus said, My mother
and my brethren are these, who hear the
Word of God and do it, viii. 21. We
know that God heareth not sinners ; but
if any one worshippeth God, and doeth
his will, him He heareth, John ix. 31.
If ye know these things, happy are ye
if ye do them, xiii. 17. He thai hath
my commandments, and doeth them, he
it is that loveth Me, and I will love
him, xiv. 15. In this is my Father
glorified, that ye bear much fruit, xv.
8. Ye are my friends, if ye do what
soever I command you. I have chosen
you that ye may bear much fruit, and
that your fruit may remain, xv. 14,
16. Make the tree good; the tree is
known from the fruit, Matt. xiii. 12.
Produce fruits worthy of repentance,
iii. 12. That which was sown into good
ground, is he that heareth the Word,
and beareth fruit, xiii. 23. He that
reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth
fruit unto eternal life, John iv. 36.
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean,
remove the evil of your icorks, learn to
do good, Isaiah i. 16, 17. The Son of
man is about to come in the glory of his
Father; and then He will render to
every one according to his deeds, Matt.
xvi. 27. Those who have done goods
will come forth into the resurrection of
life, John v. 29. Their works folloio
with them, Rev. xx. 12, 13. Behold, I
come quickly, and my reward is with
Me, that I may give to every one ac
cording to his work, xxii. 12. Jehovah,
whose eyes are open lo give to every one
according to his ways, according to
our works He dealeth with us, Zech. i.
6. The Lord also teaches the same in
parables, many of which involve, that
those who do goods are accepted, and
those who do evils are rejected ; as in
the parable concerning the husband
men in the vineyard, Matt. xxi. 33 to
44. Concerning the talents and pounds
with which they should trade, xxv. 14
to 31 ; Luke xix. 13 to 25. In like

342

Concerning Free Agency.

manner concerning Faith : Jesus
said, He that believeth in Me shcdl
never die, but shall live, John xi. 25,
26. This is the will of the Father,
that every one that believeth in the Son
should have eternal life, vi. 40. He
that believeth in the Son, hath eternal
life ; but he that believeth not the Son,
shall not see life, but the anger of God
abideth on him, iii. 36. God so loved
the world, that He gave his only be
gotten Son, that every one that believ
eth in Him, might not perish, but have
eternal life, iii. 15, 16. And further,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God from
thy whole heart, and in thy whole soul,
and in thy whole mind; and thou shalt
love the neighbor as thyself:, on these
two commandments hang the law and
the prophets, Matt. xxvi. 35 to 38.
But these are a very few from the
Word, and as some cups of water from
the sea.
484. Who does not see emptiness,
I will not say foolishness, in those
things which were adduced above, n.
462, from the ecclesiastical book called
Formula Concordiye, after he has
read these and some other passages
here and there in the Word ? Would
he not think with himself, If it were as
it is there taught, that man has no free
agency in spiritual things, what would
religion be, which is to do good, but a
vain word? And what is the church,
without religion, but as the bark around
wood, which does not serve for any
other use than that it may be burned ?
And moreover, he would think, If there
be no church, because no religion,
what then are heaven and hell, but
fables of the ministers and prelates of
the church, to inveigle the common peo
ple, and elevate themselves to superior
honors? Thence is that detestable say
ing, in the mouth of many, Who can
do good of himself? and, Who can ac
quire faith of himself? And thence
they omit them, and live like pagans.
But, my friend, shun evil, and do
good, and believe in the Lord from
your whole heart, and in your whole
soul, and the Lord will love you, and
will give love to do, and faith to be
lieve ; and then from love you will do

good, and from faith, which is trust,
you will believe ; and if" you persevere
thus, a reciprocal conjunction will be
effected, and this perpetual, which is
salvation itself and eternal life. If
man from the strength given should
not do good, and from his own mind (
believe in the Lord, what would man
be, but a wilderness and a desert; and
altogether like dry ground, which does
not receive the rain, but repels it; or
like a sandy plain, where are sheep
which have no pasture ? And he would
be like a fountain dried up ; or like
stagnant water, the course being ob
structed ; or like a habitation where
there is no corn nor any water, from
which place one must flee immediately,
and seek a habitable abode elsewhere,
or else die of hunger and thirst.
485. VI. That without Free
Agency in spiritual Things, there
would not be any Thing of Man,
by which he could reciprocally
conjoin himself to the lord , and
thence no imputation, but mere
Predestination, which is detesta
ble. That without free agency in spirit
ual things, there would not be charity
nor faith with any man, still less con
junction of those two, was fully shown
in the chapter concerning Faith.
Hence it follows, that without free
agency in spiritual things, there would
not be any thing of man by which the
Lord might conjoin Himself to him ;
and yet without reciprocal conjunction,
no reformation and regeneration, and
thence no salvation, can be given
That without reciprocal conjunction of
man with the Lord, and of the Lord
with man, there would not be any im
putation, is an irrefragable consequence
The conclusions which follow from the
confirmation, that there is no imputa
tion of good and evil without free
agency in spiritual things, are many ;
and in the last part of this work, where
the heresies, paradoxes and contradic
tions, flowing from the faith at this day,
imputative of the merit and righteous
ness of the Lord God the Savior, are to
be treated of, those enormous conclu
sions are to be laid open.

Concerning Free Agency.

343

486. Predestination is a/ierasof the
faith of the present church, because
it is derived from the faith of an abso
lute impotency and no agency in spirit
ual things; from that and also from the
conversion of man, as it were inan
imate, that he is like a stock, and
that afterwards he does not know, from
any consciousness, whether he be a
stock vivified by grace or not ; for it
is said, that election is from the mere
grace of God, exclusive of the action
of man, whether it proceed from the
powers of nature or of reason ; and
that election is made where and when
God wills, thus from mere good pleas
ure. The works which follow faith,
as evidences, are, before the reflect
ing sight, similar to the works of the
flesh ; and the spirit, which operates
them, does not manifest from what
origin they are, but makes them of
grace or good pleasure, like the faith
itself. Hence it is manifest, that the
dogma of the present church concern
ing predestination, proceeded thence, as
a shoot from the seed ; and I may say,
that it flowed as a consequence scarcely
avoidable from that faith ; which was
done first among the Predestinari-
ans, then by Godoschalcus, afterwards
by Calvin and his followers, and at
last was firmly established by the Synod
of Dort ; and thence, as the palladium
of religion, or rather as the head of
Gorgon or Medusa engraved upon the
shield of Pallas, it was brought by the
Supralapsarians and Infralapsari-
ans into their church. But what could
have been devised- more pernicious, or
what could have been believed con
cerning God more cruel, than that
some of the human race were predes
tined to damnation ? For it would be
a cruel faith, that the Lord, who is
Love itself and Mercy itself, wills that
a multitude of men should be born for
hell, or that myriads of myriads should
be born accursed, that is, should be
born devils and satans, and that from
his divine wisdom, which is infinite,
He did not, and does not, provide that
those who live well and acknowledge a
God, should not be cast into eternal
fire and torment. Still the Lord is the

Creator and Savior of all, and He alone
leads all, and wills the death of none
What more horrible, then, can be be
lieved and conceived, than that a mul
titude of nations and people, under his
auspices and under his inspection,
should be, by predestination, deliv
ered to the devil as a prey, and should
glut his maw ? But this is a foetus of
the faith ofthe present church; but the
faith of the New Church abhors it as
a monster. 487. Since I thought that such a
frantic thing could never have been
decreed, still less declared and publish
ed to the world by any Christian, which
yet was done by so many chosen from
the clergy, at the Synod of Dort in
Holland, and afterwards was neatly
written and published ; therefore, that
I might not doubt, some of those who
were members of that Synod were
called to me. When they were seen to
stand by me, I said, " Can any one, of
any sound reason, conclude predestina
tion ? Can it be otherwise, than that
cruel ideas concerning God should flow
thence, and shocking ideas concerning
religion ? Can he who has, by confirm
ations, engraved predestination on his
heart, think any thing concerning all
the things of the church, but that they
are vain? In like manner concerning
the Word? And concerning God, be
cause He has predestined so many
myriads of men to hell, but as concern
ing a tyrant?" When I had said these
things, they looked at me with a Sa
tanic look, saying, "We were among
those chosen at the Synod of Dort, and
then, and still more afterwards, con
firmed ourselves in many things con
cerning God, concerning the Word and
concerning religion, which we durst
not publish ; but when we spoke and
taught concerning that, we wove and
twisted a web of threads of various col
ors, and strewed upon it feathers bor
rowed from the wings of peacocks."
But, because they now wished to do so,
the angels, by the power given to them
from the Lord, closed up the externals
of their mind, and opened its internals
with them, and from these they were
forced to speak; and then they said,

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Concerning Free Agency.

" Our faith, which we formed by con
clusions, one following from another,
was, and still is, this : 1. That there is
no Word of Jehovah God, but some
windy thing breathed out of the mouth
of the prophets : this we have thought,
because the Word predestinates all to
heaven, and that only man is in fault,
if he does not walk the ways which lead
thither. 2. That there is religion, be
cause there ought to be ; but that it is
like a tempest bearing a fragrant odor
for the vulgar ; that it is, therefore, to
be taught by ministers, both small and
great, and that too from the Word, be
cause this is received : this we have
thought, because, where predestination
is, there religion is nothing. 3. That
the civil laws of justice are religion ;
but that predestination is not according
to a life from them, but from the mere
good pleasure of God, as with a king of
absolute power from the face alone
being seen. 4. That all, things that
the church teaches, except That there
is a God, are to be exploded as vani
ties, and rejected as chaff. 5. That
the spiritual things, which are vaunt
ed, are no more than ethereal things
under the sun, which, if they penetrate
deeply into a man, induce upon him a
dizziness and stupor, and make him a
detestable monster in the sight of God."
6. Being questioned concerning the
faith from which they deduced predes
tination, whether they believed it to be
spiritual, they said, " It is made accord
ing to that faith, but that when it is
given, they are like stocks, from which
indeed they are vivified, but not spirit
ually." After they had uttered these hor
rible things, they wished to go back, but
I said to them, " Stay yet a little while,
and I will read to you from Isaiah ;"
and I read these words, Rejoice not,
whole Philistia, that the rod smiting
thee is broken ; for out ofthe root of the
serpent came forth a basilisk, whose
fruit shall be a venomous flying serpent,
xiv. 29. And I explained it by the spir
itual sense ; that by Philistia is meant
the church separate from charity ; that
by the basilisk, which came forth out
qf the root of the serpent, is meant its
doctrine concerning three Gods, and

concerning imputative faith applied to
each singly ; and that by its fruit,
which is a venomous flying serpent, is
meant, no imputation of good and evil,
but immediate mercy, whether man has
lived well or ill. When they had
heard this, they said, " This may be ;
but take from that volume which you
call the Holy Word, something respect
ing predestination." And I opened,
and in the same prophet I found this,
which was opposite ; They laid the eggs
of an asp, and wove spiders' webs ; he
that eateth of their eggs dicth, and
when any one crusheth, a viper is hatch
ed, lix. 5. When they had heard these
words, they could not bear the explana
tion ; but some of those who had been
called to me (there were five) hastened
into a cave, around which appeared a
dusky fire ; a sign that they had not faith
nor charity. Hence it is manifest, that
that synodical decree concerning pre
destination, is not only an insane heresy,
but also a cruel heresy : wherefore it
should be eradicated from the brain, so
that not even a trace of it may be left.
488. The horrible faith, that God
predestinates men to hell, maybe com
pared with the savageness of parents
among some barbarous nations, who cast
out their sucking children and infants
into the streets ; and with the savage
ness of some enemies, who throw men
that are slain into the woods to be de
voured by wild beasts It may also be
compared with the cruelty of a tyrant,
who divides the people subject to him
into companies, and delivers some of
them to executioners, throws some into
the depth of the sea, and some into
the fire. It may be compared also
with the outrageousness of certain wild
beasts, which devour their young ; and
also it may be compared with the mad
ness of dogs, which fly at their own
images seen in a looking-glass.
489. VII. That without Free
Agency in spiritual Things, God
WOULD BE THE CAUSE OF EviL, AND
THUS THERE WOULD BE NO IMPUTA
TION. That God is the cause of evil, follows
from the present faith, which was
first devised by those who constituted

Concerning Free Agency.

345

the council in the city of Nice. There
was forged and produced the heresy,
as yet persisting, that there were
three divine persons from eternity, and
each one a God by himself. When
this egg was hatched, its favorers could
not do otherwise than address each
person separately as God. They com
piled a faith imputative of the merit or
righteousness of the Lord God the Sa
vior ; and that no man might enter
into merit with the Lord, they took
away from man all free agency in spir
itual things, and imposed on him ex
treme impotence, as to that faith ; and
because they deduced every thing spir
itual of the church from that faith alone,
they declared a like impotence, as to
every thing which the church teaches
concerning salvation. Thence sprung
direful heresies, one after another,
founded upon that faith and the impo
tence of man in spiritual things, and
also that most pernicious one concern
ing predestination, which was treated
of in the preceding article ; all which
involve that God is the cause of evil,
or that God created both good and evil.
But, my friend, trust not any council,
but trust the Word of the Lord, which
is above councils. What have not the
Roman Catholic councils devised?
and what has not the council of Dort,
whence predestination,that horrid viper,
was drawn forth ? It may be thought,
that the free agency given to man in
spiritual things, was the mediate cause
of evil; consequently, that if such free
agency had not been given to him, he
could not have transgressed. But, my
friend, stop here and consider, whether
any man could have been so created as
to be a man, without free agency in
spiritual things. If that were taken
away from him, he would no longer be
a man, but only a statue What is
free agency, but to be able to will and
do, and to think and speak, in all ap
pearance, as from one's self? Since
this was given to man, that he might
live a man, therefore two trees were
placed in the garden of Eden, the tree
of life, and the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil; by which is signified,
that from the freedom given to him, he
44

could eat of the fruit of the tree of life,
and ofthe fruit ofthe tree of knowledge
of good and evil.
490. That every thing that God cre
ated was good, is manifest from the
first chapter of Genesis, where it is
said, verses 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, God
saw that it was good; and at length,
verse 31, God saw all that He had
made, and behold, it was very good;
and also from the primeval state of man
in paradise. But that evil arose from
man, is manifest from the state of
Adam at or after the fall, in that he
was driven out of paradise. Hence it
is manifest, that unless free agency in
spiritual things had been given to man,
God himself would have been the cause
of evil, and not man, and thus that
God must have created both good and
evil ; that He also created evil is horri
ble to think. That God did not cre
ate evil, because He endued man with
free agency in spiritual things, and
that He never inspires hirn with any
evil, is because He is good itself, and
in this God is omnipresent, and contin
ually urges and entreats that He may
be received ; and if He is not received,
still He does not recede; for if He
should recede, man would die in an in
stant; yea, he would fall into nonentity ;
for the life of man, and the subsistence
of all things of which it consists, is from
God. The reason that, God did not
create evil, but that man introduced it,
is, because man turns the good, which
continually flows in from God, into
evil, by turning himself away from God
and turning himself to himself; and
when this is done, there remains the
delight of good, and this then becomes
the delight of evil ; for without a delight
remaining, as similar, man would not
live ; for delight makes the life of his
love. But still those delights are dia
metrically opposite to each other ; yet
man does not know this, while he lives
in the world ; but after death he will
know it, and also manifestly perceive
it; for then the delight of good is turn
ed into celestial blessedness, but the
delight ofthe love of evil, into infernal
horrors. From the things above ad
duced, it is evident, that every man is

346

Concerning Free Agency.

predestinated to heaven, and no one to
hell ; but that man consigns himself to
hell, by the abuse of his free agency in
spiritual things, by which he embraces
such things as arise from hell ; for, as
was said above, every man is held in
the middle region between heaven arid
hell, that he may be in equilibrium be
tween good and evil, and thence in free
agency in spiritual things.
491. That God has given freedom
not only to man, but also to every
beast, yea, also what is analogous to it
to inanimate things, to each a capaci
ty for receiving it according to its na
ture, as also that He provides good for
them all, but that the objects turn it
into evil, may be illustrated by compar
isons. The atmosphere gives to every
man the power of breathing ; in like
manner to every tame and wild beast ;
and also to every bird, to the owl as well
as to the dove, and likewise the power
of flying ; and yet the atmosphere is
not the cause of that power's being re
ceived by those of contrary genius and
disposition. The ocean gives a habi
tation in itself, and also affords suste
nance, to every fish ; but it does not
cause one there to devour another, nor
the crocodile to turn its food into poison
with which it kills man. The sun dis
penses to all light and heat, but the
objects, which are the various vegeta
bles of the earth, receive them in dif
ferent ways ; a good tree and a good
shrub in one way, and a thorn and a
bramble in another, or a harmless herb
differently from a poisonous one. The
rain falls from the higher region of the
atmosphere every where into the earth,
and the earth furnishes water thence to
every shrub, herb, and blade of grass,
and each of them applies it to itself
according to its need. This is what is
called analogous to free agency, be
cause they imbibe it freely through the
little mouths, pores, and holes, which
stand open in the time of heat, and the
earth only supplies both moisture and
elements ; and the shrubs, according to
something similar to thirst and hunger,
attract them. It is similar with men,
in that the Lord with every man flows
in with spiritual heat, which in its

essence is the good of love, and with
spiritual light, which in its essence is
the truth of wisdom; but man receives
them according to his turning either
to God, or to himself. Wherefore the
Lord says, when He teaches concern
ing love towards the neighbor, That ye
may be children of the Father, who
maketh the sun rise upon the evil and the
good, and sendeth rain upon the just
and the unjust, Matt. v. 45. And in
another place, That He willeth the sal
vation of all.
492. To the above I shall add this
relation. I have several times hoard
expressions sent down from heaven
concerning the good of charity, which
passed through the world of spirits, and
penetrated into hell, even to the bottom
of it ; and that those expressions, ir
their progress, were turned into such
things as were entirely opposite to the
good of charity, and at length into
those which were of hatred towards
the neighbor ; a proof that all that
proceeds from the Lord is good, and
that by the spirits in hell, it is turn
ed into evil. The like was done with
some truths of faith, which, in pro
ceeding, were turned into falses oppo
site to the truths; for the recipient
form itself turns the things whicli fall
into it into whatever is agreeable to
itself. 493. VIII. That every spiritual
Thing of the Church, which enters
in Freedom, and is received in a
State of Freedom, remains ; but
not the reverse.
That that remains with man, which
is received by him in a state of free
dom, is because freedom is of his will ;
and because it is of the will, it is also
of his love : that the will is the recepta
cle of love, has been shown elsewhere.
That all that which is of the love, is
free, and that this also is of the will,
every one understands, when it is said,
I will this because I love it; and the
reverse, Because I love, this, I also will
it. But the will of man is two-fold,
interior and exterior, or of the internal
and the external man ; wherefore a
man who is a sycophant, can act and
speak before the world in one manner,

Concerning Free Agency.

347

and with his familiar associates in an
other. Before the world, he acts and
speaks from the will of his external
man, and with his familiar associates,
from the will of the internal ; but here
is meant the will of the internal man,
where his reigning love is. From these
few things it is evident, that the in
terior will is the man himself, for
there is the esse and the essence of
his life ; the understanding is its form,
by which the will renders its love visible.
All that a man loves, and from love
wills, is free ; for whatever proceeds
from the love of the internal will, is
the delight of his life ; and because
the same is the esse of his life, it is
also his proprium, which is the cause,
that that which is received in a free
state of this will remains, for it adds
itself to the proprium. The contrary
is the case if any thing is introduced
not in a state of freedom ; this is not
thus received : but of this in what fol
lows. 494. It is well to be known that the
spiritual things of the Word and of the
church, which a man imbibes from love,
and the understanding confirms, re
main with the man, but not so civil
and political things ; because spiritual
things ascend to the highest region of
the mind, and there form themselves.
The reason is, because there is the
entrance of the Lord with divine truths
and goods into man, and as it were
the temple in which He is. But civil
and political things, because they are
of the world, occupy the lower parts of
the mind, and some there are like little
buildings out of the temple, and some
like porches through which they enter.
That the spiritual things of the church
dwell in the highest region of the mind,
is also because they properly belong to
the soul, and have respect to its eter
nal life ; and the soul is in the high
est, and its nourishment is from no
other food than spiritual ; wherefore
the Lord calls Himself Bread, for He
says, / am the living Bread, which came
doivn from heaven ; if any one eat of
this Bread, he shall live for ever, John
vi. 51. In that region also resides
man's love, which makes his blessed

ness after death ; and there also princi
pally resides his free agency in spirit
ual things : from this all the freedom
which man has in natural things de
scends ; and because its origin is there,
it communicates it to all free deter
minations in natural things, and by
them the love reigning in the highest
takes to itself every thing that conduces
to itself. The communication is like
that of the vein of a fountain with its
waters thence ; and like the prolific
principle of the seed with the whole
and every part of the tree, especially
with the fruit, in which it renews itself.
But if any one denies free agency in
spiritual things, and thence rejects it,
he makes for himself another fountain,
and opens a way to it, and changes
spiritual freedom into merely natural
freedom, and at length into infernal.
This freedom also is like the prolific')
principle of seed, which also passes
freely through the trunk and branches
into the fruit, which from its source is
inwardly rotten.
495. All freedom, which is from the
Lord, is real freedom, but that which
is from hell and thence with man, is
servitude ; but still it cannot be other
wise than that spiritual freedom should
appear to him who is in infernal free
dom, as servitude, because they are
opposites. But yet all who are in
spiritual freedom, not only know, but
also perceive, that infernal freedom is
servitude ; wherefore the angels loathe
it as the stench of dead bodies, but the
infernals regale themselves with it as
with a fragrant odor. It is known from
the Word, that worship from freedom
is truly worship, and that what is spon
taneous pleases the Lord ; wherefore
it is said in David, / will sacrifice a vol
untary thing to God, Psalm liv. 6 ; and
in another place, The spontaneous ones
of the people are gathered together, the
people qf the God qf Abraham, xlvii. 9.
Thence with the sons of Israel there
were spontaneous sacrifices ; their sa
cred worship consisted principally in
sacrifices. On account of God's com
placency in spontaneous things, it
was commanded, That every man,
whom his heart impelled, and every one

343

Concerning Free Agency.

whose spontaneous spirit moved him,
should bring an offering to Jehovah for
the work of the tent, Ex. xxxv. 5, 21,
29. And the Lord says, If ye abide
in my Word, ye arc truly my disciples,
and ye shall know the truth, and the
truth maketh you free. If the Son,
therefore, maketh you free, ye will be
truly free. But every one that doeth
sin, is a servant of sin, John viii. 31
to 35.
496. That that which is received in
a state of freedom remains, is because
the will of man adopts and appropriates
it to itself, and because it enters into its
love; and the love acknowledges it as its
own and forms itself by it. But this
shall be illustrated by comparisons ; but
because these are taken from natural
things, heat will be instead of love. It
is known, that by heat, and according
to the degree of it, the pores are open
ed in every vegetable, and that, as they
are opened, the vegetable returns in
wardly into the form of its own nature,
and spontaneously receives its nutri
ment, and retains what is agreeable,
and grows. The case is similar with
a beast ; every thing that this chooses
and eats, from the love of nutrition
which is called appetite, this adds itself
to its body, and thus remains : that thai
which is agreeable continually adds
itself to the body, is because all the
things that compose the body are per
petually renewed. That it is so is
known, but to few. Heat, likewise, with
beasts, opens also all things of their
body, and makes their natural love act
freely ; thence it is that in the time of
spring and summer, they come and re
turn to the instinct of prolification, and
also of the education of their offspring ;
which is done in the greatest freedom,
because it is of the reigning love im
planted in them by creation, for the
sake of preserving the universe in the
state created. That the freedom of
love may be illustrated by the freedom
which heat induces, is because love
produces heat; which is evident from
its effects, as that man is enkindled,
made warm and inflamed, as love is
exalted into zeal, or into the heat of
anger. The heat of the blood, or the

vital heat of men, and of animals in
general, is from no other source. It is
from this correspondence, that the
things of the body are by heat adapted
to receive freely those things to which
the love aspires. All the things that
are inwardly in man, are in such equi
librium and thence freedom ; in such
freedom the heart impels its blood
equally upwards and downwards, the
mesentery its chyle, the liver separates,
the kidneys secrete, and the glands
purify the blood, &c. If the equilibri
um should suffer, the member would
be diseased, and would be affected with
a palsy or an ataxy. Equilibrium and
freedom here are one. In the created
universe there is no substance which
does not tend to an equilibrium, that
it may be in freedom.
497. IX. That the Will and
the Understanding of Man are in
this Free Agency ; but that the
doing of Evil in each World, the
Spiritual and the Natural, is re
strained by Laws, since, other
wise, Society would perish in
both. That every man is in free agency in
spiritual things, he may know from the
observation only of his own thought.
Who cannot, from freedom, think con
cerning God, concerning the Trinity,
concerning charity and the neighbor,
concerning faith and its operation, con
cerning the Word and all the things
which are thence ; and after he has
learned the things of theology, concern
ing each of them ? And who cannot
think with those things, or against
them? yea, conclude, teach and write?
If this freedom should for one moment
be taken away from man, would not
his thought stop, his tongue be dumb,
and his hand be motionless? Where
fore, my friend, you can, if you please,
by the observation only of your own
thought, renounce and reject that ab
surd and pernicious heresy, which, at
this day, has induced in Christendom
a lethargy upon the heavenly doctrine
concerning charity and faith, and
thence concerning salvation and eter
nal life. These are the reasons why
that free agency resides in the will and

Concerning Free Agency.

349

understanding of man : 1. Because
these two faculties are first to be in
structed and reformed, and by them
the two faculties of the external man,
which make him speak and act. 2.
That those two faculties of the internal
man constitute his spirit, which lives
after death, and not under any other
law than the divine, the primary thing
of which is, that man should think of
the law, do it, and obey it from himself,
although from the Lord. 3. Because
man, as to his spirit, is in the midst
between heaven and hell, thus be
tween good and evil, and thence in
equilibrium, he has thence free agency
in spiritual things; concerning which
equilibrium, see above, n. 445, and the
following ; but whilst he lives in the
world, he is, as to his spirit, in equi
librium between heaven and the world;
and man then is almost ignorant, that
as far as he recedes from heaven and
accedes to the world, so far he accedes
to hell ; of this, man is ignorant, and
yet is not ignorant, in order that, as to
this also, he may be in freedom, and be
reformed. 4. Because those two, the
will and the understanding, are the two
receptacles of the Lord — the will the
receptacle of love and charity, the un
derstanding the receptacle of wisdom
and faith ; and the Lord operates each
of these, while man is in perfect free
dom, that there may be mutual and re
ciprocal conjunction, by which is sal
vation. 5. Because all the judgment
which is done to man after death, is
according to the use which he makes
of his free agency in spiritual things.
498. Hence results this, that free
agency itself, in spiritual things, resides
in the soul of man, in all perfection ; and
thence, as a vein into a fountain, it flows
into his mind, into the two parts of it,
which are the will and the understand
ing, and through these into the senses of
the body, and into the speech and ac
tions. For there are three degrees of
life with man, the soul, the mind, and
the sensual body ; all that which is in
a higher degree in perfection, is above
that which is in a lower degree. This
freedom of man is that by which, in
which, and with which the Lord is

present in man ; and He continually
urges the reception of Himself, but
never removes and takes away free
dom ; since, as was said above, all that
which is done by man in spiritual
things, not in freedom, does not re
main ; wherefore it may be said, that
this freedom of man is that in which
the Lord dwells with him in his soul.
But that the doing of evil in both
worlds, the spiritual and the natural,
is restrained by laws, since otherwise
society would nowhere subsist, is man
ifest without explanation. But still it
shall be illustrated, that, without those
external bonds, not only society would
not subsist, but also the whole human
race would perish. For man is capti
vated by two loves, which are the love
of ruling over all, and the love of pos
sessing the wealth of all : these loves,
if the reins be given to them, rush on
to infinity. The hereditary evils into
which man is born , arose principally from
those two loves; nor was that of Adam
any other than that he wished to be
come as God, which evil the serpent
infused into him, as it is read ; where
fore in his curse it is said, that the
earth should bring forth to him the
thorn and the thistle, Gen. iii. 5, 18;
by which is meant all evil and the
false thence. All who are enslaved by
those loves, look upon themselves alone
as the only one in whom and for whom
all others are : such have no pity, no
fear of God, no love of the neighbor ;
and thence they are full of unmerci-
fulness, savageness, and cruelty, and
of infernal covetousness and desire of
robbing and plundering, and of craft
and cunning in effecting those things.
Such things are not innate in the beasts
of the earth ; these kill and devour
others from no other love than that of
satisfying their appetite, and of defend
ing themselves ; wherefore an evil man,
viewed as to those loves, is more savage,
more ferocious, and worse than any
beast. That man inwardly is such,
manifests itself in seditious tumults, in
which the bonds ofthe law are loosed ;
and also in massacres and robberies,
when the liberty of exercising fury
upon the vanquished and besieged is

350

Concerning Free Agency.

sounded, from which scarcely one ab
stains, before the drum is heard, that
they must desist. Hence it is mani
fest, that, if no fear of punishments
from the laws restrained men, not only
society, but the whole human race,
would be destroyed. But all these
things are removed only by the true
use of free agency in spiritual things,
which is to apply the mind to think
earnestly concerning the state of life
after death.
499. But this shall be further illus
trated by comparisons; by these, that
unless there were some free agency in
all created things, both animate and
inanimate, there could not have been
any creation. For without free agency
in natural things, as to beasts, there
would not be any power of choosing
food conducive to their nourishment,
nor any power of procreating and pre
serving their offspring, thus no beast.
If the fishes of the sea, and the shell-fish
of its bottom, had not such freedom,
there would be no fish or shell-fish. In
like manner, unless it were in every
little insect, there would be no silk
worm, from which silk could be pro
duced, no bee, from which honey and
wax could be derived, nor any butter
fly, which sports with its partner in the
air, and nourishes itself with the juices
in flowers, and represents the happy
state of man in the heavenly aura, after
he has, like the worm, laid aside his
earthly covering. Unless there were
something analogous to free agency in
the soil of the earth, in the seed cast
into it, and in all the parts of the tree
thence produced, and in its fruits, and
again in the new seeds, there would
not be any vegetable. If there were
not something analogous to free agency
in every metal, and in every stone,
precious and common, there would not
be a metal nor a stone, yea, not even a
particle of sand ; for this freely imbibes
the ether, exhales its native properties,
rejects what is obsolete, and renews
itself with fresh substances ; thence
there is a magnetical sphere around the
magnet, a sphere of iron around iron,
of copper around copper, of silver
around silver, of gold around gold, of

stone around stone, of nitre around
nitre, of sulphur around sulphur, and a
various sphere around every particle of
the dust of earth, from which sphere
the inmost of every seed is impregnat
ed, and the prolific principle vegetates;
for without such an exhalation from
every particle of the dust of the earth,
there would not be any beginning of
germination, and thence continuance
of it. In what other way could the
earth, with dust and water, penetrate
into the inmost centre of the seed sown,
than by what is exhaled from it ? as
into a grain of mustard seed, which is
less than all the seeds ; but when it hath
grown up, it is greater than the herbs,
and, becometh a great tree, Matt. xiv. 32 ;
Mark iv. 30, 31 , 32. Since, therefore,
freedom has been given to all created
subjects, to each according to its na
ture, why not free agency to man,
according to his nature, which is, that
he may be spiritual ? Thence it is,
that free agency in spiritual things is
given to man from the womb even to
the end of his life in the world, and
afterwards to eternity.
500. X. That if Men had not
Free Agency in spiritual Things,
all in the whole World might be
brought within one day to believe
in the Lord : but the Reason that
this cannot be done, is because
that which is not received by man
in Free Agency does not remain.
That God, without having given to
men free agency in spiritual things,
could bring all in the whole world,
within one day, to believe in Himself,
follows as true from not understanding
the divine omnipotence. Those who
do not understand the divine omnipo
tence, may imagine, either that there
is no order, or that God can do con
trary to order as well as according to
it ; when yet, without order, there
could have been no creation. The pri
mary thing of order is, that man should
be an image of God ; consequently,
that he should be perfected in love and
wisdom, and thus more and more be
come that image. To effect this, God is
continually operating with man; but
without free agency in spiritual things,

Concerning Free Agency.

351

by which man can turn himself to God,
and reciprocally conjoin himself to Him,
it would be in vain, because impossible ;
for order. is that from which and ac
cording to which the whole world, with
all and every part of it, was created ; and
because from it and according to it all
creation was made, therefore God is
called order itself. Wherefore, it is the
same whether you say, lo do contrary to
divine order, or say, to do contrary to
God; yea, God himself cannot do con
trary to his own divine order, since this
would be to do contrary to Himself.
Wherefore he leads every man accord
ing to Himself, or according to order,
and the wandering and backsliding into
it, and the disobedient to it. If man could
have been created without free agency
in spiritual things, what then would be
easier for Almighty God, than to bring
all in the whole world to believe in the
Lord? Could He not have brought
this faith into every one, both immedi
ately and mediately ; immediately by
his absolute power, and its irresistible
operation, which is continual, that man
may be saved ; or mediately, by tor
ments injected into his conscience, by
mortal convulsions of the body, and
grievous threats of death, if he did not
receive it ; and besides, by opening
hell, and thence by the presence of
devils holding in their hands terrible
torches ; or by calling out thence the
dead whom they had known, under
the image of frightful spectres ? But to
these things it is answered from the
words of Abraham to the rich man in
hell ; If they hear not Moses and the
prophets, neither will they be persuad
ed if one should rise from the dead,
Luke xvi. 31.
50L It is asked at this day, why
miracles are not done, as formerly ; for
it is believed that if they were done,
every one would, in heart, acknowledge.
But the reason that miracles are not
done at this day, as before, is because
miracles force, and take away free
agency in spiritual things, and from
spiritual make man natural. Every
one in the Christian world, since the
coming of the Lord, may become spir
itual, and he is made spiritual solely by
Him through the Word ; but the facul

ty for this would be lost, if man were
brought by miracles to believe, since
these, as was said above, force and
take away from him free agency in
spiritual things ; and every thing forced
in such things, brings itself into the
natural man, and shuts up, as with a
door, the spiritual, which is truly the
internal man, and deprives this of all
power of seeing any truth in the light ;
wherefore afterwards he reasons con
cerning spiritual things from the natu
ral man alone, which sees every thing
truly spiritual upside down. But the
reason that miracles were done, before
the coming of the Lord, was, because
then the men of the church were natu
ral, to whom spiritual things, which are
the internals of the church, could not
be opened ; for if they had been open
ed, they would have profaned them.
Wherefore also all their worship con
sisted in rituals, which represented and
signified the internal things of the
church ; and they could not be brought
to perform those rightly, except by mir
acles ; and that they could not even by
miracles, because in those representa
tives there was a spiritual internal, is
manifest from the sons of Israel in the
wilderness, who, although they had
seen so many miracles in Egypt, and,
afterwards that greatest one upon mount
Sinai, still, after a month of days, when
Moses was absent, they danced around
a golden calf, and cried that that had
brought them forth out of Egypt.
Very similar things were done by
them in the land of Canaan, although
they saw the excellent miracles done
by Elijah and Elisha, and at last
those truly divine by the Lord. Mira
cles are not done at this day, especially
for this reason, because the church has
taken away all free agency from man;
and it has taken it away by this, that it has
decreed that man can contribute noth
ing At all towards receiving faith, nor
any thing to conversion, and in general
to salvation (see above, n. 464). The
man who believes these' things, be
comes more and more natural, and
the natural man, as was said above,
beholds every thing spiritual upside
down, and thence thinks against it.
The higher region of man's mind

352

Concerning Free Agency.

where free agency in spiritual things
primarily resides, would be closed up,
and spiritual things, which have been,
as it were, confirmed by miracles,
would occupy the lower region of the
mind, which is merely natural ; thus
above this there would remain falses
concerning faith, conversion and salva
tion. Thence it would be, that satans
would dwell above and angels below,
like vultures over hens. Then after
some time the satans would break the
barrier and rush with fury into the
spiritual things which are placed be
low, and would not only deny, but also
blaspheme and profane them; thence
the latter state of the man would be
come much worse than the first.
502. The man, who, by falses con
cerning the spiritual things of the
church, has become natural, cannot
think otherwise concerning the divine
omnipotence, than that it is above or
der, thus concerning divine omnipo
tence without order ; wherefore he
would fall into these wild queries :
Why the coming of the Lord into the
world, and why thus redemption, when
God from his omnipotence could have
effected the same from heaven as upon
the earth ? Why should He not by re
demption have saved the whole human
race without exception ? And why
should the devil afterwards be able to pre
vail over the Redeemer in man ? Why is
there a hell ? Could not and cannot God
from his omnipotence destroy it, or bring
all out thence and make them angels of
heaven? Why the last judgment? Can
He not transfer all the goats from the
left hand to the right, and make them
sheep ? Why did He cast down the
angels of the dragon, and the dragon
himself, from heaven, and not change
them into angels of Michael ? Why
does He not give faith to these and
those, and impute the Son's righteous
ness, and thus remit their sins,- and
justify and sanctify them ? Why does
He not make the beasts of the earth,
the birds of the air, and the fishes of
the sea, speak, and give them intelli
gence, and introduce them together with
men into heaven ? Why did he not, or
why does He not, make the whole world

a paradise, in which there should be no
tree ofthe knowledge of good and evil,
nor any serpent; but where all the
hills should flow with generous wines,
and produce gold and silver, each in its
native state ; and that all might live
there in jubilees and songs, and thus
in perpetual festivities and joys, as im
ages of God ? Would not these things be
worthy of an omnipotent God ? Besides
other similar things. But, my friend,
all those things are vain and frivolous.
The divine omnipotence is not without
order. God himself is order ; and be
cause all things were created from God,
they were created also from order, in
order, and to order. There is an order
into which man was made, which is,
that his happiness or his misery should
depend on his free agency in spiritual
things ; for, as was said above, man
could not have been created without
free agency, nor even a beast, bird, or
fish ; but beasts are in natural free
agency only, but man in natural free
agency, and at the same time spiritual.

503. To the above will be added
these Relations. First. I heard
that there was a meeting appointed, in
which they were to deliberate concern
ing man's free agency in spiritual
things : this was in the spiritual world.
The learned from every quarter, who,
in the world, in which they before liv
ed, had thought concerning it, were
present ; and many of those who had
been in councils and conventicles both
before the Nicene council and after it.
They were assembled in a round tem
ple similar to the temple at Rome,
which is called the Pantheon, which
before had been consecrated to the
worship of all the gods, and afterwards
dedicated to the worship of all the holy
martyrs, from the papal chair. In
this temple, at the walls also there
were, as it were, altars, but at each of
them seats, upon which those who
were assembled placed themselves, and
leaned with their elbows upon the
altars as upon so many tables. There
wasnoone appointed presidentto act the
primate among them ; but each one.

Concerning Free Agency.

353

as his inclination prompted him, rush
ed forth into the midst, and from his
breast uttered and declared his opinion ;
and, what I wondered at, all who were
in that assembly were full of confirma
tions for the plenary impotence of
man in spiritual things ; thus they rid
iculed the idea of free agency in those
things. When they were assembled,
lo, suddenly one rushed forth into the
midst, and with a loud voice breathed
out this : " Man has not any more free
agency in spiritual things, than Lot's
wife had, after she was turned into a
pillar of salt ; for, if man had any more
free agency, surely he might of himself
claim to himself the faith of our church,
which is, that God the Father, of en
tire freedom and good pleasure, gives
it gratuitously to whom He wills and
when He wills. God would by no
means have this good pleasure and sov
ereign power, if man, from any free
dom or good pleasure, could also claim
it to himself; for thus our faith, which
is a star shining before us by day and by
night, would be dissipated, like a star
falling into the air." After him, another
burst forth from his seat, and said,
" Man has no more free agency in spir
itual things, than a beast, yea, than a
dog ; since, if man had it, he might do
good from himself, when yet all good is
from God ; and man can take nothing
to himself, which is not given to him
from heaven." After him, one leaped
out of his seat, and in the midst lifted
up his voice, saying, that " Man has no
more free agency in spiritual things,
even in seeing them clearly, than an
owl has in the day time ; yea, no more
than a chicken yet concealed in the
egg. He is in those things entirely
blind, like a mole ; for if he were
quick-sighted in seeing the things,
which are of faith, salvation and eter
nal life, he might believe that he could
regenerate and save himself, and also
would attempt it, and thus would pro
fane his thoughts and deeds with merits
and merits." Again, another ran out
into the midst, and uttered this speech :
" He who imagines that he can will
and understand any thing in spiritual
thino-s, since the fall of Adam, is insane,
45

and becomes a maniac ; since, in that
case, he would believe himself a little
god or deity, possessing a part of the
divine power ?n his own right." After
him, another hastened into the midst,
carrying under his arm a book, to the
orthodoxy of which, as he called it, the
Evangelical at this day swear, called
.Formula Concordia ; and he opened
it, and read thence the following :
That man is altogether corrupt and
dead to what is good, so that in man's
nature, since the fall, before regenera
tion, there is not even a spark of spirit
ual strength left of remaining, by which
he can be prepared for the grace of
God, or can apprehend it when offered,
or of himself and by himself be capable
qf receiving it; or, in spiritual things,
understand, believe, embrace, think, will,
begin, finish, act, operate, cooperate, or
apply or accommodate himself to grace,
or of himself contribute any thing lo
conversion, either by halves, or in the
least part. And that man, in spiritual
things, which have respect to the salva
tion ofthe soul, is like the pillar of salt r
Lot's wife, and like a stock or a stone
without life, which have not the use
qf eyes, mouth, or any of the senses.
That still he has a locomotive power, or
can govern the external members, go to-
public assemblies, and hear the Word
and the Gospel. These things are
read in my edition, p. 656, 658, 661,
662, 663, 671, 672, 673. After this,
they all concurred and together ex
claimed, " This is truly orthodox."
I stood by and heard all attentively ;
and because I became warm in m)
spirit, I asked with a loud voice, " if,
in spiritual things, you make man a
pillar of salt, a beast, blind and insane,
what, then, are the things of your theol
ogy? Are they not all and each of them
spiritual?" To this, after some silence,
they replied, " In all our theology,
there is not any thing at all spiritual,
which reason comprehends. Our faith
there only is spiritual; but this we
have carefully shut up, and, that no
one may look into it, we have taken
care that no spiritual ray may proceed
thence, and appear before the under
standing; and besides, man does not

354

Concerning Free Agency.

contribute a particle to it, from • his
own agency. Charity also we have
removed from every thing spiritual ; and
we have made it merely natural ; like
wise the decalogue. Concerning jus
tification, the remission of sins, re
generation and thence salvation, we do
not deliver any thing spiritual ; we say
that faith produces them, but how, we
do not know. Instead of repentance,
we have taken contrition ; and lest this
should be believed to be spiritual, we
have removed it from faith, entirely.
Concerning redemption, we have not
adopted any other than purely natural
ideas, which are, that God the Father
concluded the human race under dam
nation, and that his Son took that dam
nation upon himself, and suffered him
self to be suspended upon the cross,
and that thus he brought over his
Father to compassion ; besides many
similar things, in which you will not
find any thing spiritual, but all merely
natural." But then, in the warmth be
fore conceived, I continued by saying,
' If man had no free agency in spirit
ual things, what then would man be
but a brute ? Is not man distinguished
by that above the brute beasts? What
would the church be without that, but
the black face of a fuller, in whose
eyes there is a white spot ' What would
the Word be without that, but an empty
volume? What is more frequently said
and commanded there, than that man
should love God, and that he should
love the neighbor, and also that he
should believe, and that he has salva
tion and life according as he loves and
believes? Who is there that has not
the faculty of understanding and doing
those things which are commanded in
the Word and in the decalogue ? Tell
any rustic, whose mind is not closed up
by the fallacies in theology, that he
cannot, any more than a stock or a
stone, understand and will, in the
things of faith and charity and thence
of salvation, and cannot even apply and
accommodate himself to them ; would
he not then laugh out, and say, ' What
is more silly ?' What then have I to do
with the priest and his preaching ?
What then is a temple more than a

stable ? And what then.is worship more
than ploughing? Oh what madness to
talk so ! It is folly upon folly. Who
denies that all good is from God? Is
it not given to man to do good of
himself from God, and also to be
lieve ?' " When they had heard this,
they all cried, " We have spoken from
the orthodox, like the orthodox, but
you from the rustics, like a rustic ''
But then suddenly a thunder-bolt fell
from heaven, and that it might not con
sume them, they burst forth in troops,
and fled thence, each to his own home.
504. Second Relation. I was in
the interior spiritual sight, in which the
angels of the higher heaven are, but
then in the world of spirits ; and I saw
two spirits not far from me, yet at a dis
tance from each other ; and I perceiv
ed that one of them loved what is good
and true, and thereby was conjoined
to heaven, and that the other loved
what is evil and false, and thereby was
conjoined to hell. I went up and called
them together ; and from their tones
and answers, I gathered that one as
well as the other could perceive truths,
acknowledge them when perceived,
thus think from the understanding, and
likewise determine the things of the
understanding as he pleased, and the
things of the will as he liked ; conse
quently that both were in similar free
agency as to rational things. And
besides, I observed, that from that free
dom in their minds, there appeared some
thing lucid, from the first sight, which
was that of perception, to the last sight,
which was that of the eye. But when
he who loved what is evil and false
thought, when left to himself, I observed
that a smoke, as it were, ascended
from hell, and extinguished the lucidity
which was above the memory, whence
he had thick darkness there like that
of midnight; and also that that smoke,
be'ing set on fire, burned like a flame,
which illuminated the region of the
mind, which was below the memory,
from which he thought enormous falses
from the evils of self-love. But with
the other, who loved what is good and
true, when he was left to himself, I saw,
as it were, a gentle flame flowing down

Concerning Free Agency.

355

from heaven, which illuminated the
region of his mind above the memory,
and also the region below it even to
the eye ; and that the light from that
flame shone more and more, as he per
ceived and thought truth from the love
of good. From seeing these things,
it was manifest to me, that every man,
as well the evil as the good, had spirit
ual free agency ; but that hell some
times extinguishes it with the evil, and
that heaven exalts and enkindles it with
the good. After this, I spoke with
each of them, and first with him who
loved what is evil and false ; and after
some things respecting his lot, when
I mentioned free agency, he grew
warm, and said, " Ah, what madness
it is to believe that man has free agency
in spiritual things ! Can any man take
faith to himself, or do good of himself?
Does not the priesthood teach at this
day from the Word, that no one can
take any thing, unless it be given from
heaven ? And the Lord Christ said to
his disciples, ' Without Me ye cannot do
any thing.' To which I add this, that
no one can move a foot or a hand to do
any good, or move the tongue to speak
any truth from good. Wherefore the
church, from her wise ones, has conclud
ed, that man cannot will, understand
and think any thing spiritual, and can
not even accommodate himself to will,
understand and think it, more than a
statue, a stock and a stone ; and that
therefore faith is inspired by God, who
alone has most free and unlimited
power, of his good pleasure ; which faith,
without our labor and power, through
the operation of the Holy Ghost, pro
duces all the things which the un
learned ascribe to man." Then I
spoke with the other, who loved what
is good and true ; and after some things
respecting his lot, when I mention
ed free agency, he said, " What mad
ness it is to deny free agency in spirit
ual things 1 Who cannot will and do
good, and think and speak truth of
himself from the Word, thus from the
Lord, who is the Word ? For He said,
'¦ Make the fruits good, and believe in
the light, and also love one another, and

love God ;' and also, ' He that hearetii
and doeth my commandments, he lov
eth Me, and I will love him ;' besides
thousands of similar things in the whole
Word. Of what use, therefore, would
the Word be, if man had no power at all
to will and think, and thence to do and
speak what is there commanded ? With
out that power with man, what would
religion and the church be, but like a
vessel wrecked, which lies at the bot
tom of the sea, upon the top of whose
mast the pilot stands and cries, ' I can
not do any thing,' and sees the rest of
the sailors hoist the sails and escape in
boats ? Was there not given to Adam the
freedom of eating from the tree of life,
and also from the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil ? And because, from his
freedom, he ate from this tree, smoke
from the serpent, that is, hell, entered his
mind, on account of which he was cast
out of paradise and cursed. And yet
he did not lose free agency, for it is
read, that the way to the tree of life
was guarded by a cherub ; and unless
this had been done, he could still have
willed to eat from it." These things
being said, the other, who loved what
is evil and false, said, " The things
which I have heard I leave ; I retain
with me what I have declared. But who
does not know, that God alone is alive,
and thence active, and that man is of
himself dead, and thence merely pas
sive? How can such a one, who in
himself is dead and merely passive,
take to himself any thing alive and ac
tive ?" To this I replied, " Man is an
organ of life, and God alone is life ; and
God infuses his life into the organ and
every part of it, as the sun infuses its
heat into a tree and every part of it ;
and God gives to man to feel that life
in himself, as his own, and God wills
that man should feel so, in order that
he may live as of himself, according to
the laws of order, which are as many as
there are precepts in the Word, and
dispose himself for receiving the love
of God . But still God continually holds,
with his finger, the perpendicular over
the balance, and moderates, but never
violates free agency by forcing. A tree

356

Concerning Free Agency.

cannot receive any thing, which the
heat of the sun introduces through the
root, unless it acquire warmth and heat
as to each one of its fibres ; nor can
the elements rise up through the root,
unless each of its fibres, from the heat
received, also give out heat, and thus
contribute to the passage. So also
does man from the heat of life received
from God. But he, differently from a
tree, feels that as his own, although it
is not his ; but as far as he believes
that it is his, and not God's, so far he
receives the light of life, but not the
heat of love from God, but the heat of
love from hell ; which, because it is
gross, stops and closes up the purer
little branches of the organ, as the im
pure blood does the capillary vessels of
the body ; thus man makes himself
from spiritual merely natural. Man
has free agency from this, that he feels
life in himself as his own, and that
God leaVes man to feel thus, that con
junction may be effected, which is not
possible unless it be reciprocal ; and it
becomes reciprocal while man from
freedom acts altogether as from him
self. If God had not left that to man,
man would not be man, nor would he
have eternal life ; for reciprocal con
junction with God causes man to be
man and not a beast, and also causes
him to live after death to eternity ; free
agency in spiritual things effects this."
Having heard this, that evil spirit re
moved himself to a distance; and then
I saw a flying serpent, which is called
a prester, upon a certain tree, which
presented the fruit thence to a certain
one ; and then in the spirit I came up
to the place, and there, instead of the
serpent, appeared a monstrous man,
whose face was so covered over with
beard, that nothing of it was visible,
pxcept the nose ; and instead of a tree
there was a fire-brand, at which he
siood into whose mind smoke be
fore entered, and who afterwards re
jected free agency in spiritual things.
And suddenly a similar smoke came
out from the fire-brand and encompass
ed them both ; and because they were
thus withdrawn from my sight, I de

parted ; but the other, who loved what
is good and true, and asserted that man
has free agency in spiritual things, ac
companied me home.
505. Third Relation. I once
heard a noise as of two mill-stones rub
bing against each other. I went to the
sound, and it ceased ; and I saw a nar
row gate leading obliquely downwards
to a certain vaulted house, in which
were many chambers, in which were
little cells, in each of which sat two
persons, who were collecting from the
Word confirmations in favor of justifi
cation by faith alone : one was collect
ing and the other was writing, and this
by turns. I went up to one cell, which
was near the door, and asked, " What
are you collecting and writing?" They
said, " Concerning the act of justi
fication, or concerning faith in act,
which is itself justifying, vivifying and
saving faith, and the head of the doc
trines of the church in our Christen
dom." And then I said to him, " Tell
me some sign of that act, when that
faith is introduced into the heart and
into the soul of man." He replied,
" The sign of that act is in the moment
when a man is pierced with anguish
on account of his condemnation, and
when, in that contrition, he thinks of
Christ, that He took away the con
demnation ofthe law, and lays hold of
this his merit, with confidence, and
with this in his thought goes to God
the Father and prays." Then said I,
" Thus the act is made, and this is the
moment." And I asked, "How shall
I comprehend what is said concerning
this act, that man contributes nothing
towards it, any more than he would if he
were a stock or a stone ; and that man,
as to that act, has no power to begin,
will, understand, think, operate, coop
erate, apply and accommodate himself?
Tell me how this coheres with what
you said, that the act then happens,
when man is thinking concerning the
justice of the law, concerning its con
demnation removed by Christ, concern
ing the confidence in which he lays
hold of this his merit, and in thought
concerning this goes to God the Father

Concerning Free Agency.

35T

a«id ^ra^s. A e nf.t all these things
<loue by man .'" P.ut he said, " They
are not done by man actively, but pas
sively " And I replied, " How can
Miy one think, have confidence, and
pray passively ? Take away from man
**hat is active and cooperative, then
.0 you not also take away what is re-
reptive, thus all, and with all the act
tsolf? What, then, does your act be-
-come, but purely ideal, which i3 called
an imaginary entity? I hope that you
10 not believe, with some, that such act
is given only with the predestinated,
who know nothing at all about the
nfusion of faith into themselves.
These can play at dice, and thereby
inquire whether faith has been infused
.nto them, or not. Wherefore, my
'riend, believe that man, as to charity
uid faith, operates of himself from the
Lord, and that without this operation,
your act of faith, which you called the
head of all the doctrines of the church
in Christendom, is nothing else than the
statue of Lot's wife, tinkling from mere
salt, when touched with a scribe's pen,
or his finger nail, Luke xvii. 32. This
I said, because you make yourselves,
as to that act, similar to statues."
When I had said this, he took a can
dlestick, intending to throw it with all
his might into my face, and the candle
then suddenly being extinguished, he
threw it at the forehead of his compan
ion ; and I went away laughing.
506. Fourth Relation. There
were seen in the spiritual world two
flocks, one was of goats, and the
other of sheep. I wondered who they
were, for I knew that the animals seen
in the spiritual world are not animals,
but that they are correspondences of
the affections and of the thoughts
thence, of those who are there. Where
fore I went up nearer, and as I went up,
the likenesses of animals disappeared,
and instead of them were seen men.
And it was made manifest, that those
who made the flock of goats, were
those who confirmed themselves in the
doctrine of justification by faith alone ;
and those who made the flock of sheep,
those who believed that charity and
faith are one, even as good and truth

are one. And then I spoke with those
who appeared like goats, and said,
" Why are you thus assembled'" Most
of them were ofthe clergy, who gloried
in the fame of their erudition, because
they knew the secrets of justification'
by faith alone. They said that they
were assembled that they might sit as
a council, because they had heard
that the saying of Paul, Rom. iii. 28,
That man is justified by faith, without
the works of the law, was not rightly
understood ; since by faith there, he
did not mean the faith of the present
church, which is in three divine per
sons from eternity, but a faith in the
Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ ;
and by the works of the law, he did
not mean the works of the law of
the decalogue, but the works of the
Mosaic law, which was for the Jews ;
and that thus, by a wrong interpreta
tion, they had concluded, from those
few words, two enormous falsities,
which are, that they meant the faith of
the present church, and the works of
the law of the decalogue. That Paul
did not mean these, but the works of
the Mosaic law, which were for the
Jews, is clearly evident from his own
words to Peter, whom he blamed for
Judaizing, when yet he knew, that no
one is justified by the works of the law,
but by the faith of Jesus Christ, Gal.
ii. 16. By the faith of Jesus Christ, is
meant faith in Him and from Him (see
above, n. 338). And, because by the
works of the law, he meant the works
of the Mosaic law, therefore he dis
tinguished between the law of faith
and the law of works, and between the
Jews and the Gentiles, or the circum
cision and the uncircumcision ; and by
the circumcision is signified Judaism,
as every where else ; and he also
closes those sayings by these words ; Do
we then abrogate the law by faith ?
Not at all; but we establish the law.
All these things he says in one series,
Rom. iii. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. And
also he says in the chapter which pre
cedes, Not the hearers of the law will
be justified by God, but the doers of
the law will be justified, Rom. ii. 13.
And also, That God will render to

358

Concerning Free Agency.

every one according to his works, ii. 6.
And again, We must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ, that every
one may receive the things which he
hath done in the body, whether good or
bad, 2 Cor. v. 10; besides many other
things in his epistles ; from which it is
manifest, that Paul rejected faith with
out good works, as well as James, ii.
17 to 26. That the works of the
Mosaic law, which were for the Jews,
were meant by Paul, we have been still
more confirmed from this, that all the
statutes for the Jews are called in
Moses the Law, thus the works of the
law ; which we saw from these pas
sages : This is the law of the sacrifice of
peace-offerings, Lev. vii. 11. This is
the law for the burnt-offering, for the
meat-offering, for the sacrifice of sin
and trespass, for consecrations, vii. 37.
This is the law of the beast and the
bird, xi. 46, and the following verses.
This is the law of one bringing forth,
for a son or a daughter, xii. 7. This
is the law of leprosy, xiii. 59 ; xiv. 2,
32, 54, 57. 77ms is the law of him
that hath an issue, xv. 32. This is the
law of jealousy , Num. v. 29, 30. This
is the law of the Nazarite, vi. 13, 21.
This is the law when a man dieth in a
tent, xix. 14. This is the law concern
ing the red heifer, xix. 2. The law for
the king, Deut. xvii. 15 to 19. Yea,
the whole book of Moses is called the
book of the Law, xxxi. 9, 11, 12, 26;
and also Luke ii. 22 ; xxiv. 24 ; John
i. 46; vii. 22, 23; viii. 5. To this
also they added, that they had seen in
Paul, that the law of the decalogue is
the rule of life, and that it is fulfilled
by charity, Rom. xiii. 8,9, 10, 11 ; and
also that he says, That there are three
things, faith, hope, and charity; and
that the greatest of these is charity, 1
Cor. xiii. 13; thus not faith. They
said, that on account of these things,
they had been called together. But
lest I should disturb them, I retired ;
and then again, at a distance, they
seemed like goats, and sometimes as
lying down, and sometimes as standing
up ; but they turned themselves away
from the flock of sheep. They appear
ed as if lying down when they were

deliberating, and as if standing up
when they were concluding. But I
kept my sight fixed upon their horns,
and I wondered that the horns in
their foreheads should appear, now,
as if projecting forwards and upwards,
now as if turning backwards, and at
length as if turned entirely back.
And then suddenly they turned them
selves about to the flock of sheep, but
still they appeared as goats. Where
fore I again went up and asked, " What
now?" They said that they had con
cluded that faith alone produces the
goods of charity, as a tree produces
fruit. But then thunder was heard
and lightning was seen from above;
and presently an angel appeared stand
ing between those two flocks, and he
cried to the flock of sheep, " Do not
hearken ; they have not receded from
their former faith, which is, that faith
alone justifies and saves, and that act
ual charity does not at all. Neither is
faith a tree, but man is a tree. But
repent, and look to the Lord, and you
will have faith : the faith before that is
not a faith in which there is any thing
living." Then the goats, which had
horns turned backwards,wished to come
to the sheep ; but the angel, standing
between them, divided the sheep into
two flocks, and said to those on the
left hand, " Join yourselves to the goats :
but I tell you that a wolf is coming,
which will seize them and you with
them." But after the two flocks of sheep
were separated, and those on the left
hand had heard the threatening words
of the angels, they looked at each
other and said, " Let us speak with
our old consociates." And then the
flock on the left hand spoke to that on
the right, saying, " Why have you
gone away from our pastors ? Are not
faith and charity one, as the tree and
the fruit are one ? For the tree is con
tinued through the branches into the
fruit. Break off any of the branches,
through which the tree by continuity
flows into the fruit, and would not
the fruit perish, and, together with
the fruit, all the seed of any tree
about to arise anew ? Ask our priests

Concerning Free Agency.

359

whether it is not so." And then they
asked ; and they looked around to the
rest, who winked with their eyelids
that they should say that they spoke
well ; and after this they answered,
" You have spoken well ; but as to
what concerns the continuation of faith
into good works, we know many se
crets, but this is not the place to pub
lish them ; in the bond or thread of
faith and charity, there are many little
knots, which we priests only are able
to untie." And then one ofthe priests,
who was among the sheep on the right
hand, rose up and said, "They answer
ed to you, that it is so; but to their
own, that it is not so; for they think
otherwise." Wherefore they asked,
" How then do they think ? Do they
not think as they teach?" He said,
" No ; they think that all the good of
charity, which is called good work,
which is done by man for the sake of
salvation and eternal life, is not in the
least degree good, because man by
work from himself, wishes to save him
self by claiming to himself the right
eousness and merit of the one Savior;
and that it is so with every good work
in which man feels his own will; where
fore they assert, that there is no con
junction at all of faith and charity, and
that faith is not even retained and pre
served by good works." But some of
the flock on the left hand said, " You
speak lies against them ; do they not
openly preach to us charity and its
works, which they call the works of
faith ?" And he replied, " You do not
understand their preachings ; only the
clergy wh'o are present attend and un
derstand. They think only of moral
charity, and its civil and political goods,
which they call those of faith, and they
are not so at all ; for a man who is an
atheist, can do them in like manner,
and under the same form ; wherefore
they unanimously say, that no one is
saved by any works, but by faith alone.
But this shall be illustrated by com
parisons. An apple-tree produces ap
ples ; but if a man does goods for the
sake of salvation, as that tree produces
apples by continuity, then those apples
are inwardly rotten and full of worms.

They say also, that a vine produces
grapes; but if a man should do spirit
ual goods, as a vine produces grapes,
he would produce wild grapes." But
then they asked, "What are their goods
of charity, or the works which are the
fruits of faith?" He replied, "That
perhaps they are inconspicuous some
where near faith, to which, however,
they do not cohere ; they are like the
shadow which follows behind a man
when he looks to the sun ; which
shadow he does not observe, unless he
turns himself about. Yea, I may say
that they are like the tails of horses,
which at this day are in many places
cut off; for it is said, What is the use
of them? they are good for nothing;
if they adhere to the horse, they are
apt to be defiled." Having heard this,
some one of the flock of sheep on the
left said with indignation, " There is
certainly some conjunction, or else how
can they be called the works of faith ?
Perhaps the goods of eharity may be
insinuated by God into the voluntary
works of man by some influx, as by
some affection, aspiration, inspiration,
incitement and excitement of the will,
tacit perception in the thought, and
thence exhortation, contrition, and thus
conscience, and thence an impulse to
action and obedience of the decalogue
and the Word, as an infant, or as a
wise man, or by some other means
similar to those ; how otherwise can
they be called the fruits of faith 1" To
this the priest replied, " No, it is not
so ; and if they say that it is done by
any such means, still they stuff it in
their sermons with expressions from
which it results that it is not from
faith. Some, however, teach such
things ; but only as signs of faith,
BUT NOT AS THE BONDS OF IT WITH
charity. Yet some have thought of
conjunction by the Word." And then
they said, " Is there not 'thus a con
junction ?" But he replied, " They do
not think this, but only by hearing of
the Word ; for they assert, that every
thing rational and every thing volun
tary of man, in the things of faith, is
impure and meritorious, since man, in
spiritual things, is not any more able

360

Concerning Free Agency.

to understand, will, operate and coop
erate, than a log." But one, when he
heard that man is believed to be such,
in all the things which are of faith and
salvation, said, " I heard a certain one
say, ' I have planted a vineyard ; now I
will drink wine even to intoxication.'
But another asked, ' Will you drink
the wine out of your cup, by your right
hand.' And he said, ' No, but out of
an invisible cup, by an invisible hand.'
And the other replied, ' Certainly, then,
you will not be intoxicated.' " Presently
the same man said, " But hear me, I
pray ; I tell you, drink wine from the
Word understood. Do you not know,
that the Lord is the Word ? Is not the
Word from the Lord? Thus, is He
not in it? If, therefore, you do good
from the Word, do you not do it from
the Lord, from his own mouth and
will ? If, then, you look to the Lord,
He also will lead and teach you, and
you will do it of yourselves from
the Lord. Who, that does any thing
from a king, from his mouth and com
mand, can say, I do this from my own
mouth or command, and from my own
will ?" After this, he turned himself
to the clergy and said, " Ministers of
God, do not seduce the flock." Hav
ing heard this, the greatest part of the
flock on the left hand went away, and
united themselves to the flock on
the right. Then some of the clergy
said, " We have heard what we never
heard before. We are pastors ; we will
not leave the sheep." And they went
away together with them. And they
said, " This man has spoken a true
word. Who, that does any thing from
the Word, thus from the Lord, his
mouth and will, can say, ' I do this
from myself?' Who, that does any thing
from a king, his mouth and will, says,
' I do this from myself?' We see now the
Divine Providence, why a conjunction
of faith and good works has not been
found, which is acknowledged by an
ecclesiastical society. It could not be
found, because it could not be given;
for there was not a faith in the Lord,
who is the Word, and thence there was
not a faith from the Word." But the
rest of the priests, who were of the

flock of the goats, went away, and
waved their hats and cried, " Faith
alone, faith alone, shall live still."
507. Fifth Relation. I was in
conversation with angels, and at last
concerning the concupiscence of evil,
in which every man is from his nativity.
One said, that in the world where he
is, those who are in the concupiscence
of evil, appear to us angels, as idiots,
but to themselves there as supremely
wise. Wherefore, that they may be
drawn out of their infatuation, they are
by turns let into it, and by turns into
the rational faculty, which with them
is in externals ; and in this state they
see, acknowledge and confess their in
sanity ; but still they earnestly desire
to return from their rational state into
their insane state, and also they let
themselves into it, as from a forced and
undelightful into a free and delightful
state : thus concupiscence inwardly de
lights them, and not intelligence.
There are three universal loves, of
which every man, from creation, is
composed ; the love of the neighbor,
which also is the love of doing uses —
this love is spiritual ; the love of the
world, which also is the love of pos
sessing wealth — this love is material;
and the love of self, which also is the
love of ruling over others — and this love
is corporeal. Man is truly man, while
the love of the neighbor, or the love of
doing uses, makes the head, and the
love of the world, or the love of pos
sessing wealth, makes the breast and
belly, and the love of self, or the love
of ruling, makes the feet and the soles
ofthe feet; but if the love ofthe world
makes the head, man is not man other
wise than as a hunch-backed one ; but
if the love of self makes the head, he is
not like a man standing upon the feet,
but as on the palms of the hands, with
the head downwards and the buttocks
upwards. When the love of doing
uses makes the head, and the two other
loves make in order the body and the
feet, that man appears in heaven of an
angelic face, with a beautiful rainbow
around his head ; but if the love of the
world, or of wealth, makes the head
he appears from heaven of a pallid face.

Concerning Free Agency.

361

like a corpse, with a yellow circle around
his head ; but if the love of self, or of
ruling over others, makes the head, he
appears from heaven of a dusky fiery
face, with a white circle around his
head. At this I asked, " What do the
circles around the heads represent?"
They replied, " They represent intelli
gence. The white circle around the
head of a dusky fiery face, represents
that his intelligence is in externals, or
around him, but insanity in his inter
nals, or in him; also a man who is such,
is wise when in the body, but insane
while in the spirit ; and no man is wise
in spirit but from the Lord, which is
the case when he is born and created
anew by Him." When these things
were said, the earth opened to the left,
and through the opening I saw a devil
rising up, of a dusky fiery face, with a
white circle around his head, and I
asked, " Who are you ?" He said, " I
am Lucifer, son of the morning ; and
because I made myself like the Most
High, I was cast down, as I am de
scribed, Isaiah xiv. ;" yet he was not
Lucifer, but he believed himself to be
him. And I said, " Since you were
cast down, why can you not rise again
out of hell ?" He replied, " I am there
a devil, but here I am an angel of light.
Do you not see my head girded with a
white girdle? And also, if you wish,
you shall see that I am moral among
the moral, and rational among the ra
tional, yea, spiritual among the spirit
ual. I could also preach." I asked,
"How did you preach?" He said,
" Against defrauders, against adulter
ers, and against all infernal loves; yea,
then I called myself, Lucifer, a devil,
and cursed myself as such, and on that
account was extolled with praises to
heaven. Thence it is, that I was called
son of the morning. And what I my
self wondered at, when I was in the
pulpit, I thought no otherwise than
that I was speaking rightly and truly ;
but -be cause was discovered to me,
which was, that I was in externals,
and these were then separate from my
internals; and although this was dis
covered to me, still I could not change
myself, because I had exalted myself
46

above the Most High, and lilted up my
self against Him." Then I asked,
" How could you speak thus, since you
are yourself a defrauder and an adul
terer." He replied, " I am one thing
while I am in externals, or in the body,
and another, while in internals, or in
the spirit ; in the body I am an angel,
but in the spirit, a devil ; for in the
body I am in the understanding, but
in the spirit I am in the will; and the
understanding carries me upwards,
but the will carries me downwards;
and while I am in the understanding,
a white girdle encompasses my head,
but while the understanding subjects
itself completely to the will, and be
comes its slave, which is our last con
dition, then the girdle grows black and
disappears ; and when this is done, I
can no more ascend into this light."
But suddenly, as he saw the angels
with me, he was inflamed in the face
and voice, and becami; black, even as
to the girdle around his head; and
through the opening, through which he
rose, he .did down into hell. Those
who were present, from seeing and
hearing these things, made this con
clusion : That man is such as his will
is, and not such as his understanding
is, since the will easily carries away
the understanding over to its side, and
enslaves it. Then I asked the angels,
" Whence have the devils rationality ?"
And they said, " It is from the glory of
the love of self; for the love of self is
encompassed with glory ; for this is the
splendor of its fire, and that glory
elevates the understanding almost into
the light of heaven. For the under
standing with every man is capable of
being elevated according to knowl
edges ; but the will, only by a life ac
cording to the truths of the church and
of reason. Thence it is, that atheists
themselves, who are in the glory of
fame from the love of self, and thence
in the pride of their own intelligence,
enjoy a sublimer rationality than many
others ; but then when they are in
the thought of the understanding, but
not when in the love of the will ;
and the love of the will possesses the
interna] man, but the thought of tho

362

Concerning Free Agency.

understanding the external." Further,
the angel told the reason why man is
composed of the three loves, namely,
the love of use, the love of the world,
and the love of self. The reason is,
that man may think from God, al
though altogether as from himself.
He said, that the highest things in
man's mind are turned upwards to God,
the middle things there, outwards to
the world, and the lowest things there,
downwards into the body ; and because
these are turned downwards, man
thinks altogether as of himself, when
yet from God.
508. Sixth Relation. One day,
there appeared to me a magnificent
temple, of a square form, the roof of
which was like a crown, arched above
and elevated round about. The walls
of it were continuous windows of crys
tals, the gate of the substance of pearl ;
within, on the south side, towards the
west, there was a pulpit, on which, at
the right, lay the Word open, girded
with a sphere of light, the splendor of
which surrounded and illuminated the
whole pulpit. In the middle of the
temple was the sacred recess, before
which was a veil, but now removed,
where stood a cherub of gold with a
sword in his hand, vibrating hither and
thither. When I had viewed these
things, it flowed into my meditation,
what each of them signified ; namely,
That that temple signified the New
Church ; the gate of the substance of
pearl, entrance into it ; the windows of
crystals, the truths which illustrate it ;
the pulpit, the priesthood and preach
ing ; the Word upon it open, and illu
minating the higher part of the pulpit,
the internal sense of it, which is spir
itual, revealed ; the sacred recess in
the middle of the temple, the conjunc
tion of that church with the angelic
heaven; the cherub of gold therein,
the Word in the sense of the letter ;
the sword vibrating in his hand, signi
fied that this sense may be turned
hither and thither, provided this is
done in application to some truth ;
that the veil before the cherub was
removed, signified that now the
Word was laid open. Afterwards,

when I came up nearer, I saw these
words written on the gate, Now it is
lawful ; which signified, that now it is
lawful to enter intellectually into the
secrets of faith. From seeing this
writing, it fell into my thought, that
it is very dangerous to enter by the un
derstanding into the dogmas of faith,
which are formed from man's own in
telligence and thence of falses, and
still more to confirm them from the
Word : thence the understanding is
closed above, and by degrees below, to
such a degree, that theological things
are not only loathed, but also oblit
erated, as the writing on paper is by
worms, and the nap on cloth by moths;
the understanding remaining only in
political things, which have respect to
one's life in the dominion where he is,
and in civil things which belong to his
employment, and in domestic thing3
which belong to his house; and in these
and those he continually kisses nature,
and loves her from the allurements of
her pleasures, as an idolater does the
golden image in his bosom. Now, be
cause the dogmas in the Christian
churches at this day are formed not
from the Word but from man's own
intelligence, and thence from falses, and
also confirmed by some things from
the Word; therefore, by the divine
providence of the Lord, the Word with
the Roman Catholics was taken away
from the laity, and with the Protestants
it is open, but still shut by their com
mon saying, that the understanding is
to be kept under obedience to their
faith. But in the New Church it is
reversed ; in this it is lawful by the
understanding to enter and penetrate
into all the secrets of it, and also to
confirm them by the Word; the rea
son is, because its doctrinals are truths
continuous from the Lord, laid open
by the Word ; and confirmations of
them by rational things cause the
understanding to be opened a'.-:>ve
more and more, and thus to be ele- .led
into the light in which the a .^c-ls of .
heaven are ; and that light in its
essence is truth, and in this light the
acknowledgment of the Lord, as the
God of heaven and earth, shines in its

Concerning Free Agency.

363

glory. This is meant by the writing
upon the gate of the temple, Now it
is lawful; and also by the circum
stance that the veil of the sacred re
cess before the cherub was removed ;
for it is a canon of the New Church,
that falsities close up the understand
ing, and that truths open it. After
these things, I saw, as it were, an infant
over head, holding in his hand a paper ;
he, as he approached me, increased
to the stature of a middling sized man ;
he was an angel of the third heaven,
where all at a distance appear as

infants. While he was with me, he
handed to me the paper ; but because
it was written with circular letters, such
as are in that heaven, I returned it, and
requested that they would themselves
explain the sense of the words there
in expressions adapted to the ideas of
my thought. And he replied, " This
is written there, Enter hereafter
INTO THE MYSTERIES OF THE WoRD,
WHICH HAS BEEN HITHERTO CLOSED
UP J FOR ITS TRUTHS, ONE AND ALL,
ARE SO MANY MIRRORS OF THE LORD."

364

Concerning Repentance.

CHAPTER IX.

CONCERNING REPENTANCE.

509. After treating of Faith, Char
ity, and Free Agency, it follows next
in course to treat of Repentance ;
since true faith and genuine charity are
not attainable without repentance, and
no one- can repent without free agency.
The reason also why repentance is here
treated of, is because the next chapter
treats of Regeneration, and no one can
be regenerated, before the more griev
ous evils, which make man detestable
in the sight of God, are removed, and
these are removed by repentance.
What is an unregenerate man, but an
impenitent man 1 And what is an im
penitent man, but as one who is
in a lethargy, and knows nothing about
sin, and so cherishes it in his bosom,
and daily kisses it, as an adulterer a
harlot in his bed. But that it may be
known what repentance is, and what
it effects, the discussion of it must be
divided into articles.
510. I. That Repentance is the
first Thing of the Church with
Man.
The communion which is called the
church consists of all such persons as
have the church in them ; and the
church with man enters when he is
being regenerated ; and every one is
regenerated by abstaining from the
evils of sin, and fleeing from them like
one when he sees infernal troops with
torches about to attack him and cast
him upon a funeral pile. There are
many things which prepare man for
the church, as he advances in the first
stages of life, and which introduce
him into the church ; but the things
which effect the church in man, are
acts of repentance. Acts of repent
ance are such as cause that man should
not will, and thence should not do, the

evils which are sins against God ; for
before this is done, man stands out of
regeneration; and then, if any thought
should enter concerning eternal salva
tion, he turns himself to it, but presently
turns himself from it; for it does not
enter further into man than into the
ideas of his thought, and thence it
goes out into the words of speech, and
perhaps also into some gestures con
formable to the speech. But when it
enters into the will, then it is in man ;
for the will is the man himself, because
his love dwells there ; and the thought
is out of man, unless it proceeds from
his will ; if it does, then the will and
the thought act as one, and together
make the man. Hence it follows, that
repentance, in order to be repentance,
and efficient in man, must be of the
will and thence of the thought, and
not of the thought alone ; consequently
that it must be actual, and not merely
oral. That repentance is the first
thing of the church, is manifestly evi
dent from the Word. John the Baptist,
who was sent before to prepare men
for the church, which the Lord was
about to institute, when he baptized,
at the same time preached repentance;
wherefore his baptism was called the
baptism of repentance, because by
baptism was signified spiritual wash
ing, which is a cleansing from sins.
This John did in the Jordan, because
the Jordan signifies introduction into
the church, for it was the first bound
ary of the land of Canaan, where the
church was. The Lord himself also
preached repentance for the remission
of" sins, by which He taught, that re
pentance is the first thing of the church,
and that so far as man does it, his sins
are removed, and that so far as these

Concerning Repentance.

365

are removed,, they are remitted. And
besides, the Lord commanded the
twelve Apostles, and also the seventy
whom he sent forth, that they should
preach repentance ; from which it
is manifest, that the first thing of the
church is repentance.
511. That the church is not in man,
before his sins are removed, every one
may conclude from reason, and it may
be illustrated by these comparisons : —
Who can introduce sheep, kids and
lambs into plains and woods, where
are wild beasts of every kind, before
he has driven out the wild beasts ?
And who can prepare for a garden a
piece of land, covered over with thorns,
briers and nettles, before he has rooted
out those noxious plants? Who can
introduce a form of administration of
justice from judgment into a city pos
sessed by enemies, and establish a civil
government, before he has expelled the
enemies? The case is similar with
the evils in man, which are like wild
beasts, like briers and thorns, and like
enemies, with which the church can
not dwell together, any more than one
can dwell in a den where are tigers
and leopards ; nor any more than one
can lie in a bed, upon which poison
ous herbs have been strewed and put
into the pillows ; nor any more than
one can sleep at night in a temple,
under the floor of which are sepulchres
in which are dead bodies : would not
spectres infest hirn there like furies ?
512. II. That Contrition, of
WHICH IT IS AT THIS Day SAID, THAT
it precedes Faith, and is followed
by the Consolation of the Gospel,
is not Repentance.
In the refoimed Christian ' world,
mention is maue of a ceitain kind of
anxiety, grief and terror, which they
call contrition, and which, with those
who are to be regenerated, precedes
their faith and is followed by the con
solation of the gospel. They say that
this contrition arises in them from fear
ofthe just anger of God, and thence
eternal damnation, to every one, on
account of the sin of Adam, and
thence an inherent propensity to evils ;
and that without that contrition the

faith which is imputative of the merit
and righteousness of the Lord the
Savior, is not given : and that those
who have obtained this faith receive
the consolation of the gospel, which is,
that they are justified, that is, renewed,
regenerated and sanctified, without
any cooperation of their own; and that
thus they are transferred from damna
tion to eternal blessedness, which is
eternal life. But concerning this con
trition, it is to be considered, (1.)
Whether it be repentance. (2.) Whether
it be of any moment. (3.) Whether it be
given. 513. Whether that contrition
be repentance or not, may be con
cluded from the description of repent
ance in what follows, that it is not
attainable, unless a man know, not
only in general, but also in particular,
that he is a sinner; which no one can
know, unless he examine himself, see
the evils in himself, and condemn him
self on account of them. But that
contrition, which is said to be neces
sary to faith, has nothing in common
with those things ; for it is only the
thought and thence confession, that he
was born into the sin of Adam, and
into a propensity to the evils thence
originating, and that, therefore, he in
curs the anger of God, and thence, by
desert, damnation, the curse and eter
nal death; from which it is manifest,
that this contrition is not repentance.
514. Another point is, since that
contrition is not repentance, Whether
it be of any moment. It is said that
it contributes to faith, as what precedes
to what follows, but that still it does not
enter faith and conjoin itself with it by
mixing itself with it. But what else is
the faith which follows, than that God
the Father imputes the righteousness of
his Son, and then declares man, not
conscious of any sin, righteous, new,
and holy, and thus clothes him with a
robe washed and made white by the
blood of the Lamb ? And when he
walks in this robe, what then are the
evils of his life,, but like sulphur ous
stones thrown into the bottom of the
sea? And what then is the sin of
Adam, but some such thing, which ib

366

Concerning Repentance.

either covered or removed, or taken
away by the imputed righteousness of
Christ ? When a man, from that faith,
walks in the righteousness, and at the
same time in the innocence, of God
the Savior, to what purpose does that
contrition then serve, but for confi
dence that he is in Abraham's bosom,
and thence he beholds those who are
not contrite before faith, as miserable
in hell, or as dead ? For it is said, that
a living faith is not in those who have
no contrition. Wherefore it may be
said, that if they have immersed them
selves, or do immerse themselves, in
damnable evils, they do not attend to
them, and are not sensible of them,
any more than pigs lying in the mud
are sensible of the stench in the
ditches. Hence it is manifest, that
that contrition, since it is not repent
ance, is not any thing.
515. The third point which was to
be considered, is, Whether that
contrition without repentance be
given. In the spiritual world, I have
asked many who have confirmed in
themselves the faith imputative of the
merit of Christ, whether they had
any contrition, and they have answered,
Why contrition, when from childhood
we have believed for certain that
Christ, by his passion, has taken away
all our sins? Contrition does not
square with this faith ; for contrition is
to cast themselves into hell, and to tor
ture the conscience ; when yet they
know that they are redeemed, and so
rescued from hell, and thence secure
from harm. To this they added, that
the statute of contrition was only a
figment, which was accepted instead
of the repentance which is so often
mentioned in the Word, and also en
joined ; that, perhaps, there may be
some emotion of mind with the simple
who know but little about the gospel,
when they hear or think about the tor
ments in hell. And they said, that the
consolation ofthe gospel, impressed on
them from their earliest youth, had re
moved that contrition, so that they in
heart laughed at it, when it was named ;
that hell could not terrify them any
more than the fire of Vesuvius and

^Etna can those who dwell in Warsaw
and Vienna; nor any more than the
basilisks and vipers in the deserts of
Arabia, or the tigers and lions in the
forests of Tartary, can terrify those who
are in safety, tranquillity and quietness
in some city of Europe ; and that the
anger of God excited in them no more
terror and contrition, than the anger
of the king of Persia did in those who
are in Pennsylvania. From these things,
and from reasons deduced from their
traditions, I am confirmed, that contri
tion, unless it be repentance, such as
is described in what follows, becomes
nothing else than a sport of the fancy.
The reason, also, why the Reformed
took up contrition in'stead of repent
ance, was that they might be ton-
away from the Roman Catholics, wh*
urge repentance, and at the same time-
charity ; and after they had confirmee
justification by faith alone, they allegec
the reason, that by repentance, as b)
charity, something of man, which
savors of merit, would enter into his
faith and blacken it.
516. III. That the oral Con
fession ALONE, THAT ONE IS A SlNNER,
is not Repentance.
Concerning this oral confession, the
Reformed, who are attached to the
Augsburg Confession, thus teach :
" No one can ever know his own sins,
wherefore they cannot be enumerated ;
they are also interior and hidden ;
wherefore the confession would be false,
uncertain, imperfect and mutilated ;
but he who confesses himself to be
altogether mere sin, comprehends all
sins, excludes none, and forgets none.
But, still, the enumeration of sins,
although it is not necessary, is not to
be taken away, on account of tender
and timid consciences ; but this is only
a puerile and common form of confes
sion for the more simple and ignorant."
Formula Concordia, pages 327, 331,
380. But this confession was accepted
instead of actual repentance, by the
Reformed, after they had separated
themselves from the Roman Catholics,
because it is founded on their imputa
tive faith, which alone, without charity,
and thus also without repentance, pro-

Concerning Repentance.

367

duces remission of sins, and regenerates
man ; and also upon this, which is an
inseparable appendage to that faith,
that there is no cooperation of man
with the Holy Spirit in the act of jus
tification ; and upon this, that no one
has free agency in spiritual things;
and again upon this, that every thing is
of immediate mercy, and nothing at all
of that which becomes mediate by
man and through him.
517. Among the many reasons
why the oral confession that one is a
sinner is not repentance, is this ; that
every man can say this, even a wicked
man, and also a devil, and this with
much external devotion, when he
thinks of the torments in hell, threat
ening him and present to him. But
who does not see that this is not from
any internal devotion, consequently
that it is imaginative, and thence from
the lungs, but not voluntary from with
in, and thence from the heart ? For a
wicked man and a devil still burn in
wardly with the lusts of the love of
doing evil, by which they are carried
like mills driven by tempests ; where
fore, such an exclamation is nothing
else than a contrivance to deceive God
or impose upon the simple for the sake
of deliverance. For what is easier,
than to force the lips to vociferate, and
to accommodate the breath of the
mouth to it, and to raise the eyes and
lift the hands upwards ? This is the
same that the Lord says in Mark ;
" Well hath Isaiah prophesied concern
ing you, hypocrites ; This people hon-
oreth me with their lips, but their heart
is far from me, vii. 6. And in Mat
thew ; Wo to you, scribes and Pharisees,
because ye make clean the outside of
the cup and of the platter, but the in-
sides are full of rapine and excess.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside
of the cup and of the platter, that the
outside also may be made clean, xxiii.
25, 26 ; and more in the same chapter.
518. In the like hypocritical wor
ship are those who have confirmed in
themselves the faith of this day, that
the Lord, by the passion of the cross,
took away all the sins of the world ;
and thereby they understand the sins

of every one, who only prays the forms
respecting propitiation and mediation
Some of these can, in pulpits, with a
loud voice, and, as it were, an ardent
zeal, pour forth many holy things con
cerning repentance and concerning
charity, and they think both of no
avail to salvation ; for they mean no
other repentance than oral confession,
and no other charity than forensic ;
but they do that to gain the favor of
the people. These are they who are
meant by these words of the Lord ;
Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied by thy
name; and in thy name done many
mighty works ? But then I shall con
fess to them, I know you not; depart
from Me, ye workers of iniquity,
Matt. vii. 22, 23. Once, in the spir
itual world, I heard a certain one
praying thus : "I am full of the scab,
leprous and filthy from my mother's
womb. There is nothing sound in me,
from the head to the sole of the foot.
I am not worthy to lift up my eyes to
God. I am deserving of death and
eternal damnation. Have mercy on
me for the sake of thy Son. Purify
me, by his blood. The salvation of
all is in thy good pleasure. I implore
mercy." Those who stood by him
and heard these words asked, "Whence
do you know that you are such ? " He
replied, "I know because I have heard."
But then he was sent to the examining
angels, in whose presence he spoke
similar things ; and they, having made
an examination, reported, that he had
spoken truths concerning himself, but
that still he did not know one evil in
himself, because he had never exam
ined himself, and had believed that
evils, after an oral confession, are no
longer evils in the sight of God, both
because God turns away his eyes from
them, and because He is propitiated ;
and that, therefore, he had not repented
of any, although he was a deliberate
adulterer, a robber, a deceitful detracter,
and a burning revenger ; and that he
was such in will and heart, and thence
would be such in words and deeds,
unless the fear of the law and of the
loss of fame restrained him. Aftei

368

Concerning Repentance.

it was found out that he was such, he
was judged and cast off to the hypo
crites in hell.
519. What those are may be il
lustrated by comparisons. They are
like temples in which are assembled
only spirits of the dragon, and those
who are meant by locusts in the Revela
tion ; and they are like the pulpits there,
where the Word is not, because it is
buried under feet. They are like the
walls of houses plastered, and the plas
tering beautifully colored, within which
owls and direful birds of night fly
about, the windows being open. They
are like whitened sepulchres, in which
are bones of the dead. They are like
coins made of the lees of oil, or dried
dung, and covered over with gold.
They are like the bark and rind around
rotten wood ; and they are like the gar
ments of the sons of Aaron about a
leprous body : yea, they are like ulcers,
within which there is corrupted matter,
covered over with a thin skin, which
are believed to be healed. Who does
not know, that a holy external and a
profane internal do not agree together?
Such, also, more than others, are afraid
to explore themselves; wherefore they
have no more perception ofthe vicious
things within them, than of the noisome
and loathsome things in the stomach
and in the bowels, before they are cast
out into the draught. But it is to be
held, that those who have been hitherto
spoken of are not to be confounded
with those who act well and believe
well ; nor with those who repent of
some sins, and from a like oral confes
sion, while in worship, and still more
in spiritual temptation, speak with them
selves, or pray ; for that general con
fession both precedes and follows ref
ormation and regeneration.
520. IV. That Man is born to
Evils of every Kind, and that, un
less he remove them in part by
Repentance, he remains in them,
\PfD he who remains in them cannot
IE SAVED.
That every man is born to evils,
.hus that from his mother's womb he
is nothing but evil, is known in the
church ; and it became known in conse

quence of its being taught by councils
and by the prelates of churches, that
the sin of Adam was transmitted to all
his posterity ; and that this is the onlj
thing, on account of which every man
after him was condemned together with
him ; and that this is what is inherent
in every man from his birth. Besides,
many other things which the churches
teach are founded upon this assertion ;
as that the laver of regeneration, which
is called baptism, was instituted by the
Lord that this sin might be removed ;
and that this was the cause of the
Lord's coming ; and that faith in his
merit is the means by which it is re
moved ; besides many other things,
which the churches have founded upon
this assertion. But that there is no
hereditary evil from that origin, may
be evident from those things which
were shown above, n. 466, and the fol
lowing ; that Adam was not the first
of men, but that by Adam and his
wife, the first church on this globe is
representatively described ; and by the
garden of Eden, the wisdom of that
church ; and by the tree of life, its
looking to the Lord who was to come;
and by the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil, its looking to self,
and not to the Lord. That this church
was representatively described by the
first chapters of Genesis, has been
evinced from many parallel passages
from the Word, in the Arcana Cce-
lestia, published at London. From
these things being understood and as
sumed, the opinion hitherto entertained,
that the evil innate in man from his
parents is thence, falls to the ground ;
when yet it does not derive its origin
thence, but from another source. That
the tree of life, and the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, are with
every man ; and that their being said to
be placed in a certain garden signified
the liberty and ability of turning one's
self to the Lord, and of turning one's
self away from Him, has been fully
demonstrated in the chapter concerning
Free Agency.
521. But, my friend, hereditary
evil is from no other source than from
parents ; not indeed the evil itself

Concerning Repentance.

369

which a man actually commits, but an
inclination to it. That it is so, every
one will acknowledge, if he only joins
reason to experience. Who does not
know that children are born into a
common likeness of their parents, as
to their faces, and manners, and dispo
sitions? And also that grandchildren
and great-grandchildren are born into
those of their grandfathers and great
grandfathers, and that thence families,
and also nations, are distinguished from
each other by many, as Africans from
Europeans, Neapolitans from Germans,
Englishmen from Frenchmen, and so
forth ? And who does not know a Jew
from his face, eyes, speech and gestures ?
And if you could feel the sphere of
life diffusing itself from the native dis
position of every one, you might also
be convinced of the likeness of their
dispositions and minds. Hence it fol
lows, that man is not born into evils
themselves, but only into an inclina
tion to evils, yet with a greater or less
bias to particular ones. Wherefore,
after death, no one is judged from any
hereditary evil, but from the actual
ones, which he himself has committed.
This also is evident from this statute
of the Lord : The father shall not die
for the son, and the son shall not die
for the father ; every one shall die for
his own sin, Deut. xxiv. 16. This was
made certain to me, in the spiritual
world, from the infants which die, in
that they only incline to evils, so that
they will, but still they do not do them,
for they are educated under the aus
pices of the Lord, and saved. The
above-mentioned inclination and bias
to evils, transmitted from parents to
their children and posterity, is broken
only by a new birth from the Lord,
which is called regeneration : without
this, that inclination not only remains
uninterrupted, but also increases from
successive parents, and becomes more
prone to evils, and at length to every
kind of them. Thence it is, that the
Jews are still images of their father
Judah, who took to wife a Canaanitess,
and by adultery with his daughter-in-law
Tamar, begot the three races of them.
Wherefore this hereditary disposition,
47

in process of time, has increased with
them to such a degree, that they can
not, with a faith of the heart, embrace
the Christian religion. It is said, that
they cannot, because the interior will
of their mind is averse to it, and this
will causes the inability.
522. That every evil, unless it be
removed, remains with man; and that
man, if he remain in his evils, cannot
be saved, follow of themselves. That
no evil can be removed but by the Lord,
with those who believe in Him and
love the neighbor, may be very evident
from what has been said above, par
ticularly from these things in the chap
ter concerning Faith ; That the Lord,
charity and faith make one, like life,
will and understanding ; and if they
are divided, each perishes like a pearl
reduced to powder. And from these
there, That the Lord is charity and
faith in man, and that man is charity
and faith in the Lord. But is it asked,
How can man enter into that union ?
It is answered, that he cannot, unless
he remove his evils, in part, by repent
ance. It is said, that man removes
them, because the Lord does not do it
immediately without the cooperation of
man, which also was fully shown in the
same chapter, and in the following one
concerning Free Agency.
523. It is affirmed that no one can
fulfil the law, especially since he who
offends against one precept of the
decalogue, offends against all.- But
this form of speaking is not just as it
sounds ; for it is to be understood in
this manner, that he, who, from purpose
or confirmation, acts against one pre
cept, acts against the rest, since to act
from purpose and confirmation, is utter
ly to deny that it is sin ; and if it is
said that it is sin, to reject it as of no
moment: and he who thus denies and
rejects sin, makes light of every thing
that is called sin. Those who are not
willing to hear any thing about repent
ance, come into this purpose ; but,
on the other hand, those who by repent
ance have removed some evils, which
are sins, come into the purpose of be
lieving in the Lord and loving thfl
neighbor : these are held by the Lord

370

Concerning Repentance.

in the pu-pose of abstaining from more
sins ; wherefore, if they sin from igno
rance, or from some very powerful lust,
it is not imputed to them, because they
did not y -pose it to themselves, nor
do they confirm it in themselves.
This may be confirmed by these facts.
In the spiritual world I have met with
many, who in the natural world lived
like others, in clothing themselves
splendidly, feasting sumptuously, trad
ing with interest like others, seeing the
atrical exhibitions, joking about lovers
as if from lust, besides other similar
things ; and yet the angels charged
those things to some, as evils of sin,
and to some they did not charge them
as evils, and these they declared inno
cent, but those guilty. To the ques
tion, Why so? when yet they did the
like things, they replied ; that they
regard all from the purpose, intention,
and end, and distinguish according to
these ; and that, therefore, those whom
the end either excuses or condemns,
they themselves excuse or condemn,
since all in heaven have the end of
good, and all in hell the end of evil.
524. But these things shall be illus
trated by comparisons. When sins are
retained in an impenitent man, they
may be compared with various diseases
in him, of which, unless medicines be
applied to them, and their malignity
thereby removed, the man dies ; par
ticularly with the disease called gan
grene, which, unless it be cured in
season, spreads itself around and brings
on inevitable death ; in like manner
with impostumes and abscesses, unless
they be uncovered and opened ; for
thence collections of putrid matter
would be spread into the neighboring
parts, and thence into the adjacent
viscera, and at last into the heart,
whence death would ensue. They
may also be compared with tigers,
leopards, lions, wolves and foxes, which,
unless they be kept in dens, or tied
with chains or ropes, would attack the
flock and herd, and the fox, the hens, and
kill them ; and also with venomous ser
pents, which, unless they are held down
and •.onfined by poles, or deprived of
their teeth, would inflict upon man

deadly wounds. The whole flotk, if
it were left in plains where there are
poisonous herbs, would perish, unless
it were led away thence by the shep
herd into wholesome pastures. The
silk- worm, too, would perish, and thus
all the silk, unless other worms were
shaken oft' from the leaves of its tree.
It may be compared also with corn in
barns or houses, which would become
musty and rancid, and thus unfit for
use, unless the air were suffered to
pass freely through it, and preserve it
from damage. Fire, unless it were
extinguished at its first breaking out,
would consume a whole city or forest.
A garden would be covered all over
with brambles, thistles and briers, un
less they were rooted up. Skilful gar
deners know, that a bad tree, from the
seed and root, brings its bad juices into
the stock of a good tree, engrafted or
inoculated into it, and that the bad
juices, which enter from beneath,
are turned into good juices, and pro
duce good fruit. The like is done to
man by the removal of evil by means of
repentance, for by this, man is en
grafted into the Lord, as a branch into
a vine, and bears good fruit, John
xv. 4, 5, 6.
525. V. That the Knowledge
of Sin, and the Searching out of
some one Sin in one's self, begins
Repentance. No one in the Christian world can
be without the knowledge of sin ; for
every one there is taught, from his in
fancy, what evil is, and from his child
hood, what is the evil of sin. All
young people learn this from their
parents and masters, and also from the
decalogue, which is the first book for all
in Christendom ; and in their progress
afterwards, from preaching in temples,
and from instruction at home, and in
fulness from the Word ; and besides,
from the civil laws of justice, which
leach the same things as the decalogue
and the other parts of the Word. For
the evil of sin is nothing else than evil
against the neighbor ; and evil against
the neighbor is also evil against God,
which is sin. But the knowledge
of sin does not effect any thing, unless

Concerning Repentance.

371

a man explores the acts of his life, and
sees whether he has done any such
thing, in secret or in public ; previous
to this it is all only science, and then
all that the preacher brings forth is
only something sounding in his left ear,
from which it passes through to his
right and flies away ; and at last it
becomes only something of thought
and something devout from the lungs,
and with many something imaginary
and chimerical. But the case is quite
different, if a man, according to his
knowledge of what sin is, explores him
self, and finds some sin in himself, and
says with himself, This evil is a sin,
and abstains from it through fear of
eternal punishment; then, for the first
time, instructive and oratorial preach
ing in temples, is received with both
ears and admitted into the heart, and
the man, from a pagan, becomes a
Christian. 526. What can be more known in
the whole Christian world, than that a
man ought to examine himself? For
every where in the empires and king
doms, which are devoted either to the
Roman Catholic or the Evangelical
religion, they are taught and admon
ished, before coming to the holy sup
per, that a man should examine
himself, and know and acknowledge
his sins, and begin to live otherwise ;
and this with horrible threatenings in
the dominions of England, where, from
the preparatory service before com
munion, these words are read and pro
claimed by the priest from the altar :
" The way and means," to become
a worthy partaker of the holy sup
per, " is, First, to examine your
lives and conversations by the rule of
God's commandments ; and whereinso
ever ye shall perceive yourselves to
have offended, either by will, word,
or deed, there to bewail your own sin
fulness, and to confess yourselves 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 neighbors, then ye
shall reconcile yourselves unto them,
being ready to make restitution and

satisfaction according to the utter
most of your powers, 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
at Gad's hand ; for otherwise the re
ceiving of the holy communion doth
nothing else but increase your damna
tion. Therefore, if any of you be a
blasphemer of God, a hinderer or slan
derer of his Word, an adulterer, or be
in malice, or envy, or in any other
grievous crime ; repent ye of your
sins, or else come not to that holy table ;
lest, after the taking of that holy sac
rament, the devil enter into you, as he
entered into Judas, and fill you full
of all iniquities, and bring you to de
struction both of body and soul."
527. But still there are some who
cannot examine themselves, as infants,
boys and girls, before they arrive at an
age when they become capable of self-
examination : in like manner, the sim
ple, who are incapable of reflection ;
and also all who have not the fear of
God ; besides these some who are dis
eased in mind and body; and more
over those, who, being confirmed in the
doctrine of justification by faith alone
imputative of the merit of Christ, have
persuaded themselves that by examina
tion and thence repentance, something
of man would enter, which would de
stroy faith, and thus throw salvation
out of its only focus, and throw it
away. These and those make use only
of oral confession, which has been
shown above, in this chapter, not to be
repentance. But those who know
what sin is, and especially those who
know many things from the Word, and
teach them, and do not explore them
selves, and thence see no sin in them
selves, may be likened to those who
scrape together riches and lay them up
in coffers and chests, without any other
use of them, than to look at them and
count them ; and like those who collect
in treasuries jewels of gold and silver,
and shut them up in cellars, solely for
the sake of opulence ; who are like
the trader that hid his talent under
the ground, and like him that hid his

372

Concerning Repentance.

pound in a napkin, Matt. xxv. 25 ;
Luke xix. 20. They are also like hard
and stony ways, on which seed falls,
Matt. xiii. 4 ; and also like fig-trees lux
uriant in leaves, and bearing no fruit,
Mark xi. 12. And they are hearts of
adamant, which do not become hearts
of flesh, Zech. vii. 12. They are like
partridges, which sit and do not hatch.
They get riches, but not with judgment ;
in the midst of their days they leave
them, and in their end they become fools,
Jer. xvii. 11. They are like the five
virgins who had lamps and not oil,
Matt. xxv. 1 to 12. Those who de
rive from the Word many things con
cerning charity and concerning repent
ance, and know precepts in abundance,
and do not live according to them,
may be compared with voracious eaters,
who stuff their mouths with food, and,
without chewing it with their teeth,
let it down into the stomach, where
it remains undigested, and being thence
pressed out, it vitiates the chyle, and
brings on lingering diseases, of which
at last they die miserably. Such,
because they are without spiritual heat,
however they may be in light, may be
called winters, frozen countries, arctic
climates, yea, heaps of snow and ice.
528. VI. That actual Repent
ance IS, TO EXAMINE ONE'S SELF
TO KNOW AND ACKNOWLEDGE One's
Sins, to make Supplication to the
Lord, and to begin a new Life.
That repentance must surely be
performed, and that the salvation of
man depends upon it, is evident from
many passages and plain declarations
of the Lord in the Word ; of which
these at present will be adduced. John
preached the baptism of repentance,
and said, Bring forth fruits worthy
of repentance, Luke iii. 3, 8 ; Mark
i. 9. Jesus began to preach and say,
Repent ye, Matt. iv. 17. And He
said, Because the kingdom of God is
at hand, repent ye, Mark i. 14, 15.
Again, Unless ye repent, ye will all
perish, Luke xiii. 5. Jesus instructed
his disciples, that repentance and re
mission of sins should be preached in
his name, to all nations, xxiv. 47 ;
Mark vi. 12. Wherefore Peter

preached repentance and baptism in the
name of Jesus Christ, for the remission
of sins, Acts ii. 38. And also he
said, Repent ye, and turn yourselves
about, that your sins may be blotted
out, iii. 19. Paul preached to all
every where, that they should repent,
xvii. 30. Paul also announced in
Damascus, in Jerusalem, through the
whole region of Judea, and to the Gen
tiles, that they should repent, and turn
themselves to God; and that they should
do works worthy of repentance, xxvi. 20.
And also he testified, both to the Jews
and to the Greeks, repentance towards
God, and faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, xx. 21. The Lord said to the
church of Ephesus, I have against
thee, that thou hast left the first char
ily ; repent, or else I will remove thy
candlestick out of its place, unless thou
repent, Rev. ii. 2, 4, 5. To the
church in Pergamus, I know thy works;
repent, ii. 16. To the church in Thy-
atira, I will give her up to afflietion,if
she do not repent of her works, ii. 19,
20, 23. To the church of the Lao-
diceans, I know thy works ; be zealous
and repent, iii. 15, 19. There is joy
in heaven over one sinner that rtpentcth,
Luke xv. 7 ; besides in other places.
Hence it is evident, that repentance
must by all means be performed ; but
what, and in what manner, will be
made manifest in what follows.
529. Who cannot understand from
the reason given to him, that it is not
repentance for one merely to confess
with the mouth, that he is a sinner,
and to utter many things about it, like
the hypocrite, who was mentioned
above, n. 518? For what is easier for
a man, when he is in anguish and in
agony, than to breathe out from the
lungs, and to pour forth thence,
through the lips, sighs and groans, and
also to beat the breast, and make him
self guilty of all sins, when yet he is
conscious of no one in himself? Does
the diabolical crew which is in his loves
go out together with his sighs ? Do they
not rather hiss at them and remain in
him, as before, as in their own house ?
Hence it is manifest that such repent
ance was not meant in the Word, but

Concerning Repentance.

373

repentance from evil works; as it is
said. 530. Is it asked, then, How is re
pentance to be performed ? It is an
swered, Actually ; and this is, for one
to examine himself, to know and ac
knowledge his sins, to make supplica
tion to the Lord, and begin a new life.
That there can be no repentance
without examination, was shown in the
article which precedes. But for what
purpose is examination, but that one
may know his sins ? And for what pur
pose is that knowledge, but that he
may acknowledge that they are in him ?
And for what purpose are those three,
but that he may confess them before
the Lord, and make supplication for
help, and from this begin a new life,
which is the end that was to be attain
ed ? This is actual repentance. Every
man, after the first stage of life, and
more and more as he comes to the
exercise of his right and his reason, may
know from baptism, by the washing of
which is meant regeneration, that he
ought to proceed and do thus ; for at
his baptism, his sponsors promise for
him, that he shall renounce the devil
and all his works. The like is manifest
from the holy supper, before the worthy
celebration of which, all are admon
ished to repent of their sins, turn them
selves to God, and begin a new life.
And it is also manifest from the deca
logue, or catechism, which is in the
hands of all Christians, where, in six
precepts ofthe decalogue, nothing else
is commanded, but that men should
not do evils ; and unless man removes
evils by repentance, he cannot love his
neighbor, and still less God ; when yet,
on these two commandments hang the
law and the prophets ; that is, the Word,
and, consequently, salvation. If actual
repentance be performed at stated
times ; for instance, as often as a man
prepares himself for the communion of
the holy supper; and if he afterwards
abstain from one or more sins, which
he then discovers in himself, it is suf
ficient to initiate him into actual re
pentance ; and when he is in that, he
is in the way to heaven ; for then man
begins from natural to become spir

itual, and to be born anew of the
Lord. 531. This may be illustrated by the
following comparisons. Man, before
repentance, is like a desert, in which
there are terrible wild beasts, dragons,
owls, screech owls, vipers, venomous
serpents; and in the thickets there,
ochim and ziim, and satyrs dance : but
when these are cast out by the indus
try and labor of man, that desert may
be ploughed and cultivated for fields,
and in them may be sown first oats,
beans and flax, and afterwards barley
and wheat. And also it may be com
pared with the wickedness which reigns
abundantly among men : unless the
wicked were chastised and punished
according to the laws, with stripes or
death, no city and no kingdom could
subsist. Man is like a society in the
least form : unless he dealt with himself
in a spiritual manner, as the wicked
are dealt with in a great society in a
natural manner, he, after death, would
be chastised and punished ; and this
until, through fear of punishment, he
does not do evil, although he can never
be reduced to do good from the love
of good.
532. VII. That true Repentance
is, to explore not only the acts of
one's Life, but also the Intentions
of his Will.
That true repentance is, to explore
not only the acts of one's life, but also
the intentions of his will, is because the
understanding and the will make the
acts; for man speaks from thought and
acts from will ; wherefore speech is
thought speaking, and action is will
acting ; and because the words and
actions are thence, it follows indubitably
that those two are what sin, when the
body sins. And also a man can repent
ofthe evils which he has done with the
body, and still think and will evil ; but
this is like cutting off the trunk of a
bad tree and leaving its root in the
ground, from which the same bad tree
grows up and spreads itself around.
But it is otherwise, when the root also
is pulled up ; and this is done in man,
when he at the same time explores the
intentions of his will, and removes evils

374

Concerning Repentance.

by repentance. A man explores the
intentions of his will, while fie explores
his thoughts, for the intentions manifest
themselves in them ; as while he thinks,
wills and intends, revenge, adultery,
theft, false witness, and the desires for
those things, and also blasphemy
against God, the holy Word and the
church, and so forth : if he still applies
his attention to it, and considers whether
he would do those things, if the fear of
the law and of fame did not oppose,
and then, after such scrutiny, thinks
that he will not do them, because they
are sins, he performs true and interior
repentance ; and still more when he is
in the delight of those evils and at the
same time in the liberty of doing them,
and then resists and abstains. He
who repeatedly exercises this, finds the
delights of evils, when they return, un-
delightful, and at length condemns
them to hell. This is what is meant
by these words of the Lord ; Whosoever
will find his life, shall lose it; and whoso
ever shall lose his life, for my sake, shall
find it, Matt. x. 39. He who removes the
evils of his will by repentance, is like
him who seasonably pulls up the tares
sown in his field by the devil, whence
the seeds implanted by the Lord God
the Savior find a free soil and grow up
into a harvest, Matt. xiii. 25 to 31.
533. There are two loves, which for
a long time have been rooted in the
human race, the love of ruling over all,
and the love of possessing the goods of
all. The former love, if it have the
reins freely, rushes on even so far that
it would be the God of heaven ; and
the latter love, if it have the reins freely,
rushes on so far that it would be the
God of the world. To these two loves,
all the other evil loves, which are hosts,
are subordinate. But it is very difficult
to explore those two, because they re
side most interiorly, and hide them
selves ; for they are like vipers conceal
ed in a rock full of holes, which retain
their poison, that, when any one lies
down upon that rock, they may inflict
deadly wounds, and draw themselves
back. They are also like the sirens
of the ancients, who allured men by
singing, and thereby killed them.

Those two "loves also adorn themselves
with shining gowns and coats, as
the devil from magical fantasy does
among his own, and among others whom
he wishes to mock. But it is well to
be known, that those two loves may
reign more with the little than with the
great, more with the poor than with the
rich, and more with subjects than with
kings ; for these are born to dominion
and to wealth, which at length they
look upon no otherwise than as anoth
er looks upon his household and pos
sessions, whether he be a governor, a
general, a captain of a vessel, yea, even
a poor husbandman. But the case n
different with kings who aspire to do
minion over the kingdoms of others
The reason that the intentions of the
will are to be explored, is, because the
love resides in the will, for the will is
the receptacle of it, as was shown
above. Every love thence breathes forth
its delights into the perceptions and
thoughts of the understanding; for
these do nothing from themselves, but
from the will, for they favor it, arid con
sent to and confirm all the things which
are of its love : wherefore the will is the
house itself, in which man dwells, and
the understanding is the entry, through
which he goes out and comes in.
Thence it is, that it was said, that the
intentions of the will should be explor
ed ; and when they are explored and
removed, man is elevated from the nat
ural will, in which hereditary and ac
tual evils reside, into a spiritual will, by
which the Lord reforms and regenerates
the natural, and by means of this, the
sensual and voluntary things of the
body, thus the whole man.
534. Those who do not explore
themselves, are in comparison like sick
people, in whom the blood, in conse
quence of obstruction in the smallest
vessels, is vitiated, whence atrophy,
sleepiness ofthe limbs, and acute chronic
diseases, arising from the thickness,
tenacity, acrimony and acidity of the
humors, and thence of the blood ; but
those who do explore themselves also as
to the intentions ofthe will, in compar
ison, are like those who are cured of
those diseases, and return into the life

Concerning Repentant.

375

in which they were when young.
Those who rightly explore themselves,
are like ships from Ophir, laden with
gold, silver and precious things ; but
before they have explored themselves,
they are like ships loaded with filth, in
which are carried off the dirt and dung
of the streets. Those who explore
themselves interiorly, become like
mines, all tne sides of which glitter
with the ores of noble metal ; but be
fore, they are like stinking bogs, in
which are water-snakes and ven
omous serpents which glitter with
their scales, and noxious insects which
shine with their wings. Those who
do not explore themselves, are like the
dry bones in the valley ; but after they
have explored themselves, they are like
the same bones, upon which the Lord
Jehovah gave sinews, brought on flesh,
and covered with skin, and into which
He put breath, and they lived, Ezek.
xxxvii. 1 to 14.
535. VIII. That those also per
form Repentance who do not ex
plore Themselves, but still desist
from Evils, because they are Sins ;
and that this repentance is done
by those who do the works of
Charity from Religion.
Since actual repentance, which is to
explore one's self, to know and ac
knowledge his sins, to make suppli
cation to the Lord, and to begin a new
life, is very difficult in the Reformed
Christian world, for several reasons, of
which in the last article in this chapter,
therefore an easier kind of repentance
will be proposed ; which is, that, when
any one revolves evil in his mind and
intends it, he should say to himself, " I
think of this and I intend it ; but because
it is a sin, I will not do it." By this
the temptation injected from hell is
broken, and its further entrance is
prevented. It is wonderful, that every
one can chide another, who intends
evil, and say, " Do not do this, because
it is a sin;" and yet with difficulty can
siy it to himself: the reason is, because
this moves the will, but that only the
thought next to the hearing. It was
inquired in the spiritual world, who
could do this other; and they were

found as few as the doves in a spacious
desert. Some said that they could in
deed do that, but that they could not
explore themselves and coiifess their
sins before God. But still all those
who do good from religion, avoid actual
evils; and yet how very seldom they re
flect on the interior things whicli are of
the will, believing that they are not in
evils, because they are in good ; yea,
that the good covers the evil. But,
my friend, the hist thing of charity is,
to shun evils ; this the Word teaches,
and also the decalogue, baptism, the
holy supper, and also reason ; for how can
any one shun evils and put them away
from him, without some self-inspection ?
And how can good become good, un
less it be inwardly purified ? I know
that the pious, and also those of sound
reason, while they read this, will assent
and see it as genuine truth, but that
still few will do so.
536. But still all who do good frdin
religion, not only Christians, but also
pagans, are accepted by the Lord, and
are adopted after death ; for the Lord
said, I was hungry, and ye gave Me to
eat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me
drink; I was a stranger, and ye took
Me in ; naked, and ye clothed Me ; 1
was sick, and ye visited Me ; I was in
prison, and ye came to Me. And He
said, Inasmuch as ye have done it to
one of my least brethren, ye have done
it to Me. Come, ye blessed, possess, as
an inheritance, the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the
world, Matt. xxv. 31 to the end. To
the above I shall add this news. All
those who do good from religion, after
death reject the doctrine ofthe present
church concerning three divine persons
from eternity, and also its faith applied
to those three in order, and turn them
selves to the Lord God the Savior, and
receive with pleasure those things
which are of the New Church. But
the rest, who have not exercised charity
from religion, are hearts of adamant,
thus hard. These first go to three
Gods, afterwards to the Father only,
and at last to none. The Lord God
the Savior they regard as only the Son
of Mary by her marriage with Joseph,

;:e

Concerning Repentance.

and not as the Son of '"'od; and then
all the things of the New Church, good
and true, they shake off, and presently
join themselves to the spirits of the
dragon, and are driven away with them
into deserts or into caverns, which are
in the outermost bounds of what is
called the Christian world ; and after a
time, because they are separated from
the new heaven, they rush into villa-
nous deeds, and are therefore let down
into hell. Such is the lot of those
who do not perform the works of char
ity from religion, '::>. consequence of a
oelief that no one can do good from
himself, unless it be meritorious ; and
thence they omit those works, and herd
together with the goats, who are
condemned, and cast into eternal
fire, prepared for the devil and his an
gels, because they did not the things
that the sheep did, Matt. xxv. 41 and
the following verses. It is not said
there that they did evils, but that they
did not do goods, and those who do not
do good from religion, do evil; Since
no one can serve two lords, but he will
hate one and love the other ; or he will
cleave to one and neglect the other,
Matt. vi. 24. Jehovah says by Isaiah,
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean ;
remove the evil of your works from be
fore my eyes; cease to do evil; learn to
do good: and then, though your sins be
as scarlet, they shall become white as
snmo ; though they be red like crimson,
they shall be like wool, i. 16, 17, 18.
And to Jeremiah, Stand in the gate
of the house of Jehovah, and proclaim
there this word; Thus said Jehovah
of hosts, the God of Israel, Make your
ways and your works good, and trust
ye not in the words qf a lie, by saying,
The temple of Jehovah, the temple of
Jehovah is here (that is, the church) ;
after stealing, killing, and swearing by
a lie, will ye then come and stand in
this house, upon which my name is
named, and say, We are delivered,
while ye do all those abominations ? Is
this house become a den of robbers ?
Behold, I also have seen, saith Jehovah,
vii. 2, 3, 4,9, 10, 11.
537. It is to be known, that those
who do good from natural goodness

only, and not at the same time from
religion, are not accepted after death,
because there is only natural good in
their charity, and not at the same time
spiritual ; and the spiritual is what con
joins the Lord to man, and not the
natural without it. Natural goodness
is of the flesh alone, born of parents,
but spiritual goodness is of the spirit,
born anew of the Lord. Those who
do the goods of charity from religion,
and thence not evils, before they have
received the doctrine of the New
Church concerning the Lord, may be
likened to trees that bear good fruits,
although few; and also to trees that
bear noble fruit of small size, which,
nevertheless, are carefully preserved in
gardens. And also they may be lil.ened
to olive-trees and fig-trees, in forests,
and also to fragrant herbs and balsamic
plants upon hills. They are like little
chapels or houses of God, in which
pious worship is performed ; for they
are the sheep on the right hand, and
the rams, which the he-goats attack,
according to Daniel, viii. 2 to 14. In
heaven they are clothed with garments
of a red color, and after they have been
initiated into the goods of the New
Church, they are clothed with garments
of a purple color ; which, as they re
ceive truths also, become beautifully
tinged with yellow.
538. IX. That Confession ought
to be made before the Lord God
the Savior, and then Supplication
for Help and Power to resist
Evils. The reason that the Lord God the
Savior is to be addressed, is, because
He is the God of heaven and earth, the
Redeemer and Savior, who has -om
nipotence, omniscience, omnipresence,
mercy itself, and at the same time
righteousness ; and because man is his
creature and the church his fold ; and
He has many times commanded, in the
new covenant, that men should address,
worship and adore Him. That he
alone should be addressed, He enjoined
by these words in John ; Verily, verily,
I say to you, he that entcreth not
through the door into the shcepfold, but
climbcth up some other way, he is a

Concerning Repentance.

377

thief and a robber; but he that goeth
in through the door, is the shepherd, of
the sheep. lam the Door ; If any one
enter through Me, he shall be saved and
shall find pasture. The thief cometh
not but that he may steal, kilt and de
stroy. I have come that they may have
life and abundance. I am the good
Shepherd, x. 1, 2, 9, 10, II. That
man ought not to climb up any other
way, is, that he should not to God the
Father, because He is invisible, and
thence inaccessible, and incapable of
conjunction; and therefore He came
into the world, and made himself visi
ble, accessible, and capable of conjunc
tion, which was solely for the end that
man might be saved ; for unless God
be approached in thought as Man, all
idea concerning God is lost ; it falls
like the sight into the universe, thus
into empty nothing, or into nature, or
into some objects within nature. That
God himself, who from eternity is One,
came into the v/orld, is clearly manifest
from the nativity of the Lord the Savior,
in that He was conceived from the
power of the Most High by the Holy
Spirit, and that thence his Human was
born of the Virgin Mary ; whence it
follows, that his soul was the Divine
Itself, which is called the Father, for
God is indivisible, and that the Human
born thence, is the Human of God the
Father, which is called the Son of God,
Luke i. 32, 34, 35. Hence it follows
again, that whilst the Lord God the
Savior is addressed, God the Father is
addressed also. Wherefore He answer
ed Philip, when he requested that He
would show the Father : He that
seeth Me, seeth the Father; how then
sayest thou, Show us the Father ? Be
lievest thou not, that I am in the Father
and the Father in Me. Believe Me,
that I am in the Father and the Father
in Me, John xiv. 6 to 11. But more
may be .seen concerning this subject in
the chapters concerning God, the Lord,
the Hoty Spirit, and concerning the
Trmitv. 639. There are two duties, which it
is incumbent on man to do after ex
amination, which are supplication and
confession. Supplication will be,
48

that the Lord would show mercy, give
power to resist the evils of which he
has repented, and supply inclination and
affection to do good, Since man without '
Him cannot do any thing, John xv. 5.
Confession will be, that he sees, knows
and acknowledges his evils, and finds
himself a miserable sinner. There is no
need of enumerating sins before the
Lord, nor of supplicating for their re
mission. The reason that there is no
need of enumerating the sins, is be
cause the man has searched and seen
them in himself, and thence they are
present to the Lord, because they are
present to himself. The Lord also led
him in searching, and opened them,
and inspired him with sorrow, and
together with this with the endeavor to
desist from them and begin a new life.
There are these two reasons why sup
plication for the remission of sins need
not be made before the Lord : first,
because sins are not abolished but re
moved; and they are removed, as man
afterwards desists from them and enters
upon a new life ; for there are in
numerable concupiscences, involved in
every evil, which cannot be removed
in a moment, but successively, as man
suffers himself to be reformed and re
generated. The other reason is, that
the Lord, because He is Mercy itself,
remits to all their sins, nor imputes one
to any ; for He says, They know not
what they do; (but still they are not
therefore taken away;) for He said to
Peter, when he asked how often he
should forgive his brother his tres
passes, whether till seven times ? I say
not to thee, till seven times, but until
seventy times seven, Matt, xviii,. 21,
22; why should not the Lord? But
still it is not hurtful for any one whose
conscience is burdened, to enumerate
his sins before a minister of the church,
for the sake of absolution and allevia
tion ; because he is thus introduced
into the habit of examining himself,
and of reflecting upon his daily evils.
But this confession is natural ; but that
above described is spiritual.
560. To adore any vicar upon earth,
or to invoke any saint, as God, is of
no more avail in heaven than to make

378

Concerning Repentance.

supplication to the sun, moon and stars,
and to ask a diviner for an answer, and
to believe his word, which is vain.
This would be also like worshipping a
temple, and not God in the temple.
And it would be like supplicating the
servant of a king, who carries in his
hand his sceptre and crown, for the
honors of glory, and not the king him
self. And this would be as useless as,
abstractedly from the subjects, to kiss
the splendor of purple, the glory, light
and golden rays ofthe sun, and a mere
name. Let those who do such things,
consider these words in John : We
abide in the truth, in Jesus Christ.
This is the true God and eternal life.
Little children, keep yourselves from
idols, 1 John v. 20, 21.
561. X. That actual Repentance
is easy with those who have done it
several Times, but extremely dif
ficult TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT
DONE IT.
Actual repentance is, to examine
one's self, to know his sins, to con
fess himself before the Lord, and thus
to begin a new life ; it is that accord
ing to the description of it in the fore
going pages. To those in the Re
formed Christian world, by which are
meant all who are separated from the
Roman Catholic church, and also to
those of that church who have not
performed any actual repentance, this
actual repentance is extremely difficult.
The reason is, because some are not
willing, and some are afraid, and dis
use renders man inveterate, and in
duces unwillingness, and at length con
sent from the reasonings of the under
standing, and with some, sorrow, dread
and terror on account of it. The prin
cipal cause, that actual repentance is
so extremely difficult in the Reformed
Christian world, is their faith, that
repentance and charity contribute noth
ing to salvation, but faith alone; from
the imputation of which, follow the
remission of sins, justification, reno
vation, regeneration, sanctification, and
eternal salvation, without man's co
operating of himself or as of himself;
this their dogmatists call a useless
thing, and opposite, repugnant, and

injurious to the merit of Christ:
and this is implanted in the common
people although they are ignorant of
the mystical things of that faith, by
these words merely, that " Faith alone
saves ; and Who can do good of him
self?" Thence it is, that, with the Re
formed, repentance is like a bird's nest
with the young ones, forsaken by the
birds, which were taken by the fowler
and killed. To this cause another is add
ed, that a Reformed man, so called, as
to his spirit, in the spiritual world, is
among no others than his like, who
put such things into the ideas of his
thoughts, and lead him away from the
track to self-inspection and examina
tion. 562. I have asked many of the
Reformed, in the spiritual world, why
they did not perform actual repent
ance, when yet this was enjoined upon
them both in the Word and at their
baptism, and also before the holy com
munion in all their churches ; and they
have answered various things. Some,
" That contrition is sufficient, and then
the oral confession that he is a sinner."
Some, " That such repentance, because
it is performed by man operating from
his own will, does not coincide with
the faith universally received." Some,
:'Who can explore himself, when he
knows that he is mere sin ? This would
be like casting a net into a lake full
of mud, from the bottom to the top, in
which are noxious worms." Some,
" Who can so thoroughly inspect himself
as to see in himself the sin of Adam,
from which all his actual evils have
flowed ? Are not these, together with
that, washed away by the waters of
baptism, and wiped off and covered
over by the merit of Christ? What
then is repentance, but an imposition
which grievously troubles the conscien
tious? Are we not by the gospel
under grace, and not under the hard
law of that repentance ?" Besides
other things. Some said, " That when
ever they intended to examine them
selves, a dread and terror would seize
them, as if they saw a monster by the
side of their bed at the dawn of day."
Hence were made known the causes

Concerning Repentance.

379

why actual repentance, in the Re
formed Christian world, is as it were
out of use and rejected. And I asked,
in their presence, some who were
attached to the Roman Catholic reli
gion, concerning their actual confession
before their ministers, whether it was
difficult. And they replied, that, after
they were initiated into it, they were
not afraid of recounting their sins be
fore a confessor who was not severe, and
that they collected them together with a
kind of pleasure, and cheerfully told
the lighter ones, but the more grievous
ones somewhat timidly ; and that, from
custom, they freely returned every year
to their appointed confession, and after
absolution to festivity ; and also that
they look upon all as impure, who are
not willing to lay open the defilements
of their hearts. After hearing these
things, the Reformed, who were pres-
' ent, fled away, some laughing and
sneering, some wondering and yet com
mending. Afterwards there came up
some who were attached to the same
church, but who, residing in countries
amongst the Reformed, according to
the usual practice there, did not make
a particular confession, as their breth
ren elsewhere did, but only a general
one before their leader ; these said that
they could not search, find out and
make known their actual evils and the
secrets of their thoughts, and that they
felt it as repugnant and terrible, as it
would be to pass over a ditch to a ram
part, where an armed soldier stands and
cries, " Do not come here." Hence
now it is manifest, that actual repent
ance is easy to those who have several
times done it, but extremely difficult
to those who have not done it.
563. It is known that custom makes
a second nature, and that thence that
is easy for one which is difficult for
another ; thus also to explore one's self,
and to confess the evils that are dis
covered. What is easier for a laborer,
a porter, or a husbandman, than to
work with his hands from morning till
evening, when yet a gentleman or a
delicate man could not do it for half
an hour without fatigue and sweat?
It is easy for a footman with light

shoes to take a journey of many miles,
while one who is accustomed to ride
in a coach, can with difficulty run
slowly from one street to another.
Every workman, who is diligent at his
work, performs it with ease and pleas
ure, and when he goes away from it
he desires to return ; when another,
who knows how to do the same work,
but is slothful, can scarcely be forced
to it. It is just so in every employ
ment and in every study. What is
easier, for any one studious of piety,
than to pray to God ? and what is more
difficult for one who is addicted to im
piety ? and the reverse ? What priest,
when he preaches for the first time
before a king, is not afraid? but when
he is accustomed to it, he goes through
it without fear. What is easier for a
man-angel than to lift up his eyes to
heaven, and for a man-devil, than to
cast down his eyes to hell ? but if he
be a hypocrite, he likewise can look
up to heaven, but his heart is the other
way. The end regarded, and the habit
thence, imbues every one.
564. XI. That he who has never
performed repentance, or has not
looked into and examined himself,
at length does not know what
damnable evil is, and what saving
Good is.
Since few, in the Reformed Chris
tian world, perform repentance, it is
therefore added, that he who has not
looked into and examined himself, at
length does not know what dam
nable evil is, and what saving good
is ; for he has no religion, from
which he can know this. For the evil
which a man does not see, know and
acknowledge, remains ; and that which
remains, is rooted more and more,
until it obstructs the interiors of
his mind ; whence man becomes first
natural, then sensual, and at last cor
poreal, and neither this nor that knows
any evil which condemns, nor good
which saves. He becomes like a tree
upon a hard rock, which spreads its
roots among the holes of the rock, and
at length, because moisture fails, it
withers away. Every man, properly
educated, is rational and moral; but

380

Concerning Repentance.

there are two ways to rationality, one
from the world, the other from heaven.
He who is made rational and moral
from the world, and not from heaven
also, is rational and moral only with
the mouth and gesture, and inwardly
he is a beast, yea, a wild beast, because
he acts as one with those who are in
hell, where all such are. But he who
is rational and moral from heaven also, is
truly rational and moral, because he is
so at the same time with the spirit,
mouth and body ; for the spiritual
is inwardly in these two as a soul,
which actuates the natural, sensual
and corporeal ; he also acts as one with
those who are in heaven. Wherefore,
there is a spiritual-rational and moral
man, and also a merely natural-rational
and moral man ; and one is not distin
guished from the other in the world,
especially if he acquires hypocrisy by
exercise ; but by the angels in heaven,
they are distinguished as well as doves
from owls, and as sheep from tigers.
The merely natural man can see evils
and goods in others, and also can re
prove them, but because he never
looked into and examined himself, he
does not see any evil in himself; and
if any is laid open by another, he cov
ers it over by means of his rational
faculty, as a serpent covers its head with
dust, and immerses himself in it, as a
hornet immerses itself in dung. This
is done by the delight of evil, which
surrounds him, as a thick cloud sur
rounds a bog, and absorbs and suffo
cates the rays of light. The delight
of hell is nothing else ; this is exhaled
thence, and it flows into every man,
but into the soles of the feet, the back,
and the hinder part of the head ; but
if it is received by the head in the fore
part, and by the body in the breast,
the man is then enslaved to hell ; the
reason is, because the cerebrum of man
is dedicated to the understanding and
to the wisdom there, but the cerebellum
to the will and to its love ; thence it is,
that there are two spheres ofthe brain.
But that infernal delight is amended,
reformed and inverted, solely by the
spiritual-rational and moral.
565. There follows now some de

scription of the merely natural-rationa.
and moral man, who, viewed in himself,
is sensual, and if he goes on, he be
comes corporeal or carnal ; but this
description will be given in a sketch
divided into parts. The sensual is the
ultimate of the mind of man, adhering
to, and cohering with, the five senses
of his body. He is called a sensual
man who judges all things from the
senses of the body, and who believes
only what he can see with the eyes
and touch with the hands, saying these
are something, and rejecting every
thing else. The interiors of his mind,
which see from the light of heaven,
are closed, so that he sees nothing of
the truth which is of heaven and the
church. Such a man thinks in the
outermost things, and not inwardly
from any spiritual light, because he is
in gross natural light ; thence it is, that
he is inwardly opposed to those things
which are of heaven and the church,
although outwardly he can :-.peak in
Tavor of them, ardently acceding to
the hope of obtaining power ; nd opu
lence by them. That men of learning
and erudition, who have confirmed
themselves deeply in falses, and espe
cially those who have confirmed them
selves against the truths of the Word,
are more sensual than others. That
sensual men reason acutely and ingeni
ously, because their thought is near the
speech, so as to be almost in it, and as
it were in their lips, and because they
place all intelligence in the speech
merely from the memory ; and also
that they can confirm falses dexterously,
and that after confirmation they believe
them to be true ; but that they reason
and confirm from the fallacies of the
senses, by which the common people
are captivated and persuaded. That
sensual men are cunning and malicious
above all others. That the covetous,
the adulterous and the deceitful, are
most of all sensual, although they appear
before the world as ingenious. That
the interiors of their mind are foul and
filthy ; that by these they communi
cate with the hells ; that in the Word
they are called dead. That those who
are in the hells are sensual, and the

Concerning Repentance.

381

more so, the deeper they are ; that the
sphere of infernal spirits conjoins itself
with the sensual of man from behind ;
and that, in the light of heaven, the
hinder part of their head appears
hollow. That those who reasoned
from sensual things alone, were called
by the ancients, serpents of the
tree of knowledge. That sensual
things ought to be in the last place,
and not in the first; and that, with a
wise and intelligent man, they are in
the last place and subject to the inte
riors ; but that with an unwise man,
they are in the first place and predom
inate. If sensual things are in the
last place, that a way is opened through
them to the understanding, and truths
are refined by the mode of extraction.
That sensual things stand forth next to
the world, and admit the things which
come from the world, and as it were
sift them. That man by sensual things
communicates with the world, and by
rational things with heaven. That
sensual things supply those things
which are subservient to the interiors
of the mind. That there are sensual
things which supply the understand
ing, and also which supply the
will. That unless the thought is
elevated above sensual things, man has
but little wisdom ; that man, when his
thought is elevated above sensual
things, comes into clearer light, and at
length into heavenly light, and then
perceives such things as flow down
from heaven. That the ultimate of
the understanding is what relates to
natural science, and that the ultimate
of the will is what relates to sensual
delight. 566. Man, as to the natural man, is
like a beast, and he acquires the image
of a beast by life ; wherefore, around
such, in the spiritual world, beasts of
every kind appear, which are corre
spondences. For the natural of man,
viewed in itself, is merely animal, but
because the spiritual is superadded to
it, it can be made man ; and if it is
not made so, from the faculty which
it has, it can counterfeit the man, but
still it is a talking beast, for he speaks
<V i n the natural-rational, but thinks

from spiritual madness, and acts from
the natural-moral, but loves from a
perpetual lust : his actions, viewed by
the spiritual-rational man, are scarcely
any thing else than, as it were, the
dancing of one who has been bitten by
a tarantula, and is called St. Vitus's
dance. Who does not know that a
hypocrite can talk about God, a robber
about sincerity, an adulterer about
chastity, &c. ? But unless man had
the power of shutting and opening the
door between his thoughts and words,
and between his intentions and actions,
and for a door-keeper there, prudence
or cunning, he would rush more furi
ously than any beast into wicked and
cruel deeds. But that door is opened
to every one after death, and then he
appears such as he was ; but he is held
in bonds by punishments and guards
in hell. Wherefore, kind reader, look
into yourself, and search out one or
more of the evils in you, and remove
it from religious principle ; if you re
move them from any other purpose or
end, you only remove them so that
they do not appear before the world

567. To the above the following
Relations will be added. First. I
was suddenly seized with a disease al
most mortal ; my head ached all over ;
a pestilential smoke was sent upon me
from the Jerusalem, which is called
Sodom and Egypt, Rev. xi. 8 ; I was
half dead with severe pain ; I ex
pected my last end. Thus I lay in
my bed for three days and a half. My
spirit became such, and from it my
body. And then I heard around me
the voices of those who said, " Lo, he
lies dead in the street of our city, who
preached repentance for the remission
of sins, and Christ only man." And
(hey asked some of the clergy, whether
he was worthy of burial. They said,
" No, let him lie, and be seen for a spec
tacle." And they went away and came
back, and mocked. Of a truth, it thus
happened to me, while the eleventh
chapter of the Revelation was being
explained. Then were heard harsh
speeches of mockers, especially these,

382

Concerning Repentance.

" How can repentance be performed
without faith ? How can Christ, a man,
be adored as God ? Since we are saved
freely, without any merit of our own,
what need, then, is there of any thing
but merely the faith that God the Father
sent the Son to take away the con
demnation of the law, to impute to us
his merit, and thus to justify us in his
sight, and absolve us from sins by the
declaration of a priest, and then give
us the Holy Ghost to produce in us all
good ? Are not these things according
to the Scripture, and also according to
reason ? " At these words, the company
standing by clapped their hands. I
heard these things, and was not able
to reply, because I lay almost dead.
But after three days and a half, my
spirit recovered, and as to it I went
out of the street into the city and said
again, " Repent and believe in Christ,
and your sins will be remitted to you,
and you will be saved ; and if not, you
will perish. Did not the Lord himself
preach repentance for the remission of
sins, and that men should believe in
Hirn ? Did He not command the dis
ciples, that they should preach the
same? Does not a careless security
follow the dogma of your faith !" But
they said, " How you prate. Has not
the Son made satisfaction ? And does
not the Father impute it, and justify us,
who have believed this ? We are thus
.ed by the spirit of grace ; what sin
then is there in us ? what then has
death to do with us? Do you com
prehend this gospel, O preacher of sin
and repentance?" But then a voice
came forth out of heaven, saying,
" What is the faith of an impenitent
man, but a dead faith? The end is
come, the end is come upon you, who
are secure, unblamable in your own
eyes, justified in your faith, 0 satans."
And then suddenly a gulf was opened
in the midst ofthe city, and it enlarged
itself, and house fell upon house, and
they were swallowed up ; and presently
water bubbled up from the wide whirl
pool, and overflowed the waste.
When they were thus sunk and ap
parently overflowed, I desired to know
their condition in the deep ; and it was

said to me from heaven, " You shall
see and hear." And the waters, with
which they seemed to be overflowed,
disappeared before my eyes, because
waters in the spiritual world are corre
spondences, and thence they appear
around those who are in falses. And
then they appeared to me on a sandy
bottom, where heaps of stones were
collected, among which they were run
ning and lamenting that they had been
cast out of their great city. And they
screamed and cried, " Why is this to us?
Are we not by our faith clean, pure,
just and holy ? Are we not by our
faith cleansed, purified, justified and
sanctified ? " And others, " Are we not
by our faith made such that we appear,
are seen and reputed before God the
Father, and declared before the an
gels, clean, pure, just and holy? Are
we not reconciled, propitiated, expiated,
and, thus freed, washed and wiped from
sins ? Is not the condemnation of the
law taken away by Christ? Why,
then, are we cast into this place, as
condemned ? We heard from a bold
preacher of sin, in our great city,
Believe in Christ, and repent ? Did
we not believe in Christ, when we
believed in his merit? And did we
not repent, when we confessed that we
were sinners? Why, then, has this
happened to us?" But then was heard
a voice to them from the side, " Do
you know any sin in which you are?
Have you ever explored yourselves?
Have you in consequence shunned any
evil as a sin against God? And he
who has not shunned it, is in it. Is
not sin the devil ? Wherefore you are
those of whom the Lord says, Then
ye will begin to say, We have eaten
and drunk in thy presence, and Thou
hast taught in our streets. But He
will say, I tell you, I know you not,
whence ye are ; Depart from Me, all
ye workers of iniquity, Luke xiii. 26,
27, and also Matt. vii. 22, 23. Depart,
therefore, each to his own place. You
see the openings into the caverns ;
enter thither, and work will be given
there for each of you to do, and then
food according to your work ; if not,
still hunger will compel you to enter "

Concerning Repentance.

383

Afterwards a voice came from heaven
to some on the earth, who were out of
that great city, who also are mentioned
Rev. xi. 13, saying aloud, " Beware,
beware of associating yourselves with
such persons. Can you not understand
that the evils which are called sins
and iniquities render man unclean and
impure? How can man be cleansed
and purified from them, but by actual
repentance, and by faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ? Actual repentance is
to explore one's self, to know and ac
knowledge his sins, to make himself
guilty, to confess them before the Lord,
to implore help and the power of resist
ing them, and thus to desist from them
and lead a new life; and all these
things as of yourselves. Do so once or
twice a year, when you come to the
holy communion: and afterwards when
the sins of which you have made your
selves guilty recur, then say to your
selves, ' We will not do them, because
they are sins against God ; ' this is ac
tual repentance. Who does not un
derstand, that he who does not search
out and see his sins, remains in them ?
For all evil is from nativity delightful ;
for it is delightful to revenge, to commit
whoredom, to defraud, to blaspheme,
especially to rule from the love of self.
Does not the delight cause them not to
be seen ? And if by chance it is said
that they are sins, do you not from their
delight excuse them? Yea, do you not
strive to prove by falses that they are
not siin, and thus remain in them, and
do them mare than bjfore, and this
even until yo i do not know what sin is,
yea, whether there be any sin ? The
case is otherwise with every one who
has actually performed repentance ; his
e\ Is, which he has discovered and ac-
Ii owlsdged, he calls sins, and therefore
I< gins t-> shun and avoid them, and at
lei gth to feel their delight undelightful ;
t id, as far as this is the case, he sees
pi d loves what is sood, and at length
feels the delight of this, which is the
delight of the angels of heaven. In a
word, so far as any one rejects the devil
to the back, he is adopted by the Lord,
and by Him is taught, led, withheld
from evil and held in good ; this is the

way, and there is no other, from hel'
to heaven." It is strange that the Re
formed have a certain innate repug
nance, abhorrence and aversion to ac
tual repentance, which is so great that
they cannot force themselves to explore
themselves and see their sins, and con
fess them before God ; it is as if a horror
seized them, when they intend it. I
have asked a good many in the spiritual
world about it, and they all said, that
this was beyond their power. When
they heard that the Papists still do this,
that is, that they explore themselves
and openly confess their sins before a
monk, they wondered very much ; and
still more that the Reformed cannot do
it in secret before God, although it is
equally enjoined upon them, before they
come to the holy supper. And some
there inquired why this should be ; and
they found that faith alone had induced
such a state of impenitence and such a
heart. And then it was given them to
see, that those of the Papists who adore
Christ and do not invoke saints are
saved. After this there was heard, as it
were, thunder, and a voice speaking
from heaven, saying, " We wonder.
Say to the company of Protestants,
' Believe in Christ, and perform repent
ance, and you will be saved.' " And I
said so. And moreover I said, "Is not
Baptism a sacrament of repentance,
and thence an introduction into the
church? What else do the sponsors
promise for the child that is to be bap
tized, but that he will renounce the
devil and his works? Is not the Holy
Supper a sacrament of repentance, and
thence an introduction into heaven?
Is it not said to the communicants,
that they must by all means perform
the work of repentance before they
come to it? Is not the Catechism the
universal doctrine of the Christian
church teaching repentance? Is it
not said there, in six precepts of the
second table, Thou shalt not do this
and that evil ; and not, Thou shalt do
this and that good ? Thence you may
know, that, as far as any one renounces
and avoids evil, so far he desires and
loves good ; and that, before, he does

384

oncerning Repentance.

not know what good is; yea, nor what
evil is."
568. Second Relation. What wise
and pious man does not wish to know
the condition of his life aftT death?
Wherefore I will manifest the general
things, that he may know. Every man,
after death, when he feels that he still
lives, and that he is in another world,
and hears that heaven is above him,
where are eternal joys, and that hell is
below him, where are eternal sorrows,
is first let again into his externals, in
which he was in the former world ; and
then he believes that he shall certainly
come into heaven, and he speaks intel
ligently and acts prudently. And some
say, " We have lived morally ; we have
followed honest pursuits ; we have not
intentionally done evil." Others say,
" We have frequented temples ; we have
heard masses ; we have kissed holy
images ; we have uttered prayers on
our knees." And some say, " We have
given to the poor ; we have helped the
needy ; we have read books of piety, and
also the Word ;" besides many other
things. And after they have said these
things, the angels stand by them and
say, " All those things, which you have
mentioned, you did in externals, but
you do not know yet what you are in
internals. Now you are spirits in a
substantial body, and the spirit is your
internal man ; it is this in you which
thinks what it wills, and wills what it
loves, and this is the delight of its
life. Every man from infancy begins
life from externals, and learns to act
morally and to speak intelligently ;
and when he has got an idea of heaven
and of the blessedness there, he be
gins to pray, to frequent temples, and
to perform the solemnities of worship;
and still, when evils flow from their
native fountain, he hides them in the
bosom of his mind, and also ingenious
ly veils them over by reasonings from
fallacies, even till he does not know
that evil is evil. And then, because
the evils are veiled over, and covered as it
were with dust, he thinks no more
about them, than merely to take care
that they do not. appear before the
world. Thus he only studies to lead a

moral life in externals, and so becomes
a double man ; he becomes a sheep in
externals, and a wolf in internals; and
as it were a golden box in which there
is poison ; and he becomes like a per-
son having a foul breath holding some
thing fragrant in his mouth, that it may
not be perceived by the bystanders;
and like the skin of a mouse, which is
scented with balsam. You said that
you had lived morally, and that you had
followed the pursuits of piety. But I
ask whether you have ever explored
your internal man, and perceived any
desires of revenging even to death,
and of indulging lust even to adultery,
of defrauding even to theft, and of
lying even to false testimony. In four
precepts of the decalogue it is said,
Thou shalt not do these things; and
in the two last, Thou shalt not covet
them. Do you believe that your inter
nal man, in these things, was like your
external ? If you do believe this, per
haps you are deceived." But to this
they replied, " What is the internal
man ? Is not this and the external the
same one ? We have heard from our
ministers, that the internal man is noth
ing else than faith, and that the piety of
the mouth and the morality of the life
are the sign of it, because the operation
of it." To which the angels replied,
" Saving faith is in the internal man, and
so is charity ; and thence are Christian
faithfulness and morality in the external;
but if the above-mentioned lusts re
main in the internal man, thus in the
will, and thence in the thought — conse
quently, if you inwardly love them,
and yet in externals act and speak
otherwise — then evil with you is above
good, and good is below evil ; where
fore, howsoever you speak as from
understanding, and act as from love,
within there is evil, and this thus veiled
over ; and then you are like cunning
apes, which perform actions similar to
those of men, but their heart is far
from them. But what your internal
man is, of which you know nothing,
because you have not explored your
selves and afterwards performed repent
ance, you will see after a while, when
you are stripped of the external man.

Concerning Repentance.

385

and let into the internal ; and when
this is done, you will no longer be ac
knowledged by your associates, nor by
yourselves. I have seen moral-evil
men then like wild beasts, looking upon
the neighbor with cruel eyes, burning
with deadly hatred, and blaspheming
God, whom in the external man they
adored." Having heard this, they
retired ; and the angels then said,
" You will see the condition of your
life hereafter; for in a short time your
external man will be taken from you,
and you will enter into the internal,
which is now your spirit."
509. Third Relation. Every love
with man exhales a delight, by which
it makes itself felt, and it exhales it
first into the spirit and thence into the
body ; and the delight of one's love,
together with the pleasantness of his
thought, makes his life. Those delights
and pleasures are felt but slightly by
man, while he lives in the natural body,
because this body absorbs and blunts
them ; but after death, when the ma
terial body is taken away, and thus the
covering or clothing of the spirit is
removed, then the delights of his love
and the pleasures of his thought are
fully felt and perceived ; and, what is
wonderful, sometimes as odors. Thence
it is, that all in the spiritual world are
consociated according to their loves ;
in heaven according to theirs, in hell
according to theirs. The odors into
which the delights ofthe loves in heaven
are turned, are all perceived like such
fragrances, sweet smells, pleasant ex
halations, and delightful perceptions,
as are perceived in gardens, flower-beds,
fields and woods in mornings in the
time of spring. But the odors into
which the delights of those loves which
are' in hell, are turned, are perceived
as noisome, fetid and putrid stenches,
such as from privies, dead bodies, pond
holes filled with filth and dung; and,
what is wonderful, the devils and satans
there perceive them as balsams, spices
and frankincense, which refresh their
nostrils and hearts. In the natural
world, also, it is given to beasts, birds
and worms to be consociated according
to odors, but not to men then until they
49

have cast off their bodies, as slough.
Thence it is, that heaven is arranged
in the most distinct order, according to
all the varieties of the love of good ; and
hell as an opposite, according to all the
varieties of the love of evil. It is on
account of this opposition, that there is
between heaven and hell a gulf which
cannot be passed ; for those who are
in heaven cannot endure any odor of
hell, for it excites sickness of the stom
ach and vomiting, and threatens those
who inhale it with fainting. The like
happens to those who are in hell, if they
climb up over the middle of that gulf.
Once I saw a certain devil, appearing
at a distance like a leopard, who, some
days before, was seen among the angels
of the last heaven, and was skilled in
the art of making himself an angel of
light, passing the middle of the gulf,
and standing between two olive-trees,
and not perceiving any odor offensive
to his life. The reason was, because
angels were not present ; but as soon
as they came, he was seized with con
vulsions, and fell down, all his limbs
being contracted ; and then he appear
ed like a great serpent writhing himself
into folds, and at length tumbling him
self down through a chasm ; and he
was taken up by his associates and car
ried away into a cavern, where, from
the stinking odor of his delight, he re
vived. Once also I saw a certain satan
punished by his associates. I asked
the cause ; and it was said, that he,
having stopped up his nostrils, went to
those who were in the odcr of heaven,
and that he returned, and brought with
him that odor upon his clothes. It has
happened several times, that a stench,
as of a dead body, from some open
cavern of hell, has grazed my nostrils,
and excited vomiting. Hence it may
be evident whence .it is, that, in the
Word, smelling signifies perception ;
for it is often said, that Jehovah smelled
a grateful odor from the burnt-offerings;
and also that the oil of anointing, and
the frankincense, were made of fragrant
things : and on the other hand, that a
charge was given to the sons of Israel,
that the unclean things of their camp
should be carried out of the camp ; and

386

Concerning Repentance.

that they should dig down, and cover
up their excrements, Deut. xxiii. 14,
15. The reason was, because the camp
of Israel represented heaven, and the
desert out ofthe camp represented hell.
570. Fourth Relation. Once I
spoke with a novitiate spirit, who,
while he was in the world, meditated
much about heaven and hell. By no
vitiate spirits are meant men lately de
ceased, who, because they are then
spiritual men, are called spirits. He,
as soon as he entered into the spiritual
world, began to meditate in like man
ner about heaven and hell ; and he
seemed to himself, when meditating
about heaven, to be in gladness, and
when about hell, to be in sadness.
When he perceived himself to be in the
spiritual world, he immediately in
quired, where heaven was, and where
hell was ; and also, what the one was,
and what the other was. And they re
plied, " Heaven is over your head, and
hell is under your feet ; for you are
now in the world of spirits, which is in
the middle between heaven and hell.
But what heaven is, and what hell is,
we cannot describe in a few words."
And then, because he was inflamed
with the desire of knowing, he threw
himself upon his knees and prayed de
voutly to God, that he might be in
structed. And lo, an angel appeared
at his right hand, and lifted him up and
said, " You prayed that you might be
instructed concerning heaven and hell.
Inquire and learn what delight is,
and you will know." And the angel,
having said these words, was taken up.
Then the novitiate spirit said with
himself, " What does this mean ? In
quire and learn what delight is, and,
you will know what heaven and hell
are." Then , departing from that place,
he wandered about, and, addressing
every one that he met, he said, " Tell
me, I pray, if you please, what delight
is." And some said, " Why, what a
question this is ! Who does not know
what delight is? Is it not joy and
gladness ? Wherefore delight is delight,
one just like another ; we know no
distinction." Others said, that delight
was a laughter of the mind ; for while

the mind laughs, the face is cheerful,
the speech jovial, the gestures playful,
and the whole man in delight. But
some said, " Delight is nothing else than
to feast and to eat dainties, and to drink
and to be intoxicated with generous
wine, and then to tell stories about
various things, especially about the
sports of Venus and Cupid." The no
vitiate spirit, hearing these things, said
to himself with indignation, " These
answers are clownish and not civil ;
these delights are not heaven nor hell.
I wish I could meet with the wise."
And he went away from them, and
asked where the wise were. And
then he was seen by a certain angelic
spirit, who said, " I perceive that you
are inflamed with a desire of knowing
that which is the universal of heaven
and the universal of hell ; and because
this is delight, I will conduct you to the
top of a hill, where those who examine
effects, and those who investigate
causes, and those who explore ends,
meet together every day. Those there
who examine effects are called spirits
of sciences, and abstractly, sciences;
and those who investigate causes are
called spirits of intelligence, and ab
stractly, intelligences ; and those who
explore ends are called spirits of wisdom,
and abstractly, wisdoms. Directly over
them, in heaven, are angels who from
ends see causes, and from causes ef
fects ; from these angels, those three
companies have illustration." Then,
taking the novitiate spirit by the hand,
he led him to the top of the hill, and
to the company which was of those who
explore ends, and are called wisdoms.
To these he said, " Pardon me for com
ing up to you : the reason is, because
I have from my childhood meditated
about heaven and hell ; and I lately
came into this world, and some who
were then associated with me, said that
here heaven is over my head, and hell
is under my feet ; but they did not say
what is the quality of the one and the
other ; wherefore, becoming anxious,
by constant thought concerning them,
I prayed to God ; and then an angel
stood by me and said, Inquire and
LEARN WHAT DELIGHT IS, AND YOU WILL

Concerning Repentance.

387

know. I have inquired, but hitherto
in vain. I ask, therefore, that you
would teach me, if you please, what
delight is." To this the wisdoms re
plied, " Delight is the all of life to all in
heaven, and the all of life to all in
hell. Those who are in heaven,
have the delight of what is good and
true, but those who are in hell have
the delight of what is evil and false ;
for all delight is of love, and love is
the esse ofthe life of man ; wherefore,
as man is man according to the quality
of his love, so he is man according to
the quality of his delight. The activity
of love makes the sense of delight ; the
activity of it in heaven is with wisdom;
and the activity of it in hell is with in
sanity ; each in its subjects exhibits
delight. But the heavens and the hells
are in opposite delights; the heavens
being in the love of good, and thence
in the delight of doing good ; but the
hells, in the love of evil, and thence in
the delight of doing evil. If, therefore,
you know what delight is, you will
know what heaven and hell are. But
inquire and learn further what delight
is, from those who investigate causes,
and are called intelligences ; they are
to the right from this." And he de
parted and went to them, and told the
cause of his coming, and requested
that they would instruct him about
delight. And being pleased with the
question, they said, " It is true that he
who knows delight, knows what heaven
and hell are. The will, from which
man is man, is not moved even a sin
gle atom, except by delight; for the
will, viewed in itself, is only an affection
of some love, thus of delight ; for it is
some pleasure, and thence satisfaction,
which causes it to will; and because
the will impels the understanding to
think, there is not given the least of
thought but from the influent delight
of the will. The reason that it is so,
is because the Lord, by influx from
Himself, actuates all things of the soul
and all things of the mind with angels,
spirits and men ; and He actuates by
an influx of love and wisdom, and this
influx is the v.ery activity from which
all delight is, which in its origin is

called blessed, prosperous and happy ;
and in its derivation, delightful, agreea
ble and pleasant; and in a universal
sense, good. But infernal spirits invert
all things with them : thus they turn
the good into evil, and the true into
false, delight still remaining, for unless
delight remained, they would not have
will, nor sensation, thus not life.
Hence it is manifest, what and whence
is the delight of hell, and also what and
whence is the delight of heaven." After
he had heard this, he was conducted
to the third company, where were those
who examine effects, and are called
sciences. And these said, " Descend
to the earth below, and ascend to the
earth above ; in these you will perceive
and feel the delights both of heaven and
of hell." But lo, at a distance from
them, the earth then opened, and
through the opening three devils ascend
ed, appearing ignited from the delight
of their love ; and because the angels
who were consociated with the no
vitiate spirit, perceived that those three
providentially ascended from hell, they
cried to the devils, " Do not come any
nearer, but from the place where you
are, tell something concerning your
delights." And they replied, "Know
that every one, whether he be called
good or evil, is in his own delight; the
good, so called, in his, and the evil, so
called, in his." And the angels asked,
"What is your delight?" They said
that it was the delight of committing
whoredom, of revenging, of defrauding,
and of blaspheming. And again they
asked, " What is the quality of those
delights of yours?" They said, that
they were perceived by others as fetid
smells from dunghills, as putrid smells
from dead bodies, and as noisome
smells from stagnant urine. And they
asked, " Are those things delightful to
you?" They said, "They are most
delightful." Then said they, "You
are like the unclean beasts that live in
them." And they replied, " If we are,
we are ; but such things are the delight
of our nostrils." And they asked,
"What more?" They said, "It is
lawful for every one to be in his own
delight, even the most unclean, as they

388

Concerning Repentance.

call it, provided he do not infest good
spirits and angels; but because, from
our delight, we could not do otherwise
than infest them, we were cast into
workhouses, where we suffer hard
things. The hindering and withdraw
ing of our delights there are what are
called the torments of hell ; there is
also interior pain." And they asked,
" Why did you infest the good ?" They
said that "They could not do otherwise.
It is as if fury seized us, when we
see any angel, and feel the divine
sphere of the Lord around him." To
which we said, " Then you are also
like wild beasts." And presently, when
they saw the novitiate spirit with the

angels, fury came upon the devils,
which appeared like the fire of
hatred ; wherefore, lest they should do
harm, they were cast back into hell.
After this the angels appeared, who
from ends saw causes, and through
causes effects, who were in heaven over
those three companies ; and they were
seen in a bright light, which, rolling it
self down by spiral flexures, brought
with it a round garland of flowers, and
placed it upon the head of the novitiate
spirit, and then a voice came to him
thence, " This laurel is given to you
for this reason, because from childhood
you have meditated about heaven and
hell."

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

389

CHAPTER X.

CONCERNING REFORMATION AND REGENERATION.

571. After Repentance has been
heated of, Reformation and Regener
ation are next to be treated of in their
order, because these follow repentance,
and by repentance they are gradually
promoted. There are two states which
man is to enter and undergo, while
from natural he becomes spiritual ; the
first state is called Reformation, and
the other Regeneration. A man in
the first state looks from his natural to
the spiritual, and desires this ; in the
other state, he becomes spiritual-natu
ral. The first state is formed by the
truths which will be of faith, by which
he looks to charity ; the other state is
formed by the goods of charity, and
from these he enters into the truths of
faith; or, what is the same, the first
state is of thought from the under
standing, but the other is of love from
the will. When this state begins and
advances, a change is effected in the
mind ; for a turn is made, because then
the love of the will flows into the un
derstanding, and impels and leads it
to think in accordance and agreement
with its love ; wherefore, as far as the
good of love then acts the first part,
and the truths of faith the second, so
far the man is spiritual, and is a new
creature; and .then he acts from char
ity, and speaks from faith, and feels the
good of charity, and perceives the truth
of faith, and is then in the Lord and
in peace, and thus regenerated. The
man who in the world has begun the
first state, after death can be introduced
into the other; but he who has not
entered into the first state in the world,
cannot, after death, be introduced into
the other, thus cannot be regenerated.
These two states may be compared
with the progression of light and heat

in the days in the time of spring ; the
first with the dawning of the day or
the time of cock-crowing ; the other
with the morning and the time of sun-
rising ; and the progression of this
state, with the progression of the day
to noon, and thus into light and heat.
It may be compared also with a crop
of corn, which is first an herb, then it
grows into prickly heads and ears of
corn, and afterwards in these the grain
is formed ; and also with a tree, which
first from the seed grows out of the,
earth ; afterwards it becomes a stalk,
from which branches shoot forth, and
these are adorned with leaves, and then
it blossoms, and in the inmost of the
flowers it begins fruits, which, as they
ripen, produce new seeds, like new
races. The first state, which is that
of reformation, may be compared also
with the state of a silk-worm, when it
draws *out of itself and unfolds the
threads of silk ; and, after its industri
ous labor, flies away into the air, and
nourishes itself, not as before from
leaves, but from the juices in flowers.
572. I. That a Man, unless he is
BORN AGAIN, AND AS IT WERE CREATED
ANEW, CANNOT ENTER INTO THE KING
DOM of God.
That a man, unless he is born again,
cannot enter into the kingdom of God,
is the doctrine of the Lord in John,
where are these words : Jesus said to
Nicodemus, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, unless a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God. And
again ; Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
unless a man be born of water ana
spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God. That which is born of
flesh is flesh; and that which is born
of spirit is spirit, iii. 3, 5, 6

390

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration

By the kingdom of God, is meant both
heaven and the church ; for the king
dom of God on earth is the church.
In like manner in other places, where
the kingdom of God is named, as Matt.
xi. 11; xii. 28; xxi. 43; Luke iv. 43;
vi. 20; viii. 1, 10; ix. 11, 60, 62;
xvii. 21 ; and elsewhere. To be born
by water and spirit signifies, by the
truths of faith and a life according to
them. That water signifies truths, may
be seen in the Apocalypse Revealed,
n. 50, 614, 615, 685, 932. That
spirit signifies a life according to divine
truths, is manifest from the words of
the Lord in John vi. 63. By Verily,
verily (or Amen, amen), is signified
that it is truth ; and because the Lord
was Truth itself, therefore He said that
so often. He is called also, the Amen,
Rev. iii. 14. The regenerate are
called in the Word sons of God, and
born of God, and regeneration is
described by a new heart and a new
spirit. 573. Since to be created also signi
fies to be regenerated, therefore it is
said, who is born again, and as it
were created anew. That to be created
signifies this in the Word, is evident
from these passages : Create for me
a clean heart, O God, and renew a
firm spirit in the midst of me, Psalm
li. 10. Thou openest thy hand, they
are satisfied with good; Thou sendest
forth thy spirit, they are created,
civ. 28, 30. The people that shall be
created will praise Jah, cii. 18. Be
hold I am about to create Jerusalem an
exultation, Isaiah lxv. IS. Thus said
Jehovah, thy Creator, O Jacob, thy
Former, O Israel, I have redeemed
thee ; every one called by my name, for
my glory I have created him, xliii.
1, 7. That they may see, know, at
tend, and understand, that the Holy
One of Israel hath created this, xii.
19 : besides in other places ; and where
the Lord is called Creator, Former
and Maker. Thence it is made mani
fest, what is meant by these words of
the Lord to the disciples ; Going into
all the world, preach the gospel to every
creature, Mark xvi. 15. By creatures
are meant all who can be regenerated ;

and also in Rev. iii. 14; 2 Cor. v.
16, 17.
574. That man is to be regener
ated, is manifest from all reason ; for
he is born into evils of every kind from
parents, and these reside in his natural
man, which of itself is diametrically
opposite to the spiritual man ; and yet
he is born for heaven, and he does not
come to heaven, unless he become
spiritual, which is done solely by regen
eration. Thence it necessarily follows,
that the natural man with its lusts is to
be subdued, subjugated and inverted;
and that otherwise man cannot ap
proach a single step towards heaven,
but lets himself down more and more
into hell. Who does not see this, who
believes that he is born into evils of
every kind, and acknowledges that
there are good and evil, and that one
is contrary to the other ; and if he
believes a life after death, and hell and
heaven, and that evils make hell, and
goods heaven. The natural man,
viewed in himself, as to his nature,
differs not at all from the nature
of beasts ; he is likewise a wild beast,
but he is such as to the will ; but he
differs from beasts as to the understand
ing ; this can be elevated above the lusts
of the will, and not only see them, but
also moderate them. Thence it is that
man can think from understanding, and
speak from thought, which beasts can
not do. What man is from birth, and
what he would be if he were not regen
erated, may be seen from savage beasts
of every kind ; that he would be a
tiger, a panther, a leopard, a wild boar,
a scorpion, a tarantula, a viper, a croc
odile, &c. ; wherefore, unless he were
transformed by regeneration into a
sheep, what else would he be than a
devil among the devils in hell? And
then, if the laws of civil government
did not restrain such, would they not,
from innate ferocity, rush one upon
another, and kill each other, or strip
each other even to the skin? How
many are there of the human race, who
were not born satyrs and priapuses or
four-footed lizards ? And which of
these or those, unless he be regener
ated, does not become an ape? The

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

391

external morality, which is acquired
for the sake of covering his internals,
does this.
575. What an unregenerate man is,
may be further described by these
comparisons and similitudes in Isaiah :
The cormorant and the bittern shall
possess it, and the owl and the raven
shall dwell there. He shall stretch out
over it the line of emptiness, and the
plumb-line of desolation ; and the thorn
shall come upon its altars, the thistle
and the bramble in its fortresses, and it
shall become a habitation of dragons,
a court for the daughters of the owl.
And the ziim shall meet with the ijim,
and the satyr shall encounter his com
panion ; yea, the lilith shall rest there ;
the black-bird shall build her nest there,
and lay, and sit, and hatch in its shade.
Yea, the kites shall be gathered together
there, one with his companion, xxxiv.
11, 13, 14, 15.
576. II. That the new Genera
tion or Creation is effected by
the Lord alone by Charity and
Faith, as the two Means, with
the Cooperation of Man.
That regeneration is effected by the
Lord alone, by charity and faith, fol
lows from what was demonstrated in
the chapters concerning Faith and con
cerning Charity, and particularly from
this there ; That the Lord, charity
and faith make one, like life, will and
Understanding; and that if they are
divided, each of them perishes, like a
pearl reduced to powder. These two,
chatity and faith, are called means, be
cause they conjoin man with the Lord,
and cause charity to be charity, and
faith to be faith ; and this cannot be
done unless man also have a part in
regeneration ; wherefore it is said,
with the cooperation of man. In the
chapters which precede, the coopera
tion of man with the Lord has oc
casionally been mentioned ; but be
cause the human mind is such, that it
does not perceive it otherwise than that
man effects it from his own power,
therefore it shall be again illustrat
ed. In all motion, and thence in
all action, there is an active and a
passive ; that is, there is something

active which acts, and something pas
sive which acts from the active, thence
from both one action is produced ; com
paratively as a mill moved by a wheel,
a coach drawn by a horse, motion pro
duced by an effort, an effect by a cause, a
dead force acted upon by a living force ;
in general as the instrumental by the
principal ; that these two together make
one action every one knows. As to
charity and faith, the Lord acts, and
man acts from the Lord, for the active
of the Lord is in the passive of man ;
wherefore the power of acting well is
from the Lord, and thence the will of
acting is as it were man's, because he
is in free agency; from which he can
act together with the Lord, and thus
conjoin himself, and he can act from
the power of hell, which is without,
and thus separate himself. The ac
tion of man, concordant with the action
of the Lord, is what is here meant by
cooperation ; that this may be more
clearly perceived, it will be illustrated
still more by comparisons below.
577. From these things this also fol
lows, that the Lord is continually in
the act of regenerating man, because
He is continually in the act of saving
him; and no one can be saved, unless
he be regenerated, according to the
Lord's own words in John, That he
who is not born again, cannot see
the kingdom of God, iii. 3, 5, 6. Re
generation, therefore, is the means of
salvation, and charity and faith are the
means of regeneration. That regen
eration follows the faith of the present
church, which is without the cooper
ation of man, is a vanity of vanities.
Action and cooperation, such as have
been described, may be seen in every
thing which is in any activity and
mobility. Such is the action and coop
eration of the heart and its artery ; the
heart acts, and the artery, from its cov
erings or coats, cooperates ; thence is
circulation. The case is similar with
the lungs ; the air acts from its incum
bency according to the height of its
atmosphere, and the ribs with the
lungs first cooperate, and presently
afterwards the lungs with the ribs ;
thence is the respiration of every men*

392

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

brane in the body : thus the meninges
of the brain, the pleura, the peritonajum,
the diaphragm, and the other mem
branes which cover the viscera, and
which inwardly compose them, act and
are acted upon, and thus cooperate, for
they are elastic ; thence their existence
and subsistence. The case is similar
in every fibre and nerve, and in every
muscle, yea in every cartilage ; that in
each of these there is action and co
operation is known. There is such
cooperation also in every sense, for the
organs of sense, like the organs of
motion of the body, consist of fibres,
membranes and muscles; but to de
scribe the cooperation of each is need
less, for it is known that light acts in
the eye, sound in the ear, odor in the
nostril, taste in the tongue, and that
the organs adapt themselves to them,
whence is sensation. Who cannot
thence perceive, that unless there were
such action and cooperation with the
influent life in the spiritual organism
of the brain, thought and will could
not exist? For life from the Lord flows
into that spiritual organism, and be
cause this cooperates, that which is
thought is perceived, and also that
which is there weighed, concluded and
determined into act. If life alone
acted, and man did not cooperate as of
himself, he would not be able to think
any more than a stock, or than a tem
ple when the minister is preaching ;
this indeed, from the repercussion of
the sound from its doors, may feel as it
were an echo, but nothing of the ser
mon. Such would man be, unless he
cooperated with the Lord, as to charity
and faith.
578. It may be illustrated also by
comparisons, what man would be, if he
did not cooperate with the Lord : when
he perceives and feels any spiritual
thing of heaven and the church, it
would be as if something disagreeable
or discordant flowed in, and as stench
into the nose, discord into the ear,
deformity into the eye, and something
nasty into the tongue. If the delight
of charity and the pleasantness of faith
should flow into the spiritual organism
of the mind of those who are in the

delight of evil and the false, these, if
those delights and pleasantnesses should
be intruded, would be distressed and
tormented, and at length would fall
into a swoon ; that organism, because
it consists of perpetual spiral lines,
would with such persons involve itself
info spires, and would be tortured like
a serpent upon a heap of ants. That
it is so, has been made evident to me
from much experience in the spiritual
world. 579. III. That, because all have
been redeemed, all can be regen
erated, EVERY ONE ACCORDING TO
his State.
That these things may be under
stood, something is to be premised
concerning redemption. The Lord
came into the world principally for
these two purposes, that He might re
move hell from angel and man, and
that He might glorify his Human. For
before the coming of the Lord, hell had
grown up so as to infest the angels of
heaven, and, by interposition between
heaven and the world, to intercept the
communication of the Lord with the
men of the earth ; whence no divine
truth and good could pass through from
the Lord to men ; thence a total dam
nation threatened the whole human
race, nor could even the angels of
heaven have long subsisted in their in
tegrity. Therefore, that hell might be
removed, and thus that impending
damnation be taken away, the Lord
came into the world and removed hell
and subjugated it, and thus opened
heaven; so that afterwards He could
be present with the men of the earth,
and save those who would live accord
ing to his commandments, consequent
ly regenerate and save them ; for those
are saved who are regenerated. Thus
this is understood, That because all
have been redeemed, all can be regener
ated; and because regeneration and
salvation make one, that all can be
saved. This, therefore, which the
church teaches, that without the
coming of the Lord no one could have
been saved, is to be thus understood,
that no one without the coming of the
Lord could have been regenerated.

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

393

As to the other end for which the Lord
came into the world, which is, That
He might glorify his Human, it was
because He thus became Redeemer,
Regenerator and Savior to eternity ;
for it is not to be believed, that by the
redemption once wrought in the world,
all after it were redeemed, but that He
continually redeems those who believe
in Him and do his words. But more
may be seen concerning these things,
in the chapter concerning Redemp
tion. 580. That every one can be regen
erated, each according to his state, is
because the simple and the learned are
to be regenerated differently ; and also
those who are engaged in different
studies and in different offices; those
who are inquisitive about the externals
of the Word, differently from those who
are inquisitive about its internals ; those
who from parents are in natural good,
differently from those who are in evil ;
those who from infancy have brought
themselves into the vanities of the
world, differently from those who have
sooner or later removed themselves
from them ; in a word, those who con
stitute the external church, differently
from those who constitute the internal.
This variety is infinite, like that of
faces and dispositions ; but still every
one, according to his state, may be re
generated and saved. That it is so,
may be evident from the heavens into
which all the regenerate come, in that
they are three, the highest, the middle,
and the last ; and into the highest those
come, who by regeneration receive love
to the Lord ; into the middle, those
who receive love towards the neighbor;
into the last, those who only practise
external charity, and at the same time
acknowledge the Lord as God, the
Redeemer and Savior. All these are
saved, but in various ways. That all
may be regenerated, and thus saved, is
because the Lord with his divine good
and truth is present with every man ;
thence is the life of every one, and
thence is the faculty of understanding
and willing, and these have free agency
in spiritual things. These things are
wantino- to no man ; and also means
50

are given ; to Christians, in the Word ;
and, to the Gentiles, in each one's re
ligion, which teaches that there is a
God, and precepts concerning good and
evil. Hence this follows, that every
one may be saved ; consequently that'
the Lord is not in the fault, but man, .
if he is not saved ; and man is in the ¦
fault because he does not cooperate.
581. That redemption and the pas--
sion ofthe cross are two distinct things,
and not at all to be confounded, and.
that the Lord by both put himself into<
the power of regenerating and saving'.
men, was shown in the chapter con
cerning Redemption. From the re
ceived faith of the present church con
cerning the passion of the cross, that it
was redemption itself, have arisen le
gions of horrible falsities concerning
God, concerning Faith, concerning
Charity, and concerning the other
tilings which necessarily depend on
those three; as concerning God, that
He concluded the condemnation of
the human race, and that He was will
ing to be brought back to mercy by the
condemnation laid upon the Son, or
taken by the Son upon Himself; and
that those only are saved to whom the
merit of Christ is given either by fore
knowledge or predestination. From
that fallacy this tenet also of that faith
was hatched, that those who have been
gifted with that faith, were regenerated
all at once, without their cooperating
at all ; yea, that they were thus ab
solved from the condemnation of the
law, and that they are no more under
the law, but under grace ; and this, al
though the Lord said that He took not
away even a tittle of the law, Matt. v.
18, 19 ; Luke xvi. 17 ; and also com
manded the disciples that they should
preach repentance for the remission of
sins, xxiv. 47 ; Mark vi. 12 ; and also
He said, The kingdom of God is at
hand; repent and believe the gospel,
Mark i. 15. By the gospel is meant,
that they could be regenerated, and
thus saved ; which could not have been
done, unless the Lord had performed
redemption, that is, unless He had
taken away power from hell by combats
against it and by victories over it, and

394

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

unless He had glorified his Human,
that is, made it Divine.
582. Tell me from rational thought,
what the whole human race would be,
if the faith of the present church should
continue, which is, That they were
redeemed solely by the passion of the
cross ; and that those who have been
gifted with that merit of the Lord, are
not under the condemnation ofthe law ;
and also that that faith, concerning
which man never knows whether it is
in him or not, remits sins and regener
ates ; and that the cooperation of man
in the act of it, which is while it is
given and enters, would destroy that
faith, and with it would take away sal
vation, since he would mix his own
merit with the merit of Christ : tell me,
I say, from rational thought, whether
the whole Word, where is principally
taught regeneration by spiritual wash
ing from evils, and by exercises of
charity, would not thus have been re
jected ? What then is the decalogue,
the principle of reformation, more than
the paper which is sold at the shops of
hucksters, and is formed into wrappers
around spices ? What then is religion
but a man's lamentation that he is a
sinner, and supplication that God the
Father would have mercy for the sake
of his Son's passion ? Thus something
of the mouth only from the lungs, and
nothing of deed from the heart. And
what then is redemption, but a papal
indulgence, or more than the flogging
of one monk for the whole company,
as is done. If that faith alone regen
erated man, and not repentance and
charity, what then is the internal man,
which is his spirit that lives after death,
but like a city set on fire, the rubbish
of which makes the external man ? or
like a field or a plain laid waste by
palmer-worms and locusts ? Such a
man appears before the angels just as
if he cherished a serpent in his bosom,
and put his garment over it that it
might not appear ; and also like one
who sleeps as a sheep with a wolf; or
like one who lies down, under a beau
tiful coverlet, in a shirt woven of spi
ders' webs. And what then is the life
after death, when all are distinguished

according to the distihctions of regen
eration in heaven, and according to
the distinctions of its rejection in hell,
but a carnal life, thus like the life of a
fish or a crab ?
583. IV. That Regeneration is
effected, comparatively, as Man
is conceived, carried in the Womb,
born and educated.
There is with man a perpetual cor
respondence between those things
which are done naturally and those
which are done spiritually ; or those
which are done in the body and those
which are done in the spirit. The
reason is, because man is born spiritual
as to the soul, and is clothed with a
natural which constitutes his material
body ; wherefore, when this is put off,
his soul, clothed with a spiritual body,
comes into a world where all things
are spiritual, and is there associated
with its like. Now, because the spir
itual body is to be formed in the mate
rial body, and is formed by the truths
and goods which flow in from the Lord
through the spiritual world, and are re
ceived by man inwardly in such things
of him as are from the natural world,
which are called civil and moral, it is
manifest how its formation is effected.
And because, as was said, there is a
perpetual correspondence, with man,
between those things which are done
naturally and those which are done
spiritually, it follows that there is, as
it were, a conception, carrying in the
womb, birth and education. It is
from that cause, that in the Word by
natural births are meant spiritual
births, which are of good and truth ;
for whatever is extant in the sense of
the letter of the Word, which is natu
ral, involves and signifies that which is
spiritual. That in all and every part of
the sense of the letter of the Word,
there is a spiritual sense, was fully
shown in the chapter concerning the
Sacred Scripture. That the natural
births named in the Word, involve
spiritual births, manifestly appears from
these passages there : We have conceiv
ed, we have been in travail, we have as
it were, brought forth, we have not
wrought salvation, Isaiah xxvi. 18

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

395

At the presence of the Lord the earth
bringeth forth, Psalm cxiv. 7. Hath
the earth brought forth in one day ?
Shall I break and not beget ? Shall I
cause to bring forth, and not have shut
up ? Isaiah lxvi. 7 to 10. Sin is in
travail, and will not be able to bring
forth, Ezek. xxx. 15, 16. The pangs
of a travailing woman shall come upon
Ephraim; he is an unwise son, because
he doth not stay his time in the womb
of sons, Hosea xiii. 13 ; and likewise
in many other places. Since natural
generations in the Word signify spirit
ual ones, and these are from the Lord,
thence he is called the Former, and
Drawer-forth from the womb, which is
manifest from these passages : Jehovah,
thy Maker and Former from the womb,
Isaiah xliv. 2. He that drew me out
from the womb, Psalm xxii. 9. /
have been laid upon Thee from the
womb, Thou drewest me out from the
bowels of my mother, Psalm lxxi. 6.
Hearken ye to Me, who have been borne
from the womb, carried from the belly,
Isaiah xlvi. 3 ; besides in other places.
Thence it is, that the Lord is called
Father, as Isaiah ix. 6; Ixiii. 16; John
x. 30; xiv. 8, 9; and that those who
are in goods and truths from Him, are
called sons and born of God, and
among themselves brethren, Matt.
xxiii. 8 ; and also that the church is
called Mother, Hosea ii. 2, 5; Ezek.
xvi. 45.
584. Hence now it is manifest, that
there is a correspondence between nat
ural generations and spiritual genera
tions ; and because there is a correspon
dence, it follows that conception, car
rying in the womb, birth and education
may not only be predicated ofthe new
generation, but also that they actually
are ; but what they are, is exhibited to
view in their order in this article con
cerning Regeneration. Here only,
that the seed of man is conceived in
wardly in the understanding, and is
formed in the will, and thence is trans
ferred into the testicle, where it clothes
itself with a natural covering; and
thus it is conveyed into the womb, and
comes into the world. Moreover, there
is a correspondence of the regeneration

of man with all the things that are in
the vegetable kingdom ; wherefore also
in the Word man is described by a
tree, his truth by the seed, and his good
by the fruit. That a bad-tree may be
as it were born anew, and afterwards
bear good fruit, is evident from engraft-
ings and inoculations, in that then,
although the same juice ascends from
the root through the trunk even to that
which is engrafted or inoculated, still
it is turned into good juice and makes
a good tree. The case is similar in
the church with those who are engraft
ed into the Lord, as He teaches in
these words ; I am the Vine, ye the
branches. He that abideth in Me, and 1
in him, the same beareth much fruit.
Unless a man abide in Me, he is cast
away as a branch, and, being dried, is
cast into the fire, John xv. 5, 6.
585. That the vegetations not only
of trees, but also of all shrubs, corre
spond to the prolifi cations of men, has
been taught by many of the learned ;
wherefore I shall add something con
cerning these, in the place of a con
clusion. In trees and in all other sub
jects of the vegetable kingdom, there
are not two sexes, the male and the
female, but every one there is male ;
the earth alone, or the ground, is the
common mother, thus as it were the
female ; for this receives the seeds of
all plants, opens them, carries them as
it were in the womb, and then nour
ishes them, and brings them forth, that
is, brings them into open day, and after
wards clothes them and sustains them.
The earth, when she first opens the
seed, begins from the root, which is
like a heart; from that it emits and
transmits juice, like blood, and thus
makes as it were a body furnished with
members ; the body is the stalk itself,
and the branches and their twigs are
its members. The leaves which it puts
forth immediately after birth are in
the place of lungs ; for as the heart
without the lungs does not produce
sense and motion, and by these vivify
man, so the root does not cause the
tree or shrub to vegetate without the
leaves. The flowers which precede
the fruit, are the means of decanting

396

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

the juice, its blood, and of separating
the grosser parts of it from the purer,
and of forming for the influx of these
in their bosom a new little stalk, through
which the decanted juice may flow in,
and thus begin and successively form
the fruit, which may be compared to a
testicle in which the seeds are perfect
ed. The vegetative soul, which reigns
most inwardly in every particle of the
juice, or its prolific essence, is from no
other source than from the heat of the
spiritual world, which, because it is
from the spiritual sun there, does not
breathe after any thing else than gen
eration, and by this the continuation
of creation ; and because it essentially
breathes after the generation of man,
therefore, whatsoever it generates, it
induces upon it a certain likeness of
man. Lest any one should wonder
that it was said, that the subjects of
the vegetable kingdom are only male,
and that the earth alone, or the ground,
is as a common mother, or as the fe
male, this shall be illustrated by the
like in bees. These, according to the
observation and testimony of Swammer-
dam, in his Books of Nature, have
only one common mother, from whom
all the offspring of the whole hive are
produced. Since these little animals
have only one common mother, why
should not all plants ? That the earth
is a common mother, may be illustrated
also spiritually ; and it is illustrated
by this, that the earth in the Word sig
nifies the church, and the church is the
common mother, as she is also called
in the Word. That the earth signifies
the church, consult the Apocalypse
Revealed, n. 285, 902, where it is
shown. But that the earth, or ground,
can enter into the inmost of the seed,
even to its prolific principle, and draw
this out and carry it around, is because
every particle of dust or pollen exhales
from its essence something fine, like
an effluvium, which penetrates; this is
done from the active force of the heat
from the spiritual world.
536. That man can be regenerated
only successively, may be illustrated by
all and each of the things that exist in
the natural world. A tree cannot grow

into a tree in one day ; but it grows first
from the seed, afterwards from the root,
then from the shoot, from which is
formed the stalk, and from this proceed
branches with leaves, and at last
flowers and fruits. Neither does wheat
or barley rise into a harvest in one
day. A house is not built in one day ;
neither does man attain to his stature
in one day, much less to wisdom ; nor is
the church instituted and perfected in
one day; nor is there any progression
to an end, unless there be a beginning
as a starting point. Those who con
ceive otherwise of regeneration, do not
know any thing concerning charity and
faith, and concerning the^ growth of
each according to the cooperation of
man with the Lord. Hence it is man
ifest, that regeneration is effected, com
paratively, as man is conceived, carried
in the womb, born and educated.
587. V. That the first Act of
the new Generation is called Ref
ormation, which is of the Under
standing, AND THAT THE SECOND Act
is called Regeneration, which is
of the Will, and thence of the
Understanding. Since reformation and regeneration
are treated of here and in the following
articles, and reformation is ascribed to
the understanding, and regeneration to
the will, it is necessary that the dis
tinctions should be known which are
between the understanding and the
will, and these have been described
above, n. 397 ; wherefore it is advised,
that that be first read, and afterwards
what is in this article. That the evils
into which man is born, are generated
in the will of the natural man, and
that the will brings the understanding
to favor itself by thinking in agreement,
was also there shown ; wherefore, that
man may be regenerated, it is neces
sary that this should be done by the
understanding, as by a mediate cause,
and this is done by the information
which the understanding receives, first
from parents and masters, afterwards
from the reading of the Word, from
preaching, books and conversation.
Those things which the understanding
thence receives, are called truths;

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

397

wherefore it is the same, whether it be
said, that reformation is effected by the
understanding, or whether it be said,
that it is effected by the truths which
the understanding receives ; for truths
teach man in whom and what he should
believe, and also what he should do, and
thus what he should will ; for whatever
any one does, he does it from the will
according to the understanding. Since,
therefore, the will itself of man is evil
from nativity, and because the under
standing teaches what is evil and good,
and he is able to will the one, and not
to will the other, it follows that man is
to be reformed by the understanding.
But as long as any one sees, and ac
knowledges in his mind, that evil is
evil, and good good, and thinks that
good is to be chosen, so long that state
is called reformation; but when he
wills to shun evil and do good, the state
oi regeneration begins.
588. For this end there is given to
man the faculty of elevating the under
standing almost into the light in which
the angels of heaven are, that he may
see what he ought to will and thence
to do, in order that he may be prosper
ous in the world in time, and blessed
after death to eternity. He becomes
prosperous and blessed, if he procures
for himself wisdom, and keeps his will
in obedience to it; but unprosperous
and unhappy, if he puts his understand
ing under obedience to the will ; the
reason is, because the will from nativity
inclines to evils, even to enormous
ones; wherefore, unless it were re
strained by the understanding, man,
left to the freedom of his own will,
would rush into wicked deeds, and, from
his innate savage nature, would plunder
and massacre, for his own sake, all
who do not favor him and indulge his
inordinate desires. Moreover, unless
the understanding could be perfected
separately, and the will by it, man
would not be man, but a beast; for
without that separation, and without the
ascent of the understanding above the
will, he would not be able to think, and
from thought to speak, but only to
sound his affection ; nor would he be
able to act from reason, but from in

stinct ; still less could he know those
things which are of God, and by them
God, and thus be conjoined to Him and
live to eternity. For man thinks and
wills as of himself, and this, as of him
self , is the reciprocal of conjunction ;
for conjunction without a reciprocal, is
not possible ; as there can be no con
junction of what is active with what is
passive without adaptation 01 applica
tion. God alone acts, and man suffers
himself to be acted upon, and cooper
ates in all appearance as from himself,
although inwardly from God. But
from these things, rightly perceived, it
may be seen what the love of man's
will is, if it be elevated by the under
standing, and also what it is, if it be
not elevated; thus what man is.
589. It is to be known that the fac
ulty of elevating the understanding
even to the intelligence in which the
angels of heaven are, is from creation
inherent in every man, in the bad as
well as the good ; yea, also in every
devil in hell, for all who are in hell
were men ; this has often been shown
to me by lively experience. But that
they are not in intelligence, but in in
sanity, in spiritual things, is because
they do not will good, but evil ; and
thence they are averse to know and
understand truths, for truths are in fa
vor of good and against evil. Hence
also it is manifest, that the first thing
ofthe new generation, is the reception
of truths in the understanding, and that
the second is, that he wills to do ac
cording to truths, and at length to do
them. But yet no one can be said to
be reformed by the mere knowledges
of truths; for man, from the faculty of
elevating the understanding above the
love of the will, can apprehend them,
and also speak, teach and preach them ;
but he is reformed who is in the affec
tion of truth for the sake of truth ; for
this affection conjoins itself with the
will, and, if it goes on, conjoins the
will to the understanding, and then
regeneration begins. But how regen
eration progresses and is perfected, will
be told in what follows.
590. But what the man is, whose
understanding is elevated, and the love

398

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

of the will not elevated by it, will be
illustrated by comparisons. He is like
an ilagle flying on high, but as soon as
he sees food below, such as hens,
young swans, yea, lambs, in a moment
he descends and devours them. He is
also like an adulterer, who keeps a
harlot concealed below in the cellar,
and by turns ascends to the highest
story ofthe house, and, with those who
stay there, in the presence of his wife,
he speaks wisely concerning chastity;
and by and by he suddenly retires from
the company and indulges his iascivi-
ousness below with the harlot. He is
also like the flies of a bog, which fly in
a column over the head of a running
horse, which, when the horse stops, de
scend and immerse themselves in their
bog. Such is the man who is in eleva
tion as to the understanding, but the
love of the will sinks below to the foot,
immersed in the unclean things of
nature and the libidinous things of the
senses. But because they shine as
from wisdom, as to the understanding,
and the will is contrary to it, they may
be likened also to serpents, which shine
with scales, and to Spanish flies, which
glitter as from gold, and also to the
ignis fatuus in marshes, and to shining
rotten wood, and to phosphorus. There
are among them those, who can coun
terfeit angels of light, both among men
in the world, and after death among
the angels of heaven ; but these, after
a short examination, are deprived of
their garments, and cast down naked.
The like, however, cannot be done in
the world, because there their spirit is
not open, but covered over with a mask,
like that of actors on the theatre. The
reason that they can counterfeit angels
of light, and also a proof of it, is that
they can elevate the understanding
almost to angelic wisdom, above the love
ofthe will, as was said. Now, because
the internal and the external of man
can thus go contrary ways, and because
the body is cast away, and the spirit
remains, it is evident that a dusky
spirit may dwell under a white face,
and a fiery one under a smooth mouth.
Wherefore, my friend, know a man not
from his mouth, but from his heart,

that is, not from his speech, but from
his deeds ; for the Lord says, Beware
of false prophets, who come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves. From their fruits
ye shall know them, Matt. vii. 15, 16.
591. VI. That the Internal Man
is first to be reformed, and by
this the External, and that Man
is thus regenerated.
That the internal man is first to be
regenerated, and by it the external, is
commonly said in the church at this
day ; but by the internal man nothing
else is thought of, than faith, which is,
that God the Father imputes the merit
and righteousness of his Son, and sends
the Holy Spirit. This faith, they be
lieve, makes the internal man, and that
from it flows the external, which is the
natural moral man, and that this is an
appendage of that; comparatively, like
the tail of a horse or an ox, or like the
tail of a peacock or bird of paradise,
which is continued to the soles of its
feet without cohering. For it is said
that charity follows that faith, but if
charity from the will of man enters,
that faith perishes. But because no
other internal man is acknowledged in
the church at this day, there is not
any internal man, for no one knows
whether that faith be given to him, or
not ; that also it cannot be given, and
thence is imaginary, was shown above.
Thence it follows, that, at this day, with
those who have confirmed themselves
in that faith, there is no other internal
man, than that natural man, which
from nativity overflows with evils in all
abundance. It is added also, that
regeneration and sanctification follow
that faith of themselves, and that the
cooperation of man, by which alone
regeneration is effected, is to be ex
cluded. Thence it is, that regenera
tion is not knowable in the present
church ; when yet the Lord says that
he who is not regenerated cannot see
the kingdom of God.
592. But the internal and the exter
nal man of the New Church are alto
gether different ; the internal man is of
his will, from which he thinks when
he is left to himself, as is the case at

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

399

home ; but the external man is his
action and speech, which proceed from
him in company, thus abroad ; conse
quently the internal man is charity,
because this is of the will, and at the
same time faith, which is ofthe thought.
Both of these, before regeneration, make
the natural man, which is thus divided
into internal and external ; this is man
ifest from this, that it is not lawful for
a man to act and speak in company or
abroad, as when he is left to himself or
at home. The cause of this division
is, that the civil laws prescribe punish
ments for those who do ill, and rewards
for those who do well ; and thus they
force themselves to separate the internal
man from the external ; for no one
wishes to be punished, and every one
wishes to be rewarded, which is done by
riches and honors; both of these man
does not attain, if he does not live ac
cording to those laws. Thence it is
that there is morality and benevolence
in externals with those who have no
morality and benevolence in internals ;
all hypocrisy, flattery and insincerity
are from this origin.
593. As to the division ofthe natural
man into two forms, it is an actual
division, both of the will and of the
thought there ; for all the action of
man proceeds from his will, and all
speech from his thought; wherefore
another will is formed by man below
the former, and also another thought,
but still both of these constitute the
natural man. This will, which is
formed by man, may be called the cor
poreal will, because it impels the body
to conduct itself morally ; and that
thought may be called pulmonary
thought, because it impels the tongue
and lips to speak such things as are
of the understanding. This thought
and that will together may be compared
to the thin skin which inwardly ad
heres to the bark of a tree, and to the
membrane which adheres to the shell
of an egg, within which is the internal
natural man, which, if evil, may be
compared to the wood of a rotten tree,
around which the said bark with its
thin skin appears entire ; and also to a
rotten egg within a white shell. Bu*

what the internal natural man is from
nativity shall be told ; his will inclines
to evils of every kind, and the thought
thence to falses also of every kind ;
this internal man, therefore, is what is
to be regenerated ; for, unless this be
regenerated, there is nothing but hatred
against all things which are of charity,
and thence wrath against all things that
are of faith. Thence it follows, that
the internal natural man is first to be
regenerated, and by it the external, for
this is according to order ; but to re
generate the internal by the externa]
is contrary to order; for the internal
is as a soul in the external, not only in
general, but also in every particular ;
consequently it is in every single thing
that he speaks, without the man's
knowing it. Thence it is, that the
angels perceive from one action of a
man what his will is, and from one ex
pression of his what his thought is,
whether it be infernal or heavenly
Thence they know the whole man ;
from the sound they perceive the af
fection of his thought, and from the
gesture or form of action, the love of
his will ; they perceive them, however
he may counterfeit the Christian and
the moral citizen.
594. The regeneration of man is
described in Ezekiel by the dry bones,
upon which were brought sinews, after
wards flesh, and skin, and at last
breath was breathed into them, by
which they revived, xxxvii. 1 to 14.
That regeneration was represented by
them, is clearly manifest from these
words there ; These bones arc the whole
house of Israel, verse 11. It is also
compared there with sepulchres, for it
is read, that He would open the sepul
chres, and cause the bones to ascend
thence, and put spirit in them, and place
them upon the land of Israel, verses
12, 13, 14. By the land of Israel,
there and elsewhere, is meant the
church. The reason why a represen
tation of regeneration was made by
bones and sepulchres, is because the '
unregenerate man is called dead, and
the regenerate alive ; for in the latter
there is spiritual life, but in the former,
spiritual death.

400

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

595. In every created thing in the
world, whether living or dead, there is
an internal and an external ; one is
not where the other is not, as no effect
is without a cause ; and every created
thing is estimated according to its in
ternal goodness, and is disesteemed
from its internal vileness ; and so is
external goodness in which there is
internal vileness. Every wise man in
the world, and every angel in heaven,
thus judges. But what the unregen-
erate man is, and what the regenerate
is, may be illustrated by comparisons.
The unregenerate man, who counter
feits the moral citizen and the Christian
man, may be compared to a dead body,
which is wrapped up in aromatics, and
which still spreads a stench, by whicli
it infects the aromatics and insinuates
itself into the nostrils and injures the
brain. And also he may be compared
with a mummy covered with gold, or
placed in a silver coffin, on looking into
which an ugly black corpse comes to
view. He may be compared with.
bones or skeletons in a sepulchre built
of lapis lazuli, and adorned with other
precious things. He may be com
pared also to the rich man, who was
clothed with purple and fine linen,
whose internal, nevertheless, was infer
nal, Luke xvi. He may further be
compared to poison of a taste like that
of sugar ; to hemlock when in bloom ;
lo fruits in shining shells, the kernels
of which have been eaten out by
worms ; and also to an ulcer covered
over with a plaster, and afterwards
with a thin skin, in which there is
nothing but corrupted matter. The
internal may be estimated from the ex
ternal in the world, but only by those
who have not a good internal and who
therefore judge from appearance. But
it is otherwise in heaven ; for when the
body, versatile about the spirit and
flexible from evil to good, is separated
by death, then the internal remains,
for this makes his spirit; and then it
appears at a distance like a serpent
that has cast its skin, or like rotten
wood stripped of the bark in which it
shone. But it is otherwise with a re
generate man ; his internal is good,

and his external similar to the external
of another ; the external of this differs
from that ofthe former, as heaven from
hell, since there is a soul of good in it.
And it is of no consequence whether
he be a grandee, and live in a palace,
and walk in state surrounded by
guards, or whether he live in a cot
tage, and be served by a boy ; yea,
whether he be a primate, arrayed in a
robe of purple, and wear a cap of two
degrees, or whether he be the shepherd
of a few sheep in the woods, and be
dressed in a rustic loose gown, and
covered as to the head with a hood.
Gold is still gold, whether it glitter by
being placed near the fire, or become
dusky as to the surface by exposure to
the smoke ; and also whether it be eas*
into a beautiful form as of an infant,
or into an ugly form as of a mouse.
The mice made of gold, and placed
near the ark, also were accepted, and
they appeased; 1 Sam. vi. 3, 4, 5, and
the following verses ; for gold signifies
internal good. A diamond and a ruby,
in whatever matrix, calcareous or
clayey, when taken out, are estimated
in the same manner, from their internal
goodness, as those in the necklace of
a queen, &.c. Hence it is manifest,
that the external is estimated from the
internal, and not the reverse.
596. VII. That when this takes
place, a Combat arises between
the Internal and the External
Man, and then that which con
quers RULES OVER THE OTHER.
The reason that a combat then
arises, is because the internal man has
been reformed by truths, and from these
it sees what is evil and false, and these
are still in the external or natural man.
Wherefore, there first arises a dissen
sion between the new will which is
above, and the old will which is below;
and because it is between the wills, it
is also between the delights of both;
for it is known that the flesh is contrary
to the spirit, and the spirit to the flesh,
and that the flesh with its lusts must
be subdued, before the spirit can act
and the man become new. After this
dissension of the wills, a combat arises,
which is what is called spiritual temp-

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

401

tation ; but this temptation- or combat
is not waged between goods and evils,
but between the truths of good and the
falses of evil ; for good of itself cannot
fight, but it fights by truths ; neither
can evil fight of itself, but by its falses ;
as the will cannot light of itself, but by
the understanding, where its truths are.
Man feels that combat no otherwise
than in himself, and as remorse of con
science ; but yet it is the Lord and the
devd, that is, hell, that fight in man,
and they fight for dominion over man,
or which shall possess him. The devil,
or hell, assaults man and calls forth his
evils, and the Lord defends him and
calls forth his goods. But although
that combat is fought in the spiritual
world, yet still it is fought in man be
tween the truths of good and the falses
of evil which are in him ; wherefore
man should fight altogether as from
himself, for he is in free agency to act
for the Lord and also to act for the
devil; he is for the Lord, if he remains
in truths from good, and for the devil,
if in falses from evil. Hence it follows,
that that which conquers, whether the
internal man or the external, rules over
the other ; just like two enemies, that
contend which shall be the master of
the other's kingdom ; he who conquers
takes the kingdom and puts all there
under obedience to him. Here, there
fore, if the internal man conquers, he
commands and subjugates all the evils
of the external man, and then regenera
tion is continued ; but if the external
man conquers, he commands -and dis
sipates all the goods of the internal
man, and then regeneration perishes.
597. It is, indeed, known at this
day, that there are temptations, but
scarcely any one knows whence they
are, and what they are, and what good
they produce ; whence and what they
are, was shown just above, and also
what good they produce, namely, that
when the internal man conquers, the
external is subjugated; which being
subjugated, lusts are dispersed, and in
their place affections of good and truth
are implanted, and are so arranged that
the goods and truths which man wills
and thinks, he may also do them and
51

speak them from the heart. Besides
this, by victory over the external man,
man becomes spiritual, and then he is
by the Lord associated with the angels
of heaven, who all are spiritual. The
reason why temptations have been
hitherto unknown, and why scarcely
any one has known whence and what
they are, is because the church hitherto
has not been in truths ; no one is in
truths, but he who goes immediately
to the Lord, and rejects the former faith
and embraces the new. Thence it is,
that no one has been admitted into
any spiritual temptation for ages, even
from the age when the Nicene synod
introduced the faith of three Gods ; for
if any one had been admitted, he would
have fallen immediately, and thus would
have precipitated himself deeper into
hell. The contrition which is said to
precede the present faith, is not temp
tation ; I have asked a good many
about it, and they have said that it was
a word and nothing else ; unless per
haps it might be some timid thought
about the fire of hell .vith the simple.
598. Man, after temptation has
passed, is, as to the internal man, in
heaven, and by the external in the
world ; wherefore by temptations in
man the conjunction of heaven and the
world is effected, and then the Lord
with him, according to order, governs
his world from heaven. The contrary
takes place, if man remains natural ;
then he desires to govern heaven from
the world. Such every one becomes,
who is in the love of ruling from the
love of self; if he be inwardly explored,
he does not believe in any God, but in
himself; and after death he believes
him to be God who is preeminent in
power over others. Such insanity there
is in hell, which has become so pro
found, that some say that they are God
the Father, some God the Son, and
some God the Holy Ghost ; and among
the Jews, some that they are the Mes
siah. Thence it is manifest what man
becomes after death, if the natural man
is not regenerated ; consequently what
he would become in his fantasy if a
new church were not instituted by the
Lord, in which genuine truths are

402

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

taught. This is what is meant by
these words of the Lord ; In the con
summation of the age, that is, in the
end of the present church, there shall
be such affliction as has not been from
the beginning of the world, neither shall
be. Wherefore unless those days should
be shortened, no flesh could be saved,
Matt. xxiv. 21, 22.
599. In the combats or temptations
of men, the Lord performs a particular
vedemption, as He did a general one,
when He was in the world. The Lord
in the world, by combats and tempta
tions, glorified his Human, that is,
made it Divine ; in like manner now,
with every individual man, when he is
in temptations, He fights for him in
them , and overcomes the infernal spirits
which infest him, and glorifies him
after temptation, that is, renders him
spiritual. The Lord, after his universal
redemption, reduced all things in
heaven and in hell into order ; in like
manner He does with man, that is, He
reduces into order all things which are
of heaven and t e world with him.
The Lord after redemption instituted
a new church ; in like manner He also
institutes those things which are of the
church with man, and makes him a
church in particular. The Lord after
redemption gave peace to those who
believed in Him, for He said, My peace
I leave with you. my peace I give to
you ; not as the worla givcth, give I to
you, John xiv. 27. In like manner
He gives to man after temptation to
feel peace, that is, gladness of mind,
and consolation. Hence it is manifest,
that the Lord is a Redeemer to eternity.
600. The internal man being regen
erated, and the external at the same
time not regenerated, may be compared
to a bird flying in the air without a
seat on dry ground, but only in a bog
where it is infested by serpents and
frogs, wherefore it flies away and dies.
It may be compared also to a swan
swimming in the midst of the sea,
which is not able to reach the shore
and build a nest ; wherefore the eggs
which she lays are immersed in the
water, where they are devoured by fishes.
It, may be compared also to a soldier

upon a wall, who, when the wall is un<
dermined under his feet, falls down
and expires in the ruins. It may be
compared also with a beautiful tree
transplanted into a filthy soil, where
worms in a troop eat up the root, from
which it withers and perishes. It may
be compared also to a house without a
foundation, and also to a column with
out a pedestal. Such is the internal
man, when it only is reformed, and not
the external at the same time ; for it
has no ultimate for doing good.
601. VIII. That the Regenerate
Man has a new Will and a new
Understanding.
That the regenerate man is a re
newed or new man, the church at this
day knows, both from the Word and
from reason. From the Word, from
these passages : Make to yourselves a
new heart and a new spirit ; why will
ye die, O house of Israel, Ezek. xviii.
31. I will give you a new heart, and
a new spirit in the midst of you ; and
I will remove the heart of stone out of
your flesh, and I will give you a heart
qf flesh ; and I will give my spirit in
the midst of you, xxxvi. 26, 27.
Henceforth we know no one according
to the flesh ; wherefore, if any one be in
Christ, he is a new creature, 2 Cor.
v. 6, 7. By a new heart there, is
meant a new will, and by a new spirit,
a new understanding ; for heart, in the
Word, signifies the will, and spirit, when
it is joined with heart, the understand
ing. From Reason : That the re
generate, man has a new will and a
new understanding, is because these
two faculties make man, and these are
what are regenerated. Wherefore
every man is such as he is as to those
faculties ; he is a bad man, whose will
is bad, and still worse if the under
standing favors it; but he is a good
man, whose will is good, and still better
if the understanding' favors it. Re
ligion alone renews and regenerates
man, for this occupies the highest seat
in the human mind, and sees under it
the civil things which are of the world,
and also it ascends through them, as
the pure juice ascends through a tree
even to its top, and from that height it

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

403

looks around upon natural things, like
one who from a tower or a mountain
looks around upon the plains below.
602. But it should he known, that
man, as to the understanding, may rise
almost into the light in which the angels
of heaven are ; but if he does not also
rise as to the will, he is still an old and
not a new man. But how the under
standing elevates the will to higher and
higher degrees with itself, was before
shown ; wherefore regeneration is pred
icated primarily of the will, and sec
ondarily of the understanding ; for the
understanding with man is like the
light in the world, and the will like the
heat there ; that light without heat
does not produce life and vegetation,
but light joined with heat, is known.
The understanding also, as to the lower
region in the mind, is also actually in
the light of the world, and as to the
higher region, in the light of heaven ;
wherefore, unless the will be elevated
from the lower region to the higher,
and conjoined there to the understand
ing, it remains in the world ; and then
the understanding flies upwards and
downwards, but every night to the
will below, and there it lies, and they
join themselves together, like a man
and a harlot, and produce a two-head
ed offspring. Hence also it is manifest,
that unless man has a new will and a
new understanding, he is not regen
erated. 603. The human mind is distin
guished into three regions ; the lowest
is called natural, the middle spiritual,
and the highest celestial; man by ire-
generation is elevated from the lowest
region which is natural, into the next
higher which is spiritual, and by this
into the celestial. That there are
three regions ofthe mind, will be dem
onstrated in the following article.
Thence it is, that the unregenerate man
is called natural, and the regenerate
spiritual ; whence it is manifest that
the mind of the regenerate man is ele
vated into the spiritual region, and
there, from a higher station, sees those
things which are passing in the lower
or natural mind. That there is a
higher and a lower region in the hu

man mind, every one may see and ac
knowledge from a slight attention tc
his own thoughts ; for he sees what he
thinks, wherefore he says that he was
thinking or is thinking this or that ;
this could not be, unless there were
an interior thought, which is called
perception, which looks into the lower,
which is called thought. A judge,
when he has heard or read the cases
brought together in a long series by an
advocate, collects them into one view
in the higher region of his mind, thus
into a universal idea, and afterwards
looks down thence into the lower re
gion, which is of the natural thought,
and there disposes the arguments in
order, and according to the higher
pronounces sentence and judges.
Who does not know that a. man can
think and conclude in a moment or
two, what he cannot by the lower
thought express in the space of an
hour ? These things are adduced that
it may be known, that the human mind
is distinguished into lower and higher
regions. 604. As to the new will, this is
above the old will in the spiritual re
gion, and in like manner the new un
derstanding, this with that and that
with this ; in that region they join
themselves together, and conjointly look
into the old or natural will and under
standing, and dispose all things there
to compliance and obedience. Who
cannot see, that, if there were only one
region in the human mind, and evils
and goods, and falses and truths were
put there and mixed together, a conflict
would ensue, just as if wolves and
sheep, tigers and calves, hawks and
doves were put together into one den ?
And what then would be done there ?
Would there not be a cruel butchery ?
Would not ,the savage animals tear in
pieces the gentle ones ? Wherefore it
is provided that goods with their truths
should be collected into the higher re
gion, that they may be able to subsist
in safety, and repel assault, and also
by chains and other means subjugate
and afterwards disperse evils with their
falses. This, therefore, is what was
said in the former article, that the Lord

104

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

through heaven governs those things
which are ofthe world with the regen
erate man. The higher or spiritual
region of the human mind is also
heaven in miniature, and the lower or
natural region is the world in minia
ture ; wherefore man was called by the
ancients a microcosm, or little world,
and also he may be called a microura-
nos, or little heaven.
605. That a man who is regenerated,
that is, renewed as to the will and un
derstanding, is in the heat of heaven,
that is, in its love, and at the same time
in the light of heaven, that is, in its
wisdom ; and, on the other hand, that
a man who is not regenerated, is in the
heat of hell, that is, in its love, and at
the same time in the darkness of hell,
that is, in. its insanity, is at this day
known and yet unknown. The reason
is, because the church which is at this
day, has made regeneration an appen
dage of its faith, into which reason is
not to be admitted; consequently not
into any thing which is of this appen
dage, which, as was said, is regenera
tion and renovation : these, with the
faith itself, are to them like a house,
whose doors and windows are shut ;
wherefore it is not known what is with
in that house, whether it be entirely
empty, or whether it be full of genii
from hell, or of angels from heaven.
It is to be added, that a fallacy has
confused this, which is, that any man
may by the understanding ascend
almost into the light of heaven, and
thence from intelligence think and
speak concerning spiritual things,
whatever may be the love of his will.
From the ignorance of this truth, every
thing that concerns regeneration and
renovation has become unknown.
606. Hence these things may be
concluded, that an unregenerate man is
like one who sees apparitions in the
night, and believes them to be men ;
and then, when he is being regenerat
ed, like the same one who sees those
things, which he saw in the night, at
the dawn of day, that they were mock
eries; and afterwards, when he has be
come regenerated, and is in the day,
that they were the effects of delirium.

The unregenerate man is like one who
is dreaming; and the regenerate man
like one who is awake ; in the Word,
also, natural life is likened to sleep, and
spiritual life to wakefulness. The un
regenerate man is meant by the foolish
virgins, who had lamps and not oil ;
and the regenerate man, by the pru
dent virgins, who had lamps and at the
same time oil. By lamps are meant
such things as are ofthe understanding,
and by oil such as are of love. The
regenerate are like the lamps of the
candlestick in the tabernacle, and they
are like the bread of faces with frank
incense upon it there ; and they are
those who will glitter like the brightness
ofthe expanse, and who will shine like
the stars for ever and ever, Dan. xii. 3.
An unregenerate man is like one who
is in the garden of Eden, and eats of
the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, and is therefore cast out of the
garden ; yea, he is that very tree ; but
a regenerate man is like one who is in
that garden, and eats ofthe tree of life.
That it is given to eat of it, is evident
from these words in the Revelation ;
To him that overcometh, I will give to
eat ofthe tree of life, which is in the
midst of the paradise qf God, ii. 7. By
the garden of Eden, is meant intelli
gence in spiritual things from the love
of truth. See the Apolcalypse Re
vealed, n. 90. In a word, an unre
generate man is a son of the evil one,
and a regenerate man is a son of the
kingdom, Matt. xiii. 38. The son of
the evil one there, is a son ofthe devil,
and the son of the kingdom there, is a
son of the Lord.
607. IX. That a regenerate
Man is in Communion with the An
gels of Heaven, and an unregen
erate Man in Communion with the
Spirits of Hell.
The reason that every man is in
communion, that is, in consociation,
with angels of heaven, or with spirits
of hell, is, because he is born that he
may become spiritual, and this is not
possible, unless he be in some conjunc
tion with those who are spiritual.
That man is in both worlds, the natural
and the spiritual, as to the mind, is

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

405

shown in the book concerning Heaven
and Hell. But neither man, nor an
gel or spirit, knows concerning this
conjunction, because a man, while he
lives in the world, is in a natural state,
and an angel and a spirit in a spiritual
state ; and on account of the distinction
between natural and spiritual, one does
not appear to the other; this distinction,
what it is, has been described in the
book concerning Conjugial Love, in
a Relation there, n. 326 to 329 [see
also above, n. 280] ; from which it is
manifest, that they are not conjoined as
to thoughts, but as to affections, and
upon these scarcely any one reflects,
because they are not in the light in
which the understanding is and thence
its thought, but in the heat in which
the will is and thence the affection of
his love. The conjunction, by the affec
tions of love, between men, and angels
and spirits, is so close, that, if it were
severed, and hence they were separated,
men would instantly fall into a swoon,
and if it should not be restored, and they
conjoined, men would expire. By what
was said, that man by regeneration
becomes spiritual, it is not meant that
he becomes as spiritual as an angel is
in himself ; but that he becomes spiritual-
natural, that is, that there is a spiritual
within his natural, just as thought is in
the speech, and as will in the action;
for when one ceases, the other ceases.
In like manner, the spirit of man is in
every thing that is done in the body,
and this is what impels the natural to
do what it does ; the natural, viewed in
itself, is only passive, or a dead force,
but the spiritual is active, or a living
force ; the passive, or the dead force,
cannot act of itself, but it must be acted
upon by the active, or the living force.
Since man lives continually in com
munion with the inhabitants of the
spiritual world, therefore also, when he
goes out of the natural world, he is im
mediately introduced among his like,
with whom he had been in the world ;
thence it is, that every one after death
seems to himself as if he were still
living in the world, for then he comes
into consociation with his like, as to
the affections of his will, whom he then

acknowledges, as kindred and relations
acknowledge each other in the world ;
and this is what is said in the Word
concerning those who die, that they
were collected and 'gathered to their
own. Hence now it may be evident
that the regenerate man is in commu
nion with the angels of heaven, and the
unregenerate with the spirits of hell.
608. It is to be known, that there
are three heavens, and those distin
guished from each other according to
the three degrees of love and wisdom,
and that man, according to regeneration,
is in communion with angels from those
three heavens; and, because it is so,
that the human mind is distinguished
into three degrees or regions, according
to the heavens. But concerning these
three heavens, and the distinction of
them according to the three degrees of
love and wisdom, see in the book con
cerning Heaven and Hell, n. 29 and
the following ; and also in the little trea
tise concerning the Intercourse be
tween the Soul and the Body, n.
16, 17. Here it is only to be illustrated .
by some similitude what those three
degrees are, according to which those
heavens are distinguished ; they are
like the head, body and feet in man;
the highest heaven makes the head, the
middle makes the body, and the last
makes the feet, for the whole heaven is
in the sight of the Lord as one man.
That it is so, has been disclosed to me
by ocular demonstration ; for it has
been given me to see one society of
heaven, which consisted of a myriad,
as together one man ; why not the
whole heaven in the sight of the Lord ?
Concerning this lively experience, see
in the book concerning Heaven and
Hell, n. 59 and the following. Hence
also it is manifest, how this, which is
known in the Christian world, is to be
understood, That the church makes the
body qf Christ, and that Christ is the
life of that body. By that, this also
may be illustrated, that the Lord is the
all in all of heaven, for He is the life in
that body. In like manner the Lord
is the church with those who acknowl
edge Him for the God of heaven and
earth, and believe in Him. That He

406

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

is the God of heaven and earth, He
teaches in Matt, xxviii. 18; and that
men should believe in Him, John iii.
15, 36; vi. 40; xi,25, 26.
609. Those three degrees in which
the heavens are, consequently in which
the human mind is, may be, in some
degree, illustrated by comparisons with
material things in the world : those
three degrees are in excellence like
gold, silver and copper, with which
metals also a comparison is made in
Nebuchadnezzar's statue, Dan. if; 31,
and the following verses. Those three
degrees also are distinguished from
each other, in purity and goodness,
like a ruby, a sapphire and an agate,
and also like an olive-tree, a vinefand
a fig-tree, &c. Also gold, a/ruby
and an olive-tree, in the Word, signify
celestial good, which is the good jf the
highest heaven ; and silver, a sa] phire
and a vine signify spiritual good, which
is the good of the middle heaven ;] and
copper, an agate and a fig-tree, natural
good, which is the good of thef last
heaven ; that there are three d'a&'-ees,
the celestial, the spiritual and thK nat
ural, was said above. Vol
610. To what has been said %h'.ve,
this shall be added ; that the rege^ifa-
tion of man is not effected in a monVoit,
but successively, from ^.beginning o
the end of life in the v^Jd, and tbit
after this, it is continued ^ ^perfected ;
and because man is refer6 -Ad by cori-
bats and victories over theeevils of his
flesh, therefore the Son of man says to
each of the seven churches, that He
will give gifts to him that overcomes ; —
as, to the church of Ephesus ; To him
that overcometh, I will give to eat of
the tree of life, Rev. ii. 7 ; — to the
church of Smyrna ; He that overcometh
shall not suffer harm in the second death,
ii. 11 ; — to the church in Pergamos ;
To Mm that overcometh, I will give to
eat qf the hidden manna, ii. 17 ; — to the
church in Thyatira ; To him that over
cometh, I will give power over the na
tions, ii. 25 ; — to the church in Sardis ;
He that overcometh shall be clothed in
white garments, iii. 5 ; — to the church
in Philadelphia ; Him that overcometh,
I will make a pillar in the temple of

God, iii. 12 ; — to the church ofthe Lao-
diceans ; To him that overcometh, I
will give to sit with Me on my throne,
iii. 21. Lastly, this shall be added;
that as far as man is regenerated, or as
far as regeneration is perfected in him,
so far he does not attribute any thing of
good and truth, that is, of charity and
faith, to himself, but to the Lord ; for
the truths which he successively im
bibes, manifestly teach that.
611. X. That as far as Man is
regenerated, so far Stns are re
moved, AND THAT TH1? REMOVAL IS
the Remission of Sins
That as far as man i.» regenerated,
so far sins are removed, io, because re
generation is to restrain the flesh that
it may not rule, and to subdue the old
man with his lusts, that he may not
rise up and destroy the intellectual,
which being destroyed, man is nc
longer capable of being reformed ; which
reformation cannot be effected, unless
the spirit of man, which is above the
flesh, be instructed and perfected.
Who that has yet a sound understand
ing, cannot conclude from those things,
that such things cannot be effected in
one moment, but successively, as man
is conceived, carried in the womb, born
and educated, according to what was
shown above ? For those things which
are of the flesh, or of the old man, are
inherent from nativity, and they build
the first house of his mind, in which
lusts dwell, like wild beasts in their
dens, and they live first in the outer
courts, and go down by turns as it
were into the rooms of that house un
der ground, and afterwards ascend by
stairs, and form to themselves cham
bers ; which takes place successively
as the infant grows, becomes a child,
and afterwards a young man, and then
begins to think from his own under-
Standing and to act from his own will.
Who does not see, that this house, thus
far iuilt in the mind, in which lusts,
like ochim,ghoim and satyrs, dance hand
in hand, cannot be destroyed in one mo
ment, and a new house built up in its
place ? Must not the lusts, which hold
each other by the hand and sport, first
be removed, and new desires, which are

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

407

those of good and truth, be introduced
instead of the desires which are those
of what is evil and false ? That these
things cannot be done in a moment,
every wise man may see from this
alone; that every evil is composed of
innumerable lusts, and that it is like
fruit, which, within the surface, is full of
worms with white bodies and black
heads ; and that evils are numerous, and
joined together like the offspring of a
spider when first hatched; wherefore,
unless one evil is drawn out after
another, and this until their connection
is broken, man cannot become new.
These things are adduced in order that it
may be known, that as far as any one
is regenerated, so far sins are removed.
612. Man from nativity inclines to
evils of every kind, and from inclina
tion he lusts after them, and as far as
he is in freedom, he also does them ;
for from nativity he desires to rule over
others and to possess the goods of
others, which two destroy all love to
wards the neighbor; and then he hates
every one that opposes him, and from
hatred breathes revenge, which inward
ly cherishes murder. Thence also it
is, that he makes light of adulteries, and
depredations, which are clandestine
thefts, • and blasphemy, which also is
false witness ; and he who makes light
of these and those, is in heart an
atheist. Such is man from nativity ;
whence it is manifest, that from nativity
he is a hell in miniature. Now, be
cause man, as to the interiors of his
mind, is born spiritual, differently from
the beasts, consequently is born for
heaven, and yet his natural or external
man is, as was said, a hell in miniature,
it follows that heaven cannot be im
planted in hell, unless this be removed.
613. He who knows how heaven and
hell are related to each other, and how
the one is removed from the other, may
know how man is regenerated. That
this may be understood, it shall be
made manifest in a summary, that all
who are in heaven look to the Lord
face to face, and all who are in hell
turn the face away from the Lord ;
wherefore, when hell is looked into from
heaven, they appear only as to the

hinder part of the head and the back ;
yea, they also appear as if inverted,
like antipodes, with their feet upwards
and heads down wards, and this although
they walk upon their feet and turn
around their faces ; for it is the opposite
direction of the interiors of their mind
which produces that sight. These
wonderful things I relate from my own
observation. Hence it was discovered
to me, how regeneration is effected, and
that it is effected as hell is removed and
thus separated from heaven ; for, as
was said above, man, as to the first
nature, which he derives from nativity,
is a hell in miniature, and as to the
other nature, which he derives from a
second nativity, he is a heaven in min
iature. Hence it follows that evils are
removed arid separated, as heaven and
hell are in a great effigy; and that evils,
as they are removed, turn themselves
from the Lord, and successively invert
themselves; and that this is done in
that degree in which heaven is im
planted, that is, as man is made new.
To this it shall be added, for the sake
of illustration, that every evil with man
has conjunction with such in hell as
are in the like evil ; and, on the other
hand, that every good with man has
conjunction with such in heaven as are
in the like good.
614. From what has been adduced
it may be evident, that the remission
of sins is not an extirpation of them,
and a wiping of them away, but that it
is a removal and thus a separation of
them ; and also that every evil which a
man has actually appropriated to him
self remains; and because the remis
sion of sins is the removal and separation
of them, it follows that man is withheld
from evil and held in good, and that
this is what is given to man by regene
ration. Once I heard a certain one
in the last heaven say, that he was
free from sins, because they were
wiped away ; he added, by the blood
of Christ ; but because he was in heav
en, and from ignorance in that error,
he was let into his own sins, which,
as they returned, he acknowledged,
whence he received a new faith, which
was, that every man, as well as everj

408

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

angel, is ofthe Lord withheld from evils
and held in goods. Hence it is mani
fest what the remission of sins is ; that
it is not instantaneous, but that it fol
lows regeneration according to its
progress. The removal of sins, which
is called their remission, may be com
pared with the casting of filth out of
the camp of the sons of Israel into the
desert which was around it, for their
camp represented heaven, and the des
ert hell. It may be compared also
with the removal of the nations from
the sons of Israel in the land of Ca
naan, and of the Jebusites from Jeru
salem, which were not cast out, but
separated. It may be compared with
Dagon, the god of the Philistines,
which, when the ark was introduced,
first lay upon his face on the earth, and
afterwards, with his head and the
palms of his hands cut off, upon the
threshold ; thus not cast out, but re
moved. It may be compared with the
demons sent by the Lord into the swine,
which afterwards immersed themselves
in the sea; by the sea here, and else
where in the Word, is signified hell.
It may be compared also with the
dragon's crew, which, being separated
from heaven, first invaded the earth,
and afterwards was cast down into hell.
It may be compared also to a forest
where are many sorts of wild beasts,
which being cut down, the wild beasts
flee into the thickets round about ; and
then the land in the midst, being
cleared up, is cultivated into a field.
615. XI. That Regeneration
cannot be effected without fltee
Agency in Spiritual Things.
Who except the stupid cannot see,
that man, without free agency in spir
itual things, cannot be regenerated ?
Can he without it go to the Lord, and
acknowledge Him as the Redeemer
and Savior, and as the God of heaven
and earth, as He teaches, Matt, xxviii.
18 ? Who, without that free agency,
can believe, that is, from faith look to
and worship Him, and apply himself to
receive the means and benefits of sal
vation from Him, and cooperate to re
ceive them from him? Who, without
free agency, can do any good to the

neighbor, and exercise charity, and
bring into his thought and will manj
other things which are of faith ana
charity, and bring them out and put
them' forth into act ? Otherwise, what is
regeneration, but a mere word, dropped
from the mouth of the Lord, John
iii., which either stops in the ear, or,
falling into the mouth from the thought
next to the speech, is made an articu
late sound of only twelve letters, which
sound cannot by any sense be elevated
into any higher region of the mind, but
falls into the air, where it is dissipated?
•616. Say, if you can, whether there
can be any blinder stupidity concern
ing regeneration, than there is with
those who confirm themselves in the
present faith, which is, that faith is in
fused into man when he is like a stock
or a stone, and that then, when it is in
fused, it is followed by justification,
which is the remission of sins, regener
ation and many other gifts ; and that
the operation of man is to be entirely
excluded, in order that it may not do
any violence to the merit of Christ.
And, that this dogma might be more
firmly established, they have taken
away from man all free agency in
spiritual things, by inducing absolute
impotence in them ; and then as if
God only operated on his part, and no
power were given to man of cooperating
on his, and thus of conjoining himself.
What then is man, as to regeneration,
but as one bound, as to his hands and
feet, like those who are bound in ves
sels called galleys, who would be pun
ished and condemned to death, as they
would if they should free themselves
from manacles and fetters, that is, if
from free agency he should do good to
the neighbor, and of himself believe in
God, for the sake of salvation? What
would a man be, who is confirmed in
such things, and yet is in a pious desire
for heaven, but like a phantom standing
in vision to see whether that faith with
its benefits has been infused into him ;
or, if not, whether it may be infused ;
consequently, whether God the Father
has had mercy on him, or whether his
Son has interceded, or whether the
Holy Ghost, being elsewhere occupied,

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

409

does not operate ; and at length, from
entire ignorance concerning this, he
would go away and comfort himself by
this, that " Perhaps that grace may be
in the morality of my life, in which I
am and remain as before, and thus that
in me may be holy, but in those who
have not obtained that faith, profane ;
wherefore, that holiness may remain
in my morality, I will take care here
after that I do not operate of myself
either faith or charity." Such a phan
tom, or, if you please, such a pillar of
salt, every one becomes, who thinks
about regeneration without free agency
in spiritual things.
617. A man who believes regenera
tion to take place without any free
agency in spiritual things, thus without
cooperation, becomes as to all the truths
of the church as cold as a stone ; or, if
warm, he is like a brand lighted in the
fire, which burns from the combustibles
in it, because he is warm from lusts.
He is comparatively like a palace which
sinks down into the earth even to its
roof, and is overflowed with muddy
waters, and after this the occupant
dwells upon the bare roof, and there
makes for himself a tent of marshy
reeds, and at length the roof also sinks
down, and he is drowned. He is also
like a ship, in which are precious com
modities of every kind taken from the
Word as a treasury ; which are either
devoured by mice and moths, or thrown
out by the sailors into the sea, and thus
the merchants are defrauded of their
goods. The learned, or those who are
enriched from the mysteries of that
faith, are like pedlers in shops who sell
statues of idols, fruits and flowers made
of wax, shells, vipers in phials, and
other such things. Those who, from
no spiritual power applied and given to
man by the Lord, are not willing to
look upwards, are actually like beasts
which look with the head downwards,
and only seek for pasture in the woods ;
and if they come into gardens, they
are like worms which consume the
leaves of trees ; and if they see fruits
with their eyes, and especially if they
feci them with their hands, they fill
tl.?m with worms ; and at length they
52

become like scaly serpents, whose fal
lacies sound and glitter like their
scales. 618. XII. That Regeneration can
not BE EFFECTED WITHOUT TRUTHS,
by which Faith is formed, and with
which Charity conjoins itself.
There are three things by which
man is regenerated — the Lord, faith
and charity ; these three would lie
concealed, like the most precious things
buried in the earth, if divine truths
from the Word did not disclose them;
yea, they would lie concealed before
those who deny cooperation, even if
they should read the Word a hundred
or a thousand times, although they
stand forth there in clear light. As to
what respects the Lord; who, that is
confirmed in the present faith, sees
with an open eye these things there ;
that He and the Father are one ; that
He is the God of heaven and earth ;
and that it is the will of the Father,
that they should believe in the Son ;
besides many similar things concern
ing the Lord in both covenants? The
reason is, because they are not in truths,
and thence not in the light from which
things of this kind can be seen ; and if
light were given, still falses would ex
tinguish it, and then those things would
be passed by, as things that are covered
over with blots, or as subterranean
ditches, which are trampled on and
walked over. These things have been
said, that it may be known, that, with
out truths, this primary thing of regen
eration is not seen. As to what re
spects faith, that neither can exist
without truths, for faith and truth make
one thing; for the good of faith is as a
soul, and truths make its body ; where
fore, to say that one believes or has
faith, without knowing any truths of it, is
like drawing the soul out of the body,
and speaking with it when thus invisi
ble. Besides, all truths which make
the body of faith, send forth light from
themselves, and illustrate and set forth
its face to be seen. The case is simi
lar with charity ; this sends forth from
itself heat, with which the light of
truth conjoins itself, as heat with light
in the time of spring in the world ,

410

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

from the conjunction of which the ani
mals and vegetables ofthe earth return
to their prolification. The case is sim
ilar with spiritual light and heat; these
in like manner conjoin themselves in
man, while he is in the truths of faith
and at the same time in the goods of
charity ; for, as was said above, in the
chapter concerning faith, from each of
the truths of faith light flows forth,
which illustrates, and from each of the
goods of charity heat flows forth, which
enkindles; and also, that spiritual light
in its essence is intelligence, and that
spiritual heat in its essence is love;
and that the Lord alone conjoins those
two in man, when He regenerates him.
For the Lord said, The words which I
speak, are spirit and life, John vi. 63.
Believe in the light, that ye may be
sons of the light. I am come a light
into the world, xii. 36. The Lord is
the sun in the spiritual world ; thence
is all spiritual light and heat ; and that
light illustrates, and that heat enkindles,
arid by the conjunction of both, He viv
ifies and regenerates man.
619. Hence it may be evident, that
without truths there is no knowledge
ofthe Lord, and also that without truths
there is no faith, and thus no charity;
consequently that without truths there
is no theology, and where this is not,
there is no church. Such is the com
pany of people at this day, who call
themselves Christians, and say that
they are in the light of the gospel,
when yet they are in thick darkness
itself; for truths lie concealed under
falses, like gold, silver and precious
stones buried among the bones in the
valley of Hinnom. That it is so, was
clearly manifest to me from the spheres
in the spiritual world, which flow forth
from modern Christendom, and spread
themselves around. One sphere is
concerning the Lord ; this exhales and
pours itself forth from the southern
quarter, where the learned ofthe clergy
and the erudite of the laity are. This
sphere, wherever it goes, enters the
ideas, and with many it takes away faith
concerning the divinity of the Lord's
Human ; with many it weakens it, and
with many it makes it foolishness ; the

reason is, because it brings in at the
same time the faith of three Gods, and
thus it is confused. Another sphere
which takes away faith, is as a black
cloud in the time of winter, which
brings on darkness, turns the rain into
snow, strips the trees bare, freezes the
waters, and takes all pasture away
from the sheep ; this sphere, conjoined
to the former, insinuates as it were a
lethargy concerning the one God, and
concerning regeneration, and concern
ing the things which bring salvation.
The third sphere is of the conjunction
of faith and charity, which is so strong
that it cannot be resisted, but at this
day it is abominable, and infects like a
pestilence whomsoever it breathes upon,
and rends every bond between those
two means of salvation established from
the creation ofthe world, and renewed
by the Lord. This- sphere also invades
men in the natural world, and extin
guishes the nuptial torches at the mar
riage between truths and goods. I
have felt this sphere ; and at the time
when I was thinking of the conjunction
of faith and charity, it interposed itself
between them, and violently endeavor
ed to separate them. The angels com
plain much of these spheres, and pray
to the Lord that they may be dissi
pated ; but they have received answer
that they cannot be dissipated, whilst
the dragon is upon the earth, since they
are from the- spirits of the dragon ; for
it is said of the dragon, that he was
cast forth into the earth, and then thus;
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens ; and wo
to those who inhabit the earth, Rev.
xii. Those three spheres are like at
mospheres driven by a tempest arising
from the breathing holes of the dragons,
which, because they are spiritual, in
vade minds and force them. The
spheres of spiritual truths there are as
yet few, being only in the new heaven,
and with those under heaven who are
separated from the Spirits ofthe dragon ;
which is the cause that those truths
are at this day as invisible to men in
the world, as ships in the eastern ocean
are to pilots and captains of vessels
who are sailing in the western ocean.
620. That regeneration cannot be

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

411

effected without truths by which faith
is formed, may be illustrated by these
comparisons. It cannot be effected
any more than the human mind can
exist without understanding, for the
understanding is formed by truths, and
therefore it teaches what is to be be
lieved, and what is to be done, and
what regeneration is, and how it is
effected. Regeneration without truths
can no more be effected than the vivi-
fication of animals and the vegetation
of trees without light from the sun ; for
unless the sun gave light at the same
time that it gives heat, the sun would
become as it is described in the Reve
lation, like sackcloth of hair, vi. 12 ;
and darkened, Joel ii. 10 ; and thus
mere darkness would be ori the earth,
iii. 15. Just so it would be with
man without truths which send forth
light from themselves ; for the sun,
from which the light of truth flows, is
the Lord in the spiritual world ; unless
spiritual light flowed thence into human
minds, the church would be in mere
darkness, or in the shade, from a per
petual eclipse. Regeneration, which
is effected by faith and charity, without
truths whicb teach and lead, would be
like sailing on a great ocean without a
rudder or without a mariner's compass
and charts ; and it would be like riding
on horse-back in a thick forest in the
time of night. The internal sight of
the mind with those who are not in
truths, but in falses, and believe these
to be truths, may be compared with
the sight of those with whom the optic
nerves are obstructed, and the eye still
appears whole and seeing, although it
sees nothing; which blindness is called
by physicians amaurosis and gutta Se
rena. For with them the rational or
intellectual is obstructed above, and
opened only below; whence the rational
light becomes like the light of the eye,
and thence all judgments are only
imaginary, and formed from mere falla
cies; and then men would be like as
trologers standing in the market-places
with long telescopes and uttering vain
prophecies. Such would all become
who study theology, unless genuine

truths from the Word were opened by
the Lord.

621. To the above will be added
these Relations. First. I saw a
company of spirits all on their knees
praying to God, that He would send to
them angels with whom they might
speak mouth to mouth, and to whom
they might open the thoughts of their
hearts. And when they rose up, three
angels in fine linen were seen standing
in their sight; they said, "The Lord
Jesus Christ has heard your prayers,
and therefore has sent us to you ; open
to us the thoughts of your hearts."
And they answered, " The priests have
told us, that in theological subjects,
the understanding does not avail, but
faith, and that intellectual faith is not
profitable in those things, because this
savors of man, and is derived from him,
and not from God. We are English
men, and we have heard a great many
things from our sacred ministry which
we believed ; but when we spoke with
some who also called themselves Re
formed, and others who called them
selves Roman Catholics, and moreover
with sectaries, they all appeared learn
ed, and yet in many things they did
not agree one with another, and still
they all said, Believe us ; and some.
We are ministers of God, and we
know. But because we knew that
divine truths, which are called truths
of faith, and are of the church, are not
derived by any one from his native soil,
nor by inheritance, but out of heaven
from God ; and because they show the
way to heaven, and enter life together
with the good of charity, and thus lead
to eternal life, we became anxious, and
on our knees prayed to God." Then
answered the angels, " Read the Word
and believe in the Lord, and you will
see truths which will be of your faith
and life. All in the Christian world
derive their doctrinals from the Word,
as from the only fountain." But two
of the company said, " We have read
it, but did not understand it." And
the angels replied, " You did not go to

412

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

the Lord, who is the Word, and also
you had previously confirmed your
selves in falses." And the angels said
further, "What is faith without light?
And what is thinking without under
standing? This is not human. Crows
and magpies also can learn to speak
without understanding. We can as
sure you that every man, whose soul
desires it, can see the truths of the
Word in light. There is no animal
that does not know the food of its life,
when it sees it; and man is a rational
and spiritual animal, and he sees the
food of his life, not indeed of his body
but of his soul, which is the truth of
faith, if he hungers for it and asks it
of the Lord. Whatever also is not re
ceived by the understanding, this is
not fixed in the memory, as to the thing,
but only as to the words ; wherefore,
when we have looked down from heav
en into the world, we have not seen
any thing, but only have heard sounds
most of them unharmonious. But we
will mention some things which the
learned of the clergy have removed
from the understanding, not knowing
that there are two ways to the under
standing, one from the world, and the
other from heaven ; and that the Lord
withdraws the understanding from the
world, when He illustrates it. But if
the understanding is closed from reli
gion, the way to it from heaven is
closed, and then man sees no more in
the Word than if he were blind ; we
have seen a good many such fall into
pits, from which they did not rise. Let
examples be for illustration. Can you
not understand what charity is, and
what faith is? That charity is to act
well with the neighbor, and that faith
is to think aright concerning God and
concerning the essentials of the church ;
and thence that he who acts well and
thinks aright, that is. he who lives well
and believes aright, is saved ?" To
this they said that they understood it.
Moreover the angels said, " That actu
al repentance from sins must be per
formed in order that man may be saved ;
and that unless man performs actual re
pentance he remains in the sins in

which he was born ; and that to perforin
actual repentance, is, not to will evils,
because they are contrary to God ; and
to examine one's self once or twice in a
year, to see his evils, to confess them
before the Lord, to implore help, to
desist from them, and to enter a new
life ; and as far as he does this, and be
lieves in the Lord, so far sins are re
mitted." Then some of the company
said, "We understand this, and thus
also what the remission of sins is." And
then they requested the angels that they
would inform them further ; and indeed
now concerning God, concerning the
Immortality of the Soul, concerning
Regeneration, and concerning Bap
tism. To this the angels replied,
"We shall not say any thing but
what you understand, otherwise our dis
course falls like rain upon the sand> or
upon the reeds there, which, although
they be watered from heaven, still with
er and perish." And they said con
cerning God, "All who come into
heaven obtain a place there, and thence
eternal joy, according to the idea of
God, because this idea reigns univer
sally in all things of worship. An idea
concerning God as a spirit, when spirit
is believed to be like ether or wind, is
an empty idea ; but an idea concerning
God as man is a just idea ; for God is
Divine Love and Divine Wisdom with
all their qualities, and the subject of
these is man, and not ether or wind.
The idea of God in heaven is the idea
of the Lord the Savior. He is the God
of heaven and earth, as He taught. Let
your idea of God be like ours, and we
shall be consociated." When they
said these words their faces shone.
Concerning the Immortality of the
Soul, they said, " Man lives to eternity,
because he can be conjoined to God
by love and faith ; every one has this
ability ; that this ability makes the
immortality ofthe soul, you can under
stand, if you think concerning it a little
more deeply." Concerning Regen
eration ; " Who does not see that
every man has liberty to think about
God, or not to think about Him, provid
ed he has been instructed that there is

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

4K

a God ? Thus every man has liberty in
spiritual things equally as in civil and
natural things. The Lord gives this
continually to all ; wherefore man be
comes guilty if he does not think. Man
is man from having this ability, but a
beast is a beast from not having it ;
wherefore man can, as of himself, re
form and regenerate himself, provided
he in heart acknowledge that it is from
the Lord. Every one who performs
actual repentance, and believes in the
Lord, is reformed and regenerated ;
man is to do both as of himself, but
the as of himself, is from the Lord.
It is true that man of himself cannot
contribute any thing at all to it, but
yet you were not created statues, but
you were created men, that you may
do it from the Lord as from yourselves.
This is the only reciprocal of love and
faith, which the Lord absolutely wills
to be done to Him by man. In a word,
do of yourselves, and believe that it is
from the Lord ; thus do as of yourselves."
But then they asked, " Whether to do
as of himself, is inherent in man from
creation." The angel replied, " It is not
inherent, because to act of himself is
of God alone ; but it is given continually,
that is, adjoined continually ; and then as
far as man does good and believes truth,
as of himself, he is an angel of heaven ;
but as far as he does evil, and thence
believes what is false, which also is as
of himself, so far he .is a spirit of hell.
You wonder that this also is as of him
self, but still you see it, when you pray
that you may be preserved from the
devil, lest he should seduce you, lest he
should enter into you, as into Judas,
should fill you with all iniquity, and
destroy both soul and body. But every
one becomes guilty, who believes that
he does of himself, whether it be good
or whether it be evil ; but he does not
become guilty, who believes that he
does as of himself; for if he believes
that good is from himself, he claims to
himself that which belongs to God ; and
if he believes that evil is from himself,
he attributes to himself that which be
longs to the devil." Concerning Bap
tism they said, " That it is a spiritual
washing, which is reformation and re

generation; and that an infant is re
formed and regenerated, when, having
become an adult, he does those things
which the sponsors promised for him,
which are two, repentance and faith in
God. For, first, they promise that he
shall renounce the devil, and all his
works ; secondly, that he shall believe
in God. All infants in heaven are ini
tiated into those two, but to them the
devil is hell, and God is the Lord.
Moreover, baptism is a sign before the
angels that the man is of the church."
Having heard this, some of the com
pany said, " We understand this."
But then a voice was heard at the side,
crying, " We do not understand ; "
and another voice, " We do not wish
to understand." And inquiry was
made from whom those voices came •
and it was discovered that they came
from those who had confirmed in them
selves the falses of faith, and who wish
ed to be believed as oracles, and thus
to be adored. The angels said, " Do
not wonder ; there are a great many
such at this day ; they appear to us
from heaven like graven images made
with such art, that they can move their
lips, and sound like organs, and they
do not know whether the breath from
which they sound be from hell or from
heaven, because they do not know
whether it be false or true. They rea
son and reason, and also confirm and
confirm, and they do not see any thing,
whether it be so. But you must know
that human ingenuity can confirm
whatever it will, so that it may appear
as if it were so ; wherefore heretics can
do this, the wicked can do it, yea,
atheists can confirm their doctrine that
there is no God, but nature alone."
After this that company of Englishmen,
inflamed with the desire of becoming
wise, said to the angels, " They say
things so various concerning the Holy
Supper, tell us what is the truth."
The angels replied, " The truth is, that
the man who looks to the Lord, and
performs actual repentance, by that
most holy medium is conjoined to the
Lord, and introduced into heaven."
But some of the company said, " This
is a mystery." And the angels replied,

414

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

" It is a mystery, but still such that it
may be understood. The bread and
wine do not effect this, nor is there any
' thing holy from them ; but material
bread and spiritual bread correspond
to each other, and material wine and
spiritual wine ; and spiritual bread is
the holy of love, and spiritual wine is
the holy of faith, both from the Lord,
and both the Lord. Hence the con
junction ofthe Lord with man, and of
man with the Lord, not with bread and
wine, but with the love and faith ofthe
man who has performed actual repent
ance ; and conjunction with the Lord
is also an introduction into heaven."
And after the angels had taught them
something concerning correspondence,
some of the company said, " Now, for
the first time, we can also understand
this." And when they said this, lo,
a flame with light descending from
heaven consociated them with the an
gels, and they loved each other.
622. Second Relation. All who
have been prepared for heaven, which
is done in the world of spirits, which is
in the middle between heaven and hell,
after the time has elapsed, long and
sigh for heaven ; and presently their
eyes are opened, and they see a way
which leads to some society in heaven ;
this way they enter and ascend ; and
in the ascent there is a gate and a
keeper there ; he opens the gate, and
thus they enter. Then an examiner
meets them, who says to them, from the
governor, that they may enter farther
and inquire whether there are any
houses any where which they recog
nize as theirs, for there is a new house
for every novitiate angel ; and if they
find one, they tell of it and stay there ;
but if they do not find any, they return
and say that they did not see any.
And then examination is made by some
wise one, whether the light which is in
them agrees with the light which is in
the society, and especially whether the
heat does ; for the light of heaven in
its essence is divine truth, and the heat
of heaven in its essence is divine good,
both proceeding from the Lord as the
sun there. If other light and other
heat than the light and heat of that

society are in them, that is, if other
good and truth, they are not received ;
wherefore they depart thence, and go
in the ways that are open from one
society to another in heaven, and this
until they find a society altogether
agreeable to their affections, and there
their habitation is made forever; for
there they are among their own, as
among relations and friends, whom,
because they are in similar affection,
they love from the heart; and there
they are in the full enjoyment of their
life, and in the highest delight of their
heart from peace of soul; for there is in
the heat and light of heaven an in
effable delight, which is communicated.
Thus it is with those who become
angels. But those who are in evils and
falses, are by permission allowed to
ascend into heaven ; but when they
enter, they begin to draw their breath,
and to respire with difficulty ; and
presently their sight is obscured, and
their understanding is darkened, and
their thought ceases, and death seems
to stare them in the face, and thus they
stand like stocks ; and then the heart
begins to beat, the breast to be strait
ened, and the mind to be seized with
anguish, and to be tortured more and
more, and in that state they twist
themselves about like snakes brought
near the fire ; wherefore they roll
themselves away, and cast themselves
down over a precipice, which then ap
pears, nor do they rest till they are in
hell with their like, where they can
breathe, and where their heart vibrates
freely. Afterwards they hate heaven,
and reject the Word, and in heart
blaspheme the Lord, believing that
their pains and torments in heaven
were from Him. From these few
things it may be seen, what is the con
dition of those who despise the truths
which are of faith, which yet make the
light in which the angels of heaven are,
and who despise the goods which are
of love and charity, which yet make
the heat of life, in which the angels of
heaven are. Hence also it may be
seen how much they err who believe
that every one can enjoy the blessed
ness of heaven, provided he be admitted

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

415

into heaven ; for there is a belief at
this day, that to be received into heaven
is from mercy alone, and that reception
into heaven, is like one's coming into
a house in the world, where there is a
wedding, and then, at the same time,
into the joy and gladness there. But
they should know, that, in the spiritual
world, there is a communication of the
affections of love and of the thoughts
thence, since man is then a spirit, and
the life of the spirit is the affection of
love and the thought thence ; and that
homogeneous affection conjoins, and
heterogeneous affection separates, and
that what is heterogeneous tortures a
devil in heaven, and an angel in hell;
therefore they are separated just ac
cording to the diversities, varieties and
differences of the affections which are
of love.
623. Third Relation. Once it
was given me to see three hundred of
the clergy and laity together, all learned
and erudite, because they knew how
to confirm faith alone even to justifica
tion, and some still farther; and because
there was with them a belief that there is
admission to heaven from favor only, per
mission was given them to ascend into
one society of heaven, which, however,
was not among the higher ones ; and
when they ascended, they seemed at a
distance like calves. And when they
entered heaven, they were received by
the angels civilly ; but when they began
to converse with them, they were seized
with tremor, afterwards with horror,
and at last with torture as it were of
death; and then they cast themselves
down headlong, and in their descent
they seemed like dead horses. That
they appeared like calves in their as
cent, was because the natural affection
of seeing and knowing, leaping, often
appears from correspondence like a
calf; and that, in their descent, they
appeared like dead horses, was because
the understanding of truth appears from
correspondence like a horse, and no
understanding of the truth which is of
the church, like a dead horse.
There were boys below, who saw
them descending, and in their descent
appearing like dead horses ; and then

they turned away their faces, and said
to their master, who was with them,
"What is this monstrous thing? We
saw men, and now, instead of them,
dead horses ; and because we could not
look at them, we turned away our faces.
Master, let us not stay in this place,
but let us go away ; " and they went
away. And then the master instructed
them in the way, what a dead horse
signifies, saying, " A horse signifies the
understanding of truth from the Word.
All the horses that you have seen sig
nified that; for when any one goes
meditating from the Word, then his
meditation at a distance appears like a
horse, generous and lively, as he med
itates spiritually ; on the contrary, mean
and dead, as he meditates materially."
Then the boys asked, " What is it to
meditate spiritually and materially from
the Word?" And the master replied,
" I will illustrate this by examples.
Does not every one, while he is devoutly
reading the Word, think inwardly in
himself about God, about the neighbor,
and about heaven ? Every one who
thinks about God only from person, and
not from essence, thinks materially ;
and also he who thinks about the
neighbor only from the external form,
and not from quality, thinks materially;
and he who thinks about heaven only
from place, and not from love and wis
dom, from which heaven is heaven, he
also thinks materially." But the boys
said, " We have thought about God
from person, about the neighbor from
form, that he is a man, and about
heaven from place, that it is above us ;
did we, therefore, when we read the
Word, appear to any one like dead
horses ? " The master said, " No ; you
are yet boys, and you cannot do other
wise. But I have perceived in you an
affection of knowing and understand
ing ; and because this is spiritual, you
have also thought spiritually, for some
spiritual thought is concealed within
your material, of which you are yet
ignorant. But I will return to the
former things which I said ; that he .
who thinks materially while he reads
the Word, or meditates from the Word,
appears at a distance like a dead horse,

416

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

but he who thinks spiritually appears
like a live horse ; and that he thinks
materially concerning God, who thinks
only from person, and not from essence.
For there are many attributes of the
Divine Essence, as omnipotence, om
niscience, omnipresence, eternity, love,
wisdom, mercy and grace, and others;
and there are attributes proceeding
from the Divine Essence, which are
creation and preservation, redemption
and salvation, illustration and instruc
tion . Every one who thinks concerning
God from person, makes three Gods,
saying, that one God is the Creator and
Preserver, and another the Redeemer
and Savior, and a third, the Illustrator
and Instructor ; but every one who
thinks concerning God from essence,
makes one God, saying, God created
us, and the same has redeemed and
saves, and also illustrates and instructs
us. Hence the reason why those who
think concerning the trinity of God
from person, and thus materially, cannot,
from the ideas of their thought, which
is material, do otherwise than make
three of one God ; but still, contrary to
their thought, they are obliged to say
that there is a union of those three by
essence, because, as it were through a
latticed window, they also have thought
concerning God from essence. Where
fore, my scholars, think from essence,
and from this concerning person ; for
to think from person concerning es
sence, is to think materially also con
cerning essence ; but to think from es
sence concerning personals to think
spiritually also concerning person.
The ancient Gentiles, because they
thought materially concerning God,
and thus also concerning the attributes
of God, not only made three Gods, but
many more, even to a hundred ; for
of each attribute they made a God.
You should know that the material
does not enter into the spiritual, but
the spiritual into the material. The
case is similar with thinking concern
ing the neighbor from his external
form, and not from his quality ; as also
with thinking concerning heaven from
place, and not from love and wisdom,
from which heaven is. The case is

similar with all and every thing that is
in the Word ; wherefore he who cher
ishes a material idea concerning God.
and also concerning the neighbor, and
concerning heaven, cannot understand
any thing there ; the Word is to him
a dead letter, and he himself appears
at a distance, while he is reading it, or
meditating from it, like a dead horse.
Those whom you saw descending from
heaven, appearing before your eyes
like dead horses, were those, who had
shut up the rational sight, as to theo
logical things, or the spiritual things of
the church with themselves and with
others, by the peculiar dogma, ' that
the understanding is to be kept under
obedience to their faith ; ' not thinking
that the understanding, shut up by re
ligion, is as blind as a mole, and in it
has mere thick darkness, and such
thick darkness as rejects from itself
all spiritual light, stops the influx of it
from the Lord and from heaven, and
puts before it an obstruction in the cor
poreal sensual, far below the rational
in the things of faith ; that is, it puts
it near the nose, and fixes it in its car
tilage, on account of which it cannot
afterwards even smell the odor of spir
itual things ; whence some have be
come such, that, as soon as they per
ceive the odor of spiritual things, they
fall into a swoon ; by odor I mean per
ception. These are they who make
God three ; they say indeed from es
sence that God is one, but still, when
they pray according to their faith, which
is, that God the Father has mercy for
the sake of the Son, and sends the
Holy Ghost, they manifestly make three
Gods. They cannot do otherwise ; for
they pray to one, that he would have
mercy for the sake of another, and send
a third." And then their master taught
them concerning the Lord, that He is
the one God, in whom is a Divine
Trinity. 624. Fourth Relation. In the
middle of the night, being awaked from
sleep, I saw, at some height towards the
east, an angel holding in his right hand
a paper, which from the sun appeared
in a bright whiteness, in the middle of
which there was a writing from golden

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

417

letters; and 1 saw written, The Mar
riage of the Good and the True.
From the writing there issued a bright
radiance, which went off into a broad
circle around the paper ; that circle or
border appeared then as the light of
the morning appears in the time of
spring. After this I saw the angel,
with the paper in his hand, descending,
and as he descended, the paper appear
ed less and less lucid, and the writing,
which was The Marriage of the
Good and the True, converted from
a golden color into a silver, and then
into a copper, afterwards into an iron,
and finally into a ferruginous and rusty
color ; and at last the angel was seen
to enter into a dark cloud, and through
the cloud upon the earth ; and there
that paper, although it was- still held in
the angel's hand, was not seen. This
was in the world of spirits, into which
all men after death first come together.
And then the angel spoke to me, say
ing, " Ask those who come hither
whether they see me, or any thing in
my hand." There came a multitude,
a company from the east, a company
from the south, a company from the
west, a company from the north ; and I
asked those who came from the east
and south, who were such as in the
world were devoted to learning, whether
they saw any one with me, or any thing
in his hand. They all said that they
saw nothing at all. Then I asked
those who came from the west and the
north, who were such as had believed
in the words of the learned in the
world. These said that they neither
saw any thing. But yet the last of
these, who in the world had been in
simple faith from charity, or in some
truth from good, after the former had
gone away, said that they saw a. man
with a paper, a man in a handsome
dress, and a paper upon which letters
were written ; and when they viewed
it more closely, they said that they
read, The Marriage of the Good
and the True. And they spoke to
the angel, requesting that he would
tell what this meant. And he said,
"That all things that are in the whole
53

heaven, and all that are in the whole
world, are from creation nothing but a
marriage of the good and the true ;
since all and every thing, as well those
which live and breathe, as those which
do not live and breathe, were created
from the marriage of the good and the
true, and into it ; there is not any thing
created into truth alone, nor any thing
into good alone ; this or that alone is
not any thing ; but by marriage they
exist and become something, such as
is the marriage. In the Lord God
the Creator, there is Divine Good and
Divine Truth in their substance itself;
the esse of substance itself is the Di
vine Good, and the existere of substance
itself is the Divine Truth ; and also
they are in their union itself, for in
Him they infinitely make one. Since
those two in God himself, the Creator,
are one, therefore also they are one in
all and every thing created by Him ;
by this also the Creator is conjoined,
in an eternal covenant, like that of mar
riage, with all the things created by
Him. Further, the angel said, that the
Sacred Scripture, which was dictated
by the Lord, is, in general and in par
ticular, a marriage of the good and the
true (see above, n. 248 to 253) ; and
because the church, which is formed
by truths of doctrine, and religion,
which is formed by goods of life accord
ing to truths of doctrine, with Christians
are solely from the Sacred Scripture, it
may be evident that the church also,
in general and in particular, is a
marriage of the good and the true."
The same that was said above
concerning the marriage of the good
and the true, was said also concerning
the Marriage of Charity and Faith,
since good is of charity, and truth is of
faith. After these things were said,
the angel raised himself from the earth,
and, passing through the cloud, ascended
into heaven ; and then the paper, ac
cording to the degrees of ascent, shone
as before ; and behold, then the circle,
which before appeared like the light
ofthe morning, descended and dispelled
the cloud which brought darkness on
the earth, and a bright sun-shine ensued.

418

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

6'.'5 Fifth Relation. Once, when
I was meditating on the second coming
ofthe Lord, suddenly there appeared a
beam of light, powerfully striking upon
my eyes ; wherefore I looked up, and
lo, the whole heaven above me ap
peared luminous, and from the east to
the west there was heard in a long
series a Glorification ; and an angel
stood by and said, " That glorification
is a glorification of the Lord, on ac
count of his coming, and it is made by
the angels of the eastern and western
heaven." From the southern and
northern heaven, nothing was heard but
a soft murmur. And because the
angel heard all, he said to me, first,
that those glorifications and celebrations
ofthe Lord were made from the Word.
And presently he said, " Now they are
glorifying and celebrating the Lord,
particularly by these words, which are
in the prophet Daniel : Thou sawest
iron mixed with miry clay, but they
shall not cohere. And in those days will
the God of heaven set up a kingdom,
which shan never be destroyed; it shall
break up and consume all those king
doms, but it shall stand for ever, ii. 43,
44." After this I heard, as it were, the
voice of singing ; and farther in the
east I saw a coruscation of light
brighter than the former ; and I asked
the angel, "What are they glorifying
there?" He said, " By these words in
Daniel : I was seeing in the visions of
the night, and behold the Son of Man
was coming with the clouds of heaven ;
and to Him was given dominion, and a
kingdom, and all people and nations
shall worship Him. His dominion is
the dominion of an age which shall not
pass away, and his kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed, vii. 13, 14.
Moreover, they are celebrating the
Lord from these words in the Revela
tion : To Jesus Christ be glory and
strength. Behold, He cometh with
clouds. He is the Alpha and the Ome
ga, the Beginning and the End, the
First and the Last ; who is, who was,
and who is to come, the Almighty. I
John heard this from the Son of Man,
out of the midst of the seven candle-

siicics, Rev. i. 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13;
xxi,. 13 , also from Matt. xxiv. 30, 31."
I looked again into the eastern heaven,
and a light shone on the right side,'
and it entered into the southern ex
panse, and I heard a sweet sound ; and
I asked the angel, " What of the Lord
are they glorifying there ? " He said,
" By these words in the Revelation :
I saw a new heaven and a new earth ; and
I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, com
ing doivnfrom God out of heaven, pre
pared as a Bride for her Husband.
And I heard a great voiccout qf heaven,
saying, Behold the tabernacle of God
with Men, and He will dwell with them.
And the angel spoke with me and said,
Come, I will show thee the Bride, the
Lamb's Wife. And he carried me
away in the spirit on to a great moun
tain, and showed me the holy city Je
rusalem, Rev. xxi. 1, 2, 3, 9, 10. Also
by these words : / Jesus am the bright
and morning Star ; and the Spirit and
the Bride say, Come. And He said,
I come quickly. Amen; even so,
come Lord Jesus, xxii. 16, 17, 20."
After these and many more, there was
heard a general glorification from the
east to the west of heaven, and also
from the south to the north : and I
asked the angel, " What now?" And
he said, " They are these words from
the prophets : All flesh shall know that
I Jehovah am thy Savior and thy
Redeemer, Isaiah xlix. 26. Thus
said Jehovah, the King of Israel, and
his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts, I
am the First and the Last, and
beside Me there is no God, xliv. 6.
It shall be said in that day, Lo, this
is our God, whom we have expected to
deliver us ; This is Jehovah, whom we
have expected, xxv. 9. The voice
of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye
a way for Jehovah. Behold the
Lord Jehovih cometh in the
Mighty One. He will feed his flock
like a Shepherd, xl. 3, 5, 10, 11. A
Child is born to us, a Son is given to
us, whose name is Wonderful, Coun
sellor, God, Hero, the Father of
eternity, the Prince of peace, ix
6. Behold the days will come, and 1

Concerning Reformation and Regeneration.

414

shall raise unto David a righteous
Branch, who shall reign a King ; and
this is his name, Jehovah our right
eousness, Jer. xxiii. 5, 6 ; xxxiii. 15,
16. Jehovah of Hosts is his name,
and thy Redeemer, the Holy One
of Israel, the God of the whole
EARTH, SHALL He BE CALLED, Isaiah,
liv. 5. In THAT DAY JEHOVAH SHALL BE
for a King over the whole earth ;

in that day there shall be one Je
hovah, AND HIS NAME ONE, Zech. xiv.
9." Having heard and understood these
things, my heart exulted, and I went
home with joy, and there I returned
from the state of the spirit into the state
of the body, in which I wrote down
these things which were seen and
heard.

420

Concerning Imputation

CHAPTER XI.

CONCERNING IMPUTATION.

626. I. That the Faith of the
present Church, which alone is said
to justify, and imputation, make
ONE. That the faith of the present church,
which alone is said to justify, is impu
tation, or that faith and imputation, in
the present church, make one, is be
cause one is ofthe other, or one enters
into the other, mutually and recipro
cally, and causes it to be ; for if faith
is spoken of, and imputation is not
added, faith is merely a sound ; and if
imputation is spoken of, and faith is not
added, it is also merely a sound ; but
if those two are spoken of conjointly,
something articulate is produced, but as
yet without a meaning. Wherefore, that
the understanding may perceive some
thing, a third must necessarily be added,
which is, the merit of Christ; thence
a sentence is made, which a man can
speak with some reason ; for the faith
of the present church is, that God the
Father imputes the righteousness of
his Son, and sends the Holy Ghost to
operate the effects of it.
627. These three, therefore — faith,
imputation, and the merit of Christ — in
the present church, are one, and may
be called a triune ; for if one of those
three were taken away, the present
theology would become not any thing,
for it depends on those three perceived
as one, just as a long chain depends on
a fixed hook ; so that if either faith, or
imputation, or the merit of Christ, were
taken away, all that is said concerning
justification, concerning the remission
of sins, concerning vivification, renova
tion, regeneration, sanctification, and
concerning the gospel, concerning free
agency, concerning charity and good
works, yet, concerning eternal life,

would become like desolate cities, or
like the rubbish of a temple ; and faith
itself, which stands in front, would not
be ' any thing, and thus the whole
church would be a desert and a deso
lation. Hence it is manifest on what
pillar the house of God at this day is
founded ; and if this were pulled away,
the house would fall, like that in which
the lords of the Philistines, together
with three thousand ofthe people, were
sporting, who then died and were slain,
when Samson pulled away the two
pillars of the house ; Judges xvi. 20.
This is said, because it was shown in
what precedes, and is to be shown in
the appendix, that that faith is not
Christian, because it differs from the
Word, and that the imputation of that
faith is vain, because the merit of Christ
is not imputable.
628. II. That the Imputation
which is of the present Faith, is
two-fold, one Part of the Merit of
Christ, and the other of Salvation
thence. It is taught in the whole
Christian church, that justification, and
thence salvation, are effected by God
the Father by means of the imputation
of the merit of Christ his Son; and that
imputation is made from grace, when
and where He wills, thus arbitrarily ;
and that those to whom the merit of
Christ is imputed, are adopted into the
number ofthe sons of God : and because
the leaders of the church have not
moved on a step beyond that imputa
tion, or elevated their minds above it,
from having decreed that the election
of God is merely arbitrary, they have
fallen into enormous and fanatical
errors, and at length into the detestable
one concerning predestination, and
also into this abominable one, that God

Concerning Imputation.

421

docs not attend to the deeds of a man's
life, but only to the faith inscribed on
the interiors of his mind ; wherefore,
unless the error concerning imputation
should be abolished, atheism would
invade the whole of Christendom, and
then the king of the abyss would reign
over them, whose name in Hebrew is
'Abaddon, but in Greek he hath the
name Apollyon, Rev. ix. 11. By
Abaddon and Apollyon is signified a
destroyer of the church by falses ; and
by the abyss is signified where those
falses are ; see the Apocalyps e Re
vealed, n. 421, 440, 442. Whence
it is manifest, that that false principle,
and the falses thence following in an
extended series, are the things over
which that destroyer reigns ; for, as
was said above, the whole theological
system at this day depends on that im
putation, as a long chain on a fixed
hook, and as man with all his members
on the head : and because that impu
tation every where reigns, it is as Isaiah
says ; The Lord will cut off from Israel
head and tail; he that is honored is the
head, and the teacher of falsehood the
tail, ix. 14, 15.
629. It is said, that the imputation
taught by the present faith, is twofold,
but not so twofold as God and mercy
towards all, but as God and mercy
towards some ; or not as a parent and
his love towards all his offspring, but
as a parent and his love towards one or
another of his offspring ; or not as the
divine law and its command to all, but
as the divine law and its command to a
few. Wherefore one doubleness is
extended and undivided, and the other
is restricted and divided, and this is
doubleness, but that is unity ; for it is
taught that the imputation of the merit
of Christ is from an arbitrary election,
and that to these there is imputation
of salvation, thus that some are adopted
and the rest rejected ; which would be
"as if God should elevate some into
Abraham's bosom, and deliver some to
the devil as food, when yet, the truth
is, the Lord rejects and delivers up no
one, but man himself.
630. It is added, that the imputa
tion at this day takes away from man

all power from any free agen ;y in
spiritual things, and does not leave him
even so much that he can shake off fire
from his clothes, keep his body frcm
harm, or extinguish his house, when jn
fire, by water, and rescue his family ;
when yet the Word, from beginning to
end, teaches that every one should shun
evils, because they are ofthe devil and
from the devil, and do goods, because
th iy are of God and from God, and
that he is to do them from himself, the
Lord operating. But the imputation
at this day proscribes the power for so
doing, as destructive to faith and thence
to salvation, for this reason, lest some
thing of man should enter the imputa
tion, and thus the merit of Christ; from
which being established, this satanical
tenet has flowed forth, that man is ab
solutely destitute of power in spiritual
things, which is like saying, " Walk
on," although you have no feet, not
even one ; " Wash yourself," and yet
both your hands are cut off; or, " Do
good, but sleep ; " or, " Feed yourself,"
but without a tongue. It is also like
having a will given which is not a will.
Cannot one say, " I cannot, any more
than the statue of Lot's wife ; nor any
more than Dagon, the god of the Phi
listines, when the ark of God was in
troduced into his temple ; I am afraid
that I should fare as he did when his
head was broken off, and the palms of
his hands thrown upon the threshold,
1 Sam. v. 4 ; nor more than Beelzebub,
the god of Ekron, who, from the sig
nification of his name, can only drive
away flies." That such impotence in
spiritual things is believed at this day,
may be seen from what was collected
above concerning Free Agency, n;
464. 631. As to what concerns the first
part of that twofold imputation con
cerning the salvation of man, which is,
the imputation of the merit of Christ
arbitrarily, and thence the imputation
of salvation, the doctors differ : some
teach that that imputation is absolute
from free power, and is made to those
whose external or internal form is well
pleasing; or that the imputation is
made from foreknowledge to those in

422

Concerning Imputation.

whom grace is infused and that faith
can be applied ; but still those two
opinions aim at one mark, and are like
the two eyes, which have for their
object one stone, or like the two ears,
which have for their object one song.
At first sight it appears as if they went
away from each other, but still in the
end they unite and play together : for
since on both sides entire impotency in
spiritual things is taugni, and every
thing of man is excluded from faith, it
follows that the grace leceptive of faith,
infused arbitrarily or of foreknowledge,
is a similar election : for if that grace,
which is called preventing grace, were
universal, man's application, from some
power of his own, must be added,
which yet is rejected as a leprosy.
Thence it is, that no one knows
whether that faith has been given to
nim of grace, any more than a stock or
a stone, such as he was when it was
infused ; for there is no sign testifying
it, when charity, piety, the desire of a
new life, and the free faculty of doing
good as well as evil, are denied to
man : the signs which are mentioned
as testifying that faith in man, are all
ludicrous, and not different from the
auguries ofthe ancients from the flying
of birds, or the prognostications of as
trologers from the stars, or of players
from dice. Things of this kind, and
those still more ludicrous, follow fiom
the imputed righteousness of the Lord,
which, together with the faith which is
called that righteousness, is infused
into a man who is elected.
632. III. That the Faith which
is imputative of the Merit and
Righteousness of Christ the Re
deemer, first arose from the De
crees of the Nicene Synod con
cerning three Divine Persons from
Eternity, which Faith, from that
Time to the present, has been
received by the whole christian
World.
As it respects the Nicene synod it
self, the emperor Constantine the Great,
by the advice of Alexander, bishop of
Alexandria, held it in his palace at
Nice, a city of Bithynia ; where all the
bishops in Asia, Africa and Europe

were called together, that they might
from the Sacred Scriptures refute and
condemn the heresy of Arius, a pres
byter of Alexandria, who denied the
divinity of Jesus Christ. This was
done in the year of Christ 325. Tha*
those called together concluded that
there were from eternity three divine
persons, the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost, may be very evident from
the two creeds, called the Nicene and
Athanasian. In the Nicene it is read,
I believe in one God, the Father Al
mighty. Maker of heaven and earth;
and in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, the Only-begotten of the Fa
ther, born before all ages, God of God,
ofthe same substance with the Father,
who came down from heaven, and became
incarnate by the Holy Ghost from the
virgin Mary ; and in the Holy Ghost,
the Lord and Giver of life, who pro
ceeds from the Father and the Son, who,
together with the Father and the Son,
is worshipped and glorified. In the
Athanasian Creed are these words :
The Catholic faith is this, That ice
worship one God in trinity, and the
trinity in unity, neither confounding
the. persons, nor dividing the substance.
But whereas we are compelled by the
Christian verity to confess each person
singly to be God and Lord,, so we are
forbid den by the Catholic religion to
say three Gods or three Lords : that is,
il is lawful to confess three Gods and
three Lords, but not to say it ; and
this is not lawful because religion for
bids, butthatisbecausethetruth dictates
it. This Athanasian Creed was writ
ten, soon after the council of IN ice was
held, by one or more of those who had
been present at the council, and also
it was received as ecumenical or Cath
olic. Thence it is manifest, that it
was then decreed, that three divine
persons from eternity are to be acknowl
edged ; and, although each person singly
by himself be God, that still they are
not to be called three Gods and Lords,
but one.
633. That the faith of three divine
persons has been received from that
time, and confirmed and preached by
all bishops, prelates, rulers ofthe church,

Concerning Imputation.

423

and presbyters, even to the present
time, is known in the Christian world :
and because there has emanated thence
a mental persuasion of three Gods, no
other faith could be devised, than that
which might be applied to those three
in their order ; which is, that God the
Father is to be approached and implored
to impute the righteousness of his Son,
or to show mercy on account of the
Son's passion of the cross, and to send
the Holy Ghost, to work the mediate
and ultimate effects of salvation. This
faith is a fetus born of those two creeds :
but when the swaddling clothes are
taken off, there comes to view not one,
but three ; at first joined together, as it
were in an embrace, but presently sep
arated; for they decree, that essence
joins them together, but the properties,
which are creation, redemption and
1 operation, or imputation, imputed right
eousness, and effectual application,
separate them ; which is the cause,
that although they have made up one
God out of three, yet still out of three
persons they have not made one, lest
the idea of three Gods should be oblit
erated : for while each person singly is
believed to be God, as it is said in the
creed, if then consequently the three
persons should be made one, the whole
house, founded, as it were, upon three
pillars, would fall down in a heap.
The reason why that synod introduced
three divine persons from eternity, was
because they did not rightly search the
Word, and thence they did not find
any other asylum against the Arians ;
but the reason why they brought to
gether into one God those three per
sons, each of whom is a God by himself,
was because they were afraid of being
censured and reproached by every ra
tional religious man in the three parts
of the world for a faith of three Gods.
The reason that they taught a faith
applied to the three in order, was be
cause no other could flow from that
principle : to this it may be added, that
if one of those three were omitted, a
third would not be sent, and thus all
the operation of divine grace would
come to nothing.
634. But the truth shall be declared :

When a faith in three Gods was intro
duced into the Christian churches,
which was done at the Nicene synod,
all the good of charity and all the truth
of faith were exiled ; for those two can
never consist with the mental worship
of three Gods, and at the same time
with the oral worship of one God ; for
the mind denies what the mouth speaks,
and the mouth denies what the mind
thinks; thence it comes to pass, that
there is neither a faith of three Gods,
nor a faith of one. Hence it is manifest,
that the Christian temple has, since that
time, not only been shattered, but also
has fallen in ruins ; and that, since that
time, the pit of the abyss has been
open, from which smoke as of a great
furnace has ascended, and the sun has
been darkened, and the air, and from
which locusts came forth into the earth,
Rev. ix. 2, 3. See the explanation of
those things in the Apocalypse Re
vealed. Yea, from that time the des
olation foretold by Daniel began and
has increased, Matt. xxiv. 15 ; and to
that faith, and the imputation of it, the
eagles have been gathered together,
verse 28 of the same chapter ; by ea
gles there are meant leaders of the
church, who are, as it were, lynx-eyed.
If it is said, that the council, in which
so many bishops and laurelled men sat,
decreed that, by their unanimous suf
frages, what confidence is to be put in
councils, when Roman Catholic coun
cils have also, by their unanimous suf
frages, decreed the vicarship ofthe pope,
the invocation of saints, the veneration
of images and bones, the division of
the holy eucharist, purgatory, indul
gences, &c. ? What confidence is to be
put in councils, when that of Dort also,
by their unanimous suffrages, decreed
a detestable predestination, and extolled
it as the palladium of religion. But,
my reader, do not trust to councils, but
fo the Holy Word, and go to the Lord,
and you will be enlightened; for He is
the Word, that is, the Divine Truth
itself there.
635. Finally, this arcanum shall be
disclosed. In seven chapters in the
Revelation the consummation of the
present church is described, in like

424

Concerning Imputation.

manner as the devastation of Egypt is
described, and both by similar plagues,
each of which spiritually signifies some
false, ¦ which promoted its devastation
even to destruction ; wherefore also
this church, which has at this day been
destroyed, is called Egypt, spiritually
understood, Rev. xi. 8. The plagues
in Egypt were these : That the waters
were turned into blood, whence every
fish died, and the river stank, Exod.
vii. In like manner it is said in Rev.
viii. 8 ; xvi. 3. By blood is signified
divine truth falsified ; see the Apoca
lypse Revealed, n. 379, 404, 681,
687, 688 ; and by the fishes which then
died, the truths in the natural man also
dead, n. 290, 405. In the land of
Egypt frogs were produced, Exod. viii.
Something concerning frogs also is said
in Rev. xvi. 13. By frogs are signi
fied reasonings from the desire of falsi
fying truths. See Apoc. Rev. n. 702.
In Egypt noxious ulcers came upon
man and beast, Exod. ix. In like
manner, in Rev. xvi. 2. By ulcers are
signified interior evils and falses de
structive of the good and truth in the
church. See Apoc Rev. n. 678. In
Egypt there was hail mingled with fire,
Exod. ix. In like manner in Rev. viii.
7; xvi. 21. Hail signifies the infernal
false. See Apoc. Rev. n. 399, 714.
Upon Egypt was sent the locust, Exod.
x. In like manner in Rev. ix. 1 to 11.
Locusts signify falses in the outermost
things. See Apoc. Rev. n. 424, 430.
Upon Egypt a grievous darkness was
brought, Exod. x. In like manner in
Rev. viii. 12. Darkness signifies falses
arising either from ignorance, or from
falses of religion, or from evils of life.
See Apoc. Rev. n. 110, 413, 695.
That at length the Egyptians perished
in the Red sea, Exod. xiv. ; but in the
Revelation, the dragon and the false
prophet, in the lake of fire and brim
stone, xix. 20; xx. 10. Both the Red
sea and that lake signify hell. The
reason why similar things are said con
cerning Egypt, and concerning the
church, whose consummation and end
are described in the Revelation, is be
cause by Egypt is meant a church,
which in its beginning was excellent ;

wherefore Egypt, before its church was
devastated, is compared to the garden
of Eden, and the garden of Jehovah,
Gen. xiii. 10 ; Ezek. xxxi. 8 ; and also
it is called the corner-stone of the tribes,
the son of the wise, and of the kings of
antiquity, Isaiah xix. 11, 13. More
may be seen concerning Egypt in its
primeval state, and in its devastated
state, in the Apocalypse Revealed, n.
503. 636. IV. That the Faith imputa
tive of the Merit of Christ was
not known in the apostolic cliurch,
which preceded, and is no where
MEANT IN THE WoRD.
The church which preceded the
Nicene synod, was called the Apostolic
church ; that this was large, and propa
gated into the three parts of the world,
Asia, Africa and Europe, is evident not
only from Constantine the Great, and his
monarchy over not only many kingdoms
of Europe, afterwards divided, but also
over the nearer ones out of Europe, in
that he was a Christian, and a zealot
for religion ; wherefore, as was said
above, he called together the bishops
from Asia, Africa and Europe to his
palace at Nice, a city of Bitbyriia, that
he might cast the scandals of Arius
out of his empire. This was donp
from the divine providence of the Lord,
since, if the divinity of the Lord is
denied, the Christian church dies, and
becomes like a sepulchre adorned with
this epitaph, " Here lies." The church
which was before this time was called
Apostolic, and the eminent writers of
that church were called fathers, and
true Christians at their side, brethren.
That this church did not acknowledge
three divine persons, and thence neither
a Son of God from eternity, but only
the Son of God born in time, is evident
from the creed which from their church
was called Apostolic, where these words
are read : / believe in God the Father
Almighty, Creator of heaven and
earth ; and in Jesus Christ, his only
Son our Lord, who was conceived by
the Holy Ghost, born of the. virgin
Mary. I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy Catholic church; the commu
nion of saints. Whence it is manifest,

Concerning Imputation.

425

that they did not acknowledge any
other Son of God than that conceived
by the Holy Spirit, and born ofthe virgin
Mary, and not at all any Son of God
born from eternity. This creed, like
the two others, has been acknowledged
as the genuine Catholic, by the whole
Christian church to the present day.
637. That in that primeval time, all
in that Christian world acknowledged
that the Lord Jesus Christ was God,
to whom is given all power in heaven
and in earth, and power over all flesh,
according to his own words, Matt, xxviii.
18; John xvii. 2; and that they be
lieved in Him according to his com
mand from God the Father, John iii.
15, 16, 36 ; vi. 40 ; xi. 25, 26. The
same is also very manifest from the con
vocation of all the bishops by the em
peror Constantine the Great, for the
purpose of convicting and condemning,
from the Sacred Scriptures, Arius and
his followers, who denied the divinity of
the Lord the Savior, born of the virgin
Mary. This, indeed, was done ; but
they, in order to avoid a wolf, fell upon
a lion ; or, as it is said in the proverb,
Wishing to avoid Charybdis, he fell
upon Scylla ; by feigning a Son of
God from eternity, who descended and
assumed the Human, believing that
thus they should vindicate and restore
divinity to the Lord ; not knowing that
God himself, the Creator of the uni
verse, descended, that He might become
Redeemer, and thus Creator anew, ac
cording to these manifest declarations
in the Old Testament : Isaiah xxv. 9
xl. 3, 5, 10, 11; xliii. 24; xliv. 6, 24
xlvii. 4; xlviii. 17; xlix. 7,26; lx. 16
Ixiii. 16; Jer. 1. 34; Hos. xiii. 4
Psalm xix. 15 : to these add John
ix. 15.
638. That Apostolic church, be
cause it worshipped the Lord God
Jesus Christ, and at the same time God
the Father in Him, may be likened to
the garden of God ; and Arius, who then
arose, to the serpent sent from hell ; and
the Nicene council, to Adam's wife, who
presented the fruit to her husband and
persuaded ; after the eating of which,
they appeared to themselyes naked, and
covered their nakedness with leaves of
54

the fig-tree ; by their nakedness is meant
the innocence in which they were be
fore ; and by leaves of the fig-tree, the
truths of the natural man, which were
successively falsified. That primitive
church may be compared also to the
dawning of the day and the morning,
from which the day proceeded to the
tenth hour ; but then a thick cloud in
tervened , under which the day proceeded
to the evening, and after this into the
night, in which the moon arose, for
some, from the light of which some saw
something from the Word ; and the rest
went on into the thick darkness of
night, so far, that they saw nothing of
divinity in the Lord's humanity ; al
though Paul says, that in Jesus Christ
all the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth
bodily, Coloss. ii. 9 ; and John, that
The Son of God sent into the world is
the true God and eternal, life, 1 Joha
v. 20. The primitive or Apostolic
church never could have conceived that
a church could succeed, which would
worship several Gods with the heart,
and one with the mouth, which would
separate charity from faith, the remis
sion of sins from repentance ' and the
desire of a new life, and which would
introduce a total impotence in spiritual
things ; and least of all that any Arius
should lift up his head, and when he
had died should rise again and rule se
cretly even to the end.
639. That no faith imputative ofthe
merit of Christ was meant in the
Word, is clearly manifest from this.
that that faith was not known in the
church before the Nicene synod intro
duced three divine persons from eternity ;
and when this faith was introduced,
and had pervaded the whole Christian
world, all other faith was rejected into
darkness ; wherefore, whoever then
reads the Word, and sees faith, imputa
tion and the merit of Christ, falls of
himself into that which he had believed
the only thing ; like one who sees the
writing of one page, and stops there,
and does not turn it over and see any
thing else ; or like one who persuades
himself that this is true, although it is
false, and confirms it alone; then he
sees the false as true, and the true as

126

Concerning Imputation.

false ; he would afterwards press his
teeth together, and hiss with his mouth
at every one who opposes it, and would
say, " You are not intelligent." His
mind is wholly in it, covered over with
a hard shell, which rejects as heterodox
every thing that is not consonant to his
orthodoxy so called ; for his memory is
like a tablet on which only this ruling
theological tenet is written ; if any
thing else enters, it has no place where
it could be inserted ; wherefore it casts
¦it out, as the mouth does froth. For
example, say to a confirmed naturalist,
who either believes that nature created
herself, or that God existed after na
ture, or that nature and God are one,
that it is altogether contrary ; would he
not look upon you either as deluded by
the fables of presbyters, or as simple,
or as dull, or as a dunce ? The case
is similar with all things that persua
sion and confirmation fix, which at
last appear like painted tapestry fastened
with many nails to a wall glued together
of decayed little stones.
640. V. That the Imputation of
the Merit and Righteousness of
Christ is impossible.
That it may be known that the im
putation of the merit and righteousness
of Jesus Christ is impossible, it is
necessary to know what his merit and
righteousness are. The merit of our
Lord the Savior is redemption, and
what this was, may be seen above in
its chapter, n. 114 to 133; which is
there described to have been a subju
gation of the hells, the establishment
of order in the heavens, and afterwards
the institution of a church ; and thus
that redemption was a work purely
divine. It was also shown there, that
by redemption the Lord took to himself
the power of regenerating and saving
the men who believe in Him and do
his commandments, and that without
that redemption no flesh could have
been saved. Since, now, redemption
was a work purely divine, and of the
Lord alone, and that is his merit, it
follows that this cannot be applied,
ascribed and imputed to any man,
any more than the creation and pres
ervation of the universe. Redemption

also was a certain creation of the
angelic heaven anew, and also of the
church. That the church at this day
attributes that merit of the Lord the
Redeemer to those who by grace ob
tained faith, is manifest from their
dogmas, among which this is the prin
cipal ; for it is said by the dignitaries
of this church, and by their dependants,
as well in the Roman Catholic church,
as in the churches of the Reformed,
that by the imputation of the merit of
Christ, those who have obtained faith
are not only reputed just and holy, but
that they are so ; and that their sins
are not sins in the sight of God, because
they are remitted, and they themselves
are justified, that is, reconciled, renew
ed, regenerated, sanctified and enrolled
in heaven. That the universal Chris
tian church at this day teaches those
same things, is manifestly evident from
the council of Trent, the Augustan
and Augsburg confessions, and from
the commentaries attached to them,
and also received. From the things
above said and transferred into that
faith, what else flows, than that the
possession of that faith is that merit
and that righteousness of the Lord ?
consequently that the possessor of it is
Christ in another person ? For it is said
that Christ himself is righteousness,
and that that faith is righteousness, and
that imputation, by which also is meant
ascription and application, causes them
not only to be reputed just and holy,
but to be so. Add only Transcription
to imputation, application and ascrip
tion, and you will be a vicarious pope.
641. Since, therefore, the merit and
righteousness of the Lord are purely
divine, and since things purely divine
are such that, if they were applied and
ascribed, man would die in an instant,
and, like a fire-brand thrown into the
naked sun, would be so consumed that
scarcely any spark would remain of
him ; therefore the Lord with his Di
vine approaches to angels and to men
by light tempered and moderated ac
cording to the faculty and quality of
each, thus by what is adequate and ac
commodated ; in like manner He ap
proaches by heat. In the spiritual

Concerning Imputation.

427

world there is a sun, in the midst of
which is the Lord ; from that sun He
flows in by light and heat into the
whole spiritual world, and into all who
are there ; all the light and all the heat
there are thence. The Lord from that
sun flows in with the same light and
the same heat also into the souls and
mirds of men ; that heat in its essence
is his divine love, and that light in its
essence is his divine wisdom ; this light
and that 'heat the Lord adapts to the
faculty and quality of the recipient an
gel and man, which is done by means
of spiritual auras or atmospheres which
convey and transfer them : the Divine
itself, immediately encompassing the
Lord, makes that sun. This sun is dis
tant from the angels, as the sun of the
natural world is from men, in order
that it may not touch them with its
naked rays, and thus immediately ; for
thus they would be consumed like a fire
brand thrown into the naked sun, as was
said. Hence it may be evident, that
the merit and righteousness of the Lord,
because they are purely divine, cannot
possibly be introduced by imputation
into any angel or man ; yea, if any drop
of it, without being thus moderated, as
was said, should touch them, they would
instantly be tortured like those laboring
with death, struggling with their feet,
staring with their eyes, and they would
expire. This was made known in the
Israelitish church by this, that no one
could see God and live. The sun of
the spiritual world, such as it is since
Jehovah God assumed the Human, and
added to it redemption and new right
eousness, is also described by these
words in Isaiah : The light of the sun
shall be seven-fold, as the light of seven
days, in the day when Jehovah shall
bind up the breach of his people, xxx.
26 ; in which chapter, from the begin
ning to the end, the coming of the Lord
is treated of. It is also described,
what the case would be if the Lord
should descend and approach to any
wicked man, by these words in the Rev
elation : They hid themselves in the
caves and in the rocks of the mountains,
and said to the mountains and to the
rocks, Hide us from the face of Him

that sitteth upon the throne, and from
the anger of the Lamb, vi. 15 ; it is
said, the anger of the Lamb, because
the terror and torment appear so to them,
when the Lord approaches. This again
may be evidently concluded from this,
that if any wicked person is introduced
into heaven, where charity and faith in
the Lord reign, his eyes are seized with
darkness, his mind with dizziness and
insanity, his body with pain and tor
ment, and he becomes as it were lifeless.
What then, if the Lord himself with
his divine merit, which is redemption,
and with his divine righteousness, should
enter man ? The apostle John himsell
could not sustain the presence of the
Lord ; for it is read, that when he saw
the Son of Man in the midst of the
seven candlesticks, he fell at his feet
as dead, Rev. i, 17.
642. It is said in the decrees of the
councils, and in the articles of the con
fessions to which the Reformed swear,
that God, by the merit of Christ being
infused, justifies the wicked ; when yet
the good of any angel cannot even be
communicated, still less conjoined, tc
a wicked man, without being rejected
and rebounding, like an elastic ball
thrown against the wall, or absorbed,
like a diamond sent into a bog ; yea,
if any thing truly good were thrust in,
it would be as if a pearl were tied to a
swine's snout. For who does not know,
that clemency cannot be injected into
unmercifulness, innocence into revenge,
love into hatred, concord into discord ;
which would be like mixing together
heaven and hell. A man not born
again is, as to his spirit, like a panther,
or like an owl, and may be likened to a
brier and a nettle ; but a man born
again is like a sheep, or like a dove,.
and may be likened to an olive-tree or
a vine. Think, I pray, if you please,
how can a man-panther be converted
into a man-sheep, or an owl into a
dove, or a brier into an olive-tree, or a
nettle into a vine, by any imputation,
ascription, or application of divine
righteousness, which would rather con
demn than justify him. In order that
the conversion may be effected, must
not the savageness of the panther and

428

Concerning Imputation.

the owl, and the noxiousness of the
brier and the nettle be taken away, and
that which is truly human and harmless
De implanted in their place ? How this is
done, the Lord also teaches in John xv.
1 to 7.
643. VI. That there is Imputa
tion, but of Good and of Evil, and
AT THE SAME TIME OF FaITH.
That it is the imputation of good and
evil which is meant in the Word, when
it is named, is evident fiom innumera
ble passages there, which indeed have
been, in part, adduced before ; but that
every one may be certain, that there is
no other imputation, some things here
also shall be adduced from the Word ;
which are, 77te Son of Man is about
to come, and then He will render to
every one according to his deeds, Matt.
xvi. 27. Those who have done goods
shall come forth to the resurrection of
life, but those who have done evils to the
resurrection of judgment, John v. 29.
A book was opened, which is the book
of life, and they were all judged 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 work, xxii.
12. / ivill visit according to his ways.
I will reward him according lo his
works, Hosea iv. 9 ; Zech. i. 6 ;
Jer. xxv. 14; xxxii. 19. God, in the
day of his anger and just judgment,
will render to every one according to
his works, Rom. ii. 5, 6. We all
must appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, that every one may receive the
things which he hath done in the body,
according to what he hath done, whether
good or evil, 2 Cor. v. 10. There
was no other law of imputation at the
beginning of the church, nor is there
to be any other at the end of it. That
there was no other at the beginning of
the church, ij manifest from Adam and
his wife ; that because they did evil,
in eating from the tree of the knowl
edge of good and evil, they were con
demned, Gen. ii. and iii.; and that
there is to be no other at the end of
the church, is manifest from these words
of the Lord : When the Son of Man
shall come in the glory of his Father,

then He will sit upon the th? one oj lus
glory. And He will say to the sheep ojf
his right hand, Come, ye blessed, anjjL
possess, as an inheritance, the kingdaT
prepared for you from the foundat^
of the world. For I was hungry, an
ye gave Me to eat ; I was thirsty, an
ye gave Me to drink ; I was a Strang^
and ye took Me in ; I was naked, ant
ye clothed Me ; I was sick, and ye visit
ed Me; I was in prison, and ye cam,
to Me. But to the goats on his la
hand, because they did not do gooi& '
He said, Depart from Me, ye cursM °
into everlasting fire prepared for th "
devil and his angels, Matt. xxv. 3? "'
and following verses. Hence eve*' "
one, with open eyes, may see that the, "
is an imputation of good and of ev, an
That there is also an imputation ™
faith, is because charity, which is» f°
good, and faith, which is of truth, a
together in good works.; and that unj^
less they are together, the works are
not good, may be seen above, n. 373
to 377 ; wherefore James says, Was
not Abraham our father justified' by
works when he offered his son upon the
altar ? Seest thou not that faith cooper
ated with works, and by the works the
faith was known to be perfect? Andl
the Scripture was fulfilled, ivhich saith,it
Abraham believed God, and it was im
puted to him for righteousness, James!
ii. 21, 22, 23.
644. The cause that the leaders of
the Christian churches, and thence
their subalterns, by imputation in the
Word, have understood an imputation
of the faith on which the righteous
ness and merit of Christ are inscribed,
and thus ascribed to man, is because,
for fourteen centuries, that is, since the
time of the Nicene synod, they have
not been willing to know of any other
faith ; wherefore that alone was fixed
in their memory, and thence in their
mind, as if it were organized; which
from that time borrowed a light such as
there is from fire in the time of night,
from which light that faith was seen
as the very theological truth, on which
all the rest depend in a connected se
ries, which would fall to pieces, if that
head, or that pillar, were moved away

Concerning Imputation.

429

Wherefore, if they had thought of any
other faith than that imputative faith,
when they read the Word, that light,
together with every thing of their theol
ogy' would have been extinguished,
and darkness would have arisen, by
which the whole Christian church would
have vanished ; wherefore that was left
as a stump of roots in the earth, when
the tree was cut down and destroyed,
until seven times should pass over it,
Dan. iv. 20. Who among the con
firmed leaders of the church at this
day, when that faith is attacked, does
not stop his ears as with cotton, on
hearing any thing against it ? But, my
reader, open your ears and read the
Word, and you will clearly perceive
another faith and another imputation,
than what you had Jbefore persuaded
yourself to believe.
645. It is wonderful, that although
iie Word, from the beginning to the
5n(r*8^, full of testimonies and confir-
m: woaptfc/rt's", | to every one his good or
31 the*' is irted, still the dogmatical
, muT»chers o\ Christian religion have
Itopped Up tnlears as with wax, and
Pointed theirves as with eye-salve,
so that they h) not heard or seen,
n°r do they hej°r see> an)' other im
putation, than h °f their faith above
mentioned : an^et that faith inav be
'ghtly cornered with the disease of
e e7<?.ffileh is called gutta serena,
J^ftH ought to be named so, which is
ari absolute blindness of the eye arising
from an obstruction of the optic nerve,
and yet the -eye appears as if it saw
perfectly. In like manner, those who
are in that faith go as with open eyes,
and appear to others as if they saw all
things, when yet they see nothing ;
since man knows nothing about that
faith when it enters, for he is then like
a stock; neither does he know after
wards whether it is in him, nor does
he know whether there is any thing in
it; and afterwards they also, as with
clear eyes, see that faith begetting and
bringing forth the noble offspring of
justification, namely, the remission of
sins, vivification, renovation, regenera-
ion and sanctification, when yet they

neither have seen nor can see a sign
of any of them.
646. That good which is charity,
and evil which is iniquity, are imputed
after death, has been made- evident to
me by all my experience concerning
the condition of those who pass from
this world into the other. Every one,
after he has been there some days, is
examined as to what he is, thus as to
what he was in the former world as to
religion ; which being done, the exami
ners report this to heaven, and then he
is transferred to those who are like him,
thus to his own ; thus imputation is
effected. That there is an imputation
of good to all who are in heaven, and
an imputation of evil to all who are in
hell, was manifest to me from the ar
rangement of both by the Lord. All
heaven is arranged into societies accord
ing to all the varieties of the love of
good, and all hell according to all the
varieties of the love of evil. In like
manner the church on earth is arranged
by the Lord, for this corresponds to
heaven ; its religion is good. More
over, ask any men you please, who are
endued with religion, and at the same
time with reason, whether they be of this
or of the two other parts of the world,
who they believe will go to heaven, and
who to hell, and they will answer unan
imously, that those who do good will
go to heaven, and those who do evil to
hell. Besides, who does not know,
that every true man loves a man, a
company of men, a state, and a king
dom, from their good ; yea, not only
men, but also beasts, and even inan
imate things, as houses, possessions,
fields, gardens, trees, woods, and lands,
yea, metals and stones, from their good
ness and use ; good and use are one.
Why should not the Lord love man
and the church from good?
647. VII. That the Faith and
Imputation of the New Church
cannot be together with the faith
and Imputation of the former
Church ; and that if they are
together, such a Collision and Con
flict ensue, that every thing of
the Church with Man perishes.

430

Concerning Imputation.

The reason why the faith and impu
tation of the New Church cannot be
together with the faith and imputation
of the former or still subsisting church,
is because they do not agree in one
third, nor even in one tenth ; for the
faith of the former church teaches that
there existed from eternity three divine
persons, each of whom, singly or by
himself, was God, also as many Crea
tors ; but the faith of the New Church
is, that there was from eternity only
one Divine Person, thus one God, and
that beside Him there is no other God.
Wherefore the faith of the former
church taught a Divine Trinity divided
into three persons, but the faith of the
New Church teaches a Divine Trinity
united in one person. The faith of
the former church was in a God who
is invisible, inaccessible, and incapable
of conjunction ; the idea of whom was
like that of spirit, which is like that of
ether or wind : but the faith of the
New Church is in a God who is visible,
accessible, and capable of conjunction,
in whom, as the soul in the body, is the
God invisible, inaccessible, and incapa
ble of conjunction ; the idea of whom
is that of a man, because the one God,
who was from eternity, became Man in
time. The faith ofthe former church
attributes all power to an invisible God,
and denies it to the visible God ; for it
teaches that God the Father im
putes faith, and by it gives eternal life ;
and that the visible only intercedes ;
and that both, or, according to the
Greek church, God the Father, gives
to the Holy Ghost (who is the third in
order, a God by himself) all power of
working the effects of that faith : but
the faith of the New Church attributes
to the visible God, in whom is the in
visible, all power of imputing and also
of working the effects of salvation.
The faith of the former church is pri
marily in God the Creator, and not at
the same time in Him as Redeemer
and Savior ; but the faith of the New
Church is in one God, who at the
same time is Creator, Redeemer and
Savior. The faith ofthe former church
is, that when faith is given and imput

ed, repentance, remission of sins, ren
ovation, regeneration, sanctification
and salvation follow it of themselves,
without any thing of man being mixed
or conjoined with them ; but the faith
of the New Church teaches repentance,
reformation, regeneration, and thus
remission of sins, with man's coopera
tion. The faith of the former church
teaches the imputation of Christ's
merit, which the faith given embraces ;
but the faith of the New Church
teaches an imputation of good and of
evil, and at the same time of faith ; and
that this imputation is according to the
Sacred Scripture, but that contrary to
it. The former church teaches the
giving of faith in which is the merit of
Christ, when man is like a stock and
a stone, and also it teaches a total im
potence in spiritual things ; but the
New Church teaches altogether another
faith, which is not in the merit oL
Christ, but in Jesus Christ himself^P
God, Redeemer and Savi/bovand freW
agency both for applying/Sine's self tj
reception and for cooperating. Thlj
former church adjoins, charity to itsf
faith, as an appendage, but not as
saving, and thus it maikes religion ; but
the New Church conjoins faith in the
Lord and charity towai-ds the neighbor,
as two inseparable things, and thus it
makes religion : besides ^many other
discordances. -~x
648. From this brief review of hheir
discordances or disagreements, it is
manifest that the faith and imputation
of the New Church cannot possibly be
together with the faith and imputation
of the former or still subsisting church.
And because there is such a discord
and disagreement between the faith and
imputation of the two churches, there
is a complete heterogeneity ; wherefore,
if they were together in the mind of a
man, such a collision and conflict
would ensue, that every thing of the
church would perish, and man, in spir
itual things, would fall either into a
delirium or into a swoon, whence he
would not know what the church is,
and whether there be any church.
Would he then know any thing about

Concerning Imputation.

431

God, any thing about faith, and any
thing about charity ? The faith of the
former church, because it excludes
every thing of light from reason, may
be likened to an owl ; but the faith of
the New Church may be likened to a
dove, which flies in the day time, and
sees from the light of heaven ; where
fore their conjunction in one mind
would be like the conjunction of an
(.-wl and a dove in one nest, where the
owl would lay her -eggs and the dove
hers, and, after sitting, the young ones
would be hatched, and then the owl
would tear the dove's young ones in
pieces, and give them to her own young
ones for food ; for the owl is a voracious
bird. Because the faith of the former
church is described in Rev. xii. by the
dragon, and the faith of the New
Church by the woman encompassed
with the sun, upon whose head was a
crown of twelve stais, it may be con
cluded from the comparison what
would be the state of a man's mind, if
they should be together in one house ;
namely, that the dragon would stand
by the woman about to bring forth,
with the intention of devouring her
child ; and that after she flew away into
the desert, he would pursue her, and
cast water as a flood upon her, that
she might be swallowed up.
649. The like would happen, if any
one should embrace the faith of the
New Church, and retain the faith of the
former church concerning the imputa
tion of the Lord's merit and righteous
ness ; for from this, as their root, all
the dogmas of the former church, as
shoots, have sprung up. If this should
be the case, it would be comparatively
as if one should rescue himself from
five horns of the dragon, and entangle
himself in his remaining five ; or as if
one should escape from a wolf, and fall
upon a tiger ; or as if one, coming out
of a pit where there was no water,
should fall into a pit where there was
water, and be drowned. For thus he
would easily return into all things of
the former faith ; and what these are,
has been explained above ; and then
inti this damnable error, that he might
impute and apply to himself the very

divine things of the Lord, which are
redemption and righteousness, which
may be adored and not applied ; for if
man should impute and apply them to
himself, he would be consumed, as if
he were cast into the naked sun, from
the light and heat of which, however,
he sees, and, as to the body, lives. That
the merit of the Lord is redemption,
and that his redemption and his right
eousness are two divine things, which
cannot be conjoined to man, was shown
above. Let every one, therefore, be
ware of transcribing the imputation of
the former church into the imputation
of the New, since tragical things would
thence arise, which might hinder his
salvation. 650. VIII. That the Lord imputes
Good to every Man, and that Hell
imputes Evil to every Man.
That the Lord imputes good to man,
and not any evil, and that the devil, by
which is meant hell, imputes evil to
man, and not any good, is new in the
church ; the reason that it is new, is
because it is read in the Word many
times, that God is angry, that He
avenges, hates, condemns, punishes,
casts into hell, tempts; which all are of
evil, and thence evils. But that the sense
of the letter of the Word is composed
of such things as are called appearances
and correspondences, in order that
there may be a conjunction of the ex
ternal church with its internal, thus of
the world with heaven, was shown in
the chapter concerning the Sacred
Scripture ; and there also, that when
such things in the Word are read, the
appearances of truth themselves, while
they are passing from man to heaven,
are turned into genuine truths, which
are, that the Lord never is angry, never
avenges, hates, condemns, punishes,
casts into hell, tempts; consequently,
that He does evil to no man. This
change and turning I have often ob
served in the spiritual world.
651. Reason itself assents to this,
that the Lord cannot do evil to any
man, and consequently cannot impute
it to him ;- for He is Love itself, Mercy
itself, thus Good itself, and these are
of his Divine Essence : wherefore to

432

Concerning Imputation.

attribute evil, or any thing of evil, to
the Lorrl, would be contrary to his Di
vine Essence, and thus contradictory;
and this would be as inexpressibly
wicked, as it is to conjoin the Lord
and the devil, or heaven and hell, when
yet between them there is a great gulf
fixed, so that those who would pass
from this to that, or from that to this,
cannot, Luke xvi. 26. Not even an
angel of heaven can do evil to any one,
because the essence of good from the
Lord is in him ; and, on the other
hand, a spirit of hell cannot but do evil
to another, because the nature of evil
from the devil is in him ; the essence
or nature which any one has appropri
ated to himself in the world, cannot be
changed after death. Think, I pray,
what the Lord would be, if He looked
upon the evil from anger, and upon the
good from clemency (the evil are myri
ads of myriads, and the good are myri
ads of myriads in number). If He
saved these from grace, and condemned
those from vengeance ; or looked upon
these and those with an eye so different,
gentle and severe, or mild and stern,
what then would be the character of
the Lord God ? Who that is instructed
by preaching in temples does not know,
that all good which is in itself good is
from God ; and, on the other hand, that
all evil which is in itself evil, is from
the devil ? If, therefore, any man should
receive both good and evil, good from
the Lord, and evil from the devil, both
of them in the will, would he not be
come neither cold nor hot, but luke
warm, which would be spewed out,
according to the words of the Lord in
Rev. iii. 15, 16.
652. That the Lord imputes .good
to every man, and not evil to any one,
consequently that He does not judge
any one to hell, but elevates all, so far
as man follows, to heaven, is evident
from these his words : Jesus said,
When I am. lifted up from the earth, I
will draw all to myself, John xii. 32.
God sent not his Son into the world to
judge the world, but that the world
might be saved by Him. He that be
lieveth in Him is not judged; but he
that believeth not, is already judged,

iii. 18. If any one hear my words
and yet believe not, I judge him not ;
for I came not to judge the world, but
to save the world. He that despiseih
Me, and receiveth not my words, hath
one that judgeth him ; the Word which
I have spoken shall judge him at the
last day, xii. 47, 48. Jesus said, 1
judge no one, viii. 15. By judgment
here and elsewhere in the Word, is
meant judgment to hell, which is con
demnation ; but resurrection to life,
and not judgment, is predicated of sal
vation, John v.24, 29, iii. 18. By the
Word which will judge, is meant the
truth, and it is a truth that all evil is
from hell, and thus that evil and hell
are one ; wherefore, when an evil per
son is elevated by the Lord towards
heaven, then his evil draws him down,
and because he loves evil, he follows of
his own accord. It is also a truth in
the Word, that good is heaven ; where
fore when a good person is elevated by
the Lord towards heaven, he ascends
as of his own accord, and is introduced ;
these are said to be written in the b^.ok
of life, Dan. xii. 1 ; Rev. xii. 8, 12,
23 ; xvii. 8 ; xxi. 6. There is actually
a sphere elevating all to heaven, which
continually proceeds from the Lord, and
fills all the spiritual world and all the
natural world ; and it is like a strong
current in the ocean which secretly
draws the ship. All those who believe
in the Lord, and live according to his
commandments, enter that sphere or
current, and are elevated ; but those
who do not believe, are not willing to
enter, but remove themselves to the
sides, and there are carried away by a
stream which leads to hell.
653. Who does not know that a
lamb cannot act otherwise than as a
lamb, and a sheep not otherwise than
as a sheep; and, on the other hand, that
a wolf cannot act otherwise than as a
wolf, and a tiger than as a tiger? If
those beasts were mixed together, would
not the wolf devour the lamb, and the
tiger the sheep ? Wherefore there ajKj.
shepherds for guards. Who does '„s J
know that a fountain of sweet wafer
cannot send forth from its vein bitter
waters ; and that a good tree cannot

Concerning Imputation.

433

produce bad fruit ; and that a vine can
not prick like a thorn, the flower of a
lily gall like a brier, and a hyacinth
sting like a thistle ; and the reverse ?
Wherefore those noxious plants are
rooted up out of fields, vineyards and
gardens, and, being collected into heaps,
they are cast into the fire. The like is
done with the evil who flow into the
spiritual world, according to the words
of the Lord, Matt. xiii. 30 ; John
xv. 6. The Lord also said to the Jews,
0 offspring of vipers, how can ye speak
good things, when ye are evil ? A good
man, from the good treasure of his heart,
sends forth good things; and an evil
man, from the evil treasure, sends forth
evil things, Matt. xii. 34, 35.
654. IX. That Faith, with what
soever IT CONJOINS ITSELF, MAKES A
Sentence : if true Faith conjoins
itself with good, a sentence is
made for eternal llfe j but if
Faith conjoins itself with Evil,
a Sentence is made for eternal
Death. The works of charity which are
done by a Christian, and those which
are done by a heathen, in the external
form appear similar ; for one as well
as the other does the goods of civility
and morality to a companion, which
are in some degree similar to the goods
of love towards the neighbor ; yea, he
can give to the poor, help the needy,
and hear sermons in temples ; but who
can thence judge, whether those ex
ternal goods are similar in the internal
form, or whether the natural are also
spiritual ? Concerning this, it can be
concluded only from faith, for faith
qualifies them ; for faith causes God to
be in them, and conjoins them with
itself in the internal man ; thence nat
ural goods become inwardly spiritual.
That it is so, may be more clearly seen
from what was said in the chapter con
cerning Faith, where the following
things are demonstrated : That Faith
is not living before it is conjoined to
Charity. That Charity is made spirit-
"'il by Faith, and Faith by Charity.
"Vnat Faith without Charity, because it
is not spiritual, is not Faith ; and that
Charity without Faith, because it is
55

not living, is not Charity. That Faith
and Charity apply and conjoin them
selves to each other reciprocally. That
the Lord, Charity and Faith make one,
like life, will and understanding ; but if
they are divided, each perishes, like a
pearl reduced to powder.
655. From the things adduced, it
may be seen, that faith in the one and
true God causes good to be good also
in the internal form ; and, on the other
hand, that faith in a false god causes
good to be good only in the external
form, which is not good in itself; as
the faith of the Gentiles formerly in
Jupiter, Juno and Apollo ; of the Phi
listines in Dagon ; and of others in Baal
and Baal-peor ; and of Balaam the ma
gician in his god ; and of the Egyptians
in many. It is altogether different
with faith in the Lord, who is the true
God and eternal Life, according to
John, 1 Epist. v. 20; and in whom all
the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth
bodily, according to Paul, Coloss. ii. 9.
What is faith in God but the sight of
Him, and thence His presence, and at
the same time a confidence that He
helps? And what is true faith but
that, and at the same time a confidence
that all good is from Him, and makes
one's good to be saving? Wherefore
if this faith conjoin itself with good,
a sentence is made for eternal life ;
altogether otherwise if it do not con- '
join itself with good, and especially if
it conjoin itself with evil.
656. What the conjunction of charity
and faith is, with those who believe in
three gods, and yet say that they believe
in one, was shown above, namely, that
charity conjoins itself with faith only
in the external natural man ; the reason
is, because his mind is in the idea of
three gods, and his mouth in the con
fession of one God ; wherefore if the
mind at that moment should infuse
itself into the confession of the mouth,
it would expunge the enunciation of
one God, and would open the lips and
force out its three gods !
657. That evil and faith in the one
and true God cannot be together, every
one may see from reason, for evil is
against God, and faith is for God ; and

434

Concerning Imputation.

evil is of the will, and faith is of the
thought, and the will flows into the
understanding and causes it to think,
but not conversely ; the understanding
only teaches what is to be willed and
to be done. Wherefore the good
which such a man does, is in itself
evil ; it is like a shining bone, the mar
row of which is rotten ; it is like an
actor upon the stage, who personates
a grandee ; and it is like the handsome
face of an antiquated harlot; and it is
like a butterfly, flying with silver wings,
which lays little eggs on the leaves of a
good tree, from which all its fruit per
ishes ; it is like fragrant smoke from a
poisonous herb ; yea, it is like a moral
robber and a pious sycophant. Where
fore the good of such a man, which in
itself is evil, is in a chamber within ;
but his faith, walking in the porch and
reasoning, is a mere chimera, a spectre
and a bubble. Hence the truth of the
proposition is manifest, that faith makes
sentence concerning the good and the
evil which is conjoined to it.
658. X. That Thought is imputed
to no one, but Will.
Every man of erudition knows that
there are two faculties or parts of the
mind, the will and the understanding ;
but few know how to distinguish them
accurately, and to survey their proper
ties separately, and afterwards to con
join them. Those who cannot do this,
cannot get for themselves any other
than a very obscure notion concerning
the mind ; wherefore, unless the prop
erties of each by itself be first de
scribed, this will not be comprehended,
That thought is imputed to no one, but
will. The properties of both, in a sum
mary, are these : 1 . That love itself, and
the things which are of love, reside in
the will ; and that science, intelligence
and wisdom reside in the understand
ing ; and that the will inspires its love
into these, and produces favor and
assent : thence it is, that as the love is,
and the intelligence thence, such is the
man. 2. From this it also follows, that
all good, and also all evil, is ofthe will ;
for whatever proceeds from the love, is
called good, although it be evil ; for
delight, which makes the life of love,

produces this ; the will by this delight
enters the understanding, and produces
consent. 3. The will, therefore, is the
esse or the essence of the life of man,
but the understanding is the existere
or the existence thence ; and because
essence is not any thing unless it be
in a certain form, so the will is not any
thing unless it be in the understanding ;
wherefore the will forms itself in the
understanding, and thus comes forth
into the light. 4. Love in the will is
the end, and in the understanding it
seeks and finds causes by which it may
promote itself to the effect ; and
because the end is the purpose, and
this intends, purpose also is ofthe will,
and through the intention it enters the
understanding and causes it to consider
and revolve the means, and to conclude
such as tend to effects. 5. All \ht
proprium of man is in the will, en"!
this is evil from his first nativity, and
becomes good by a second ; the first
nativity is from parents, but the other
is from the Lord. From these few
things it may be seen, that there is one
property of the will, and another of the
understanding, and that from creation
they are joined together, like esse and
existere; consequently that man is man
primarily from the will, and secondarily
from the understanding. Thence it
is that will is imputed to man, but not
thought; consequently evil and good,
because these, as was said, reside in the
will, and thence in the thought of the
understanding. 659. The reason that no evil is im
puted to man, which he thinks, is
because man is so created that he can
understand and thence think good or
evil, good from the Lord and evil from
hell ; for he is in the midst, and in the
faculty of choosing one or the other;
from free agency in spiritual things;
which has been treated of in its chap
ter ; and because he is in the faculty
of choosing from freedom, he can will
and not will, and what he wills is re
ceived by the will and appropriated,
but what he does not will is not n- ¦;
ceived and thus is not appropriated '•
All the evils to which a man inclines
from nativity, are inscribed on the will I

Concerning Imputation.

435

of his natural man ; those, as far as
he takes from them, flow into the
thoughts; in like manner goods with
truths from above flow into them from
the Lord, and there they are poised
like weights in the scales of a balance :
if then a man adopt evils, they are
received by the old will, and add them
selves to those ; but if he adopt goods
with truths, there is formed by the
Lord a new will and a new under
standing above the old, and there the
Lord successively implants goods by
means of truths, and by them He sub
jugates the evils which are below, and
removes them, and disposes all things
in order. Hence also it is manifest,
that the thought is a purificatory and
excretory of the evils inherited from
ptrents; wherefore if the evils which
."rftan thinks were imputed, reforma
tion and regeneration could not be
effected. 660. Since good is of the will, and
truth is of the understanding, and
many things in the world correspond
to good, as fruits and uses, and impu
tation itself to estimation and price, it
follows, that the things which are here
said concerning imputation may be
compared with all created things ; for,
as was shown before, here and there,
all things in the universe refer them
selves to good and truth, and, on the
contrary, to what is evil and false. A
comparison, therefore, may be made
with the church, in that it is estimated
from charity and faith, and not from
the rituals which are adjoined. A
comparison may be made also with a
minister of the church, in that he is
estimated from his will and love, and
at the same time from his understand
ing in spiritual things, and not from his
affability and dress. There is also a
comparison given with worship, and
with the temple in which it is performed :
worship itself is performed in the will
and in the understanding, as in its
temple ; and the temple is called hply,
not from itself, but from the Divine
which is there taught. And also a
comparison is given with a government,
which is loved when good reigns and
at the same time truth, but not when

truth reigns and not good. Who
judges of a king by his guards, horses
and chariots, and not from the royalty
which they know to be in him ? Roy
alty consists of the love and prudence
of governing. Who, in a triumph,
does not look at the conqueror, and
from him to the pomp, and not from
the pomp to the conqueror ; consequent
ly from the essential to the formal, and
not from the formal to the essential?
Will is the essential, and thought is
the formal, and no one can impute to the
formal except what it derives from the
essential, consequently to the latter,
and not to the former.

661. To the above I shall add
these Relations. First. In a higher
northern quarter, near to the east in
the spiritual world, there are places of
instruction for boys, some for youths,
and some for men, and some for old
men. All who have died infants are
sent to these places, and are educated
in heaven ; and also all are sent thither,
who newly come from the world, and
desire knowledges concerning heaven
and hell. That tract is near the east,
that all may be instructed by influx
from the Lord ; for the Lord is east,
because He is in the sun there, which
from Him is pure love. Thence the
heat from that sun in its essence is love,
and the light from it in its essence is
wisdom ; these are inspired into them
by the Lord from that sun, and they
are inspired according to reception,
and the reception is according to the
love of becoming wise. After the times
of instruction, those are sent forth
thence, who have become intelligent,
and they are called disciples of the
Lord ; they are sent forth thence first
to the west, and, those who do not con
tinue there, to the south, and some
through the south to the east, and are
introduced into societies, where their
mansions will be. Once, when I was
meditating about heaven and hell, I
began to desire universal knowledge
concerning the state of both, knowing
that he who knows the universals can
afterwards comprehend the particulars,

436

Concerning Imputation.

because these are in those, as the parts
are in a whole. In this desire I looked
towards that tract, in the northern
quarter near to the east, where the
places of instruction were, and, by a
way then opened to me, I went thither,
and entered into a college where the
young men were ; and I went there to
the head teachers, who were instruct
ing, and asked them whether they
knew the universals concerning heaven
and hell. And they replied " That
they knew something, not much ; but if
we look towards the east to the Lord,
we shall be illustrated and shall know."
And they did so, and said, " The uni
versals of hell are three, but these are
diametrically opposite to the universals
of heaven. The universals of hell are
these three loves — the love of ruling
from the love of self, the love of pos
sessing the goods of others from the
love of the world, and scortatory love.
The universals of heaven opposite to
those, are these three loves — the love
of ruling from the love of use, the love
of possessing the goods of the world
from the love of doing uses by them,
and truly conjugial love." When they
had said these things, after wishing
them peace, I departed and returned
home. ¦ When I was at home, it was
said to me from heaven, " Survey
those three universals above and below,
and afterwards we shall see them on
your hand ; it was said on the hand,
because every thing that a man surveys
with the understanding, appears to the
angels as if inscribed on the hands.
Wherefore it is said in the Revelation,
that they received a mark upon the
forehead and upon the hand, xiii. 16 ;
xiv. 9 ; xx. 4.
After this I surveyed the first univer
sal love of hell, which was the love of
ruling from the love of self; and after
wards the universal love of heaven
corresponding to it, which was the love
of ruling from the love of uses ; for it
was not lawful for me to survey one
love without the other, because the un?
derstanding does not perceive one love
without the other, for they are opposite :
wherefore, that both may be perceived,
they must be set in opposition one

against the other ; for a fair and beau
tiful face appears more conspicuous
when an ugly and deformed face is
opposed to it. When I was canvass
ing the love of ruling from the love ot'
self, it was given me to perceive that
this love was supremely infernal, and
thence with those who are in the deep
est hell ; and that the love of ruling
from the love of uses was supremely
heavenly, and thence with those who
are in the highest heaven. That the
love of ruling from the love of self is
supremely infernal, is because to rule
from the love of self is from proprium,
and the proprium of man from nativity
is evil itself, and evil itself is diamet
rically opposed to the Lord ; wherefore,
the more men advance into that evil,
the more they deny God and the holy
things of the church, and adore therri-',
selves and nature. Let those who are
in that evil only explore it in them
selves, and they will see. This love
also is such, that, so far as the reins
are given to it, which is the case when
no impossibility stands in the way, it
rushes on from one degree to another,
and even to the highest ; and there it
is not terminated, but if a higher de
gree is not given, it grieves and groans.
This love with statesmen ascends so
far, that they wish to be kings, and em
perors, and, if possible, to rule over all
things of the world, and to be called
kings of kings, and emperors of em
perors ; but the same love with clergy
men ascends so far, that they wish to be
gods, and, as far as possible, to rule over
all things of heaven, and to be called
gods. That these and those in heart
do not acknowledge any God, will be
seen in what follows. But, on the
other hand, those who wish to rule
from the love of uses, do not wish to
rule from themselves, but from the Lord,
since the love of uses is from the Lord,
and is the Lord himself; these look
upon dignities only as means for doing
uses, which they place far above dig
nities, but the former place dignities
far above uses.
When I was meditating on these
things, it was said to me by an angel
from the Lord, " Now, now, you will see,

Concerning Imputation.

437

and from sight be confirmed, what that
infernal love is." And then on a sud
den the earth opened itself on the left
hand, and I saw a devil ascending from
hell, who had on his head a square cap
pressed down over the forehead even
to the eyes ; his face full of pimples as
of a burning fever ; his eyes fierce, his
breast swelling into a rhombus ; from
his mouth he belched forth smoke like
a furnace ; his loins were completely
ignited ; instead of feet he had long
aukles without flesh, and from his body
there was exhaled a foul and stinking
heat. On seeing him I was terrified,
and cried to him, " Do not come
here ; tell whence you are." And he
replied, with a hoarse voice, " I am
from the lower regions, and there in a
society with two hundred, which is the
most supereminent of all societies.
There we all are emperors of emperors,
kings of kings, dukes of dukes, and
princes of princes; no one there is
barely an emperor, nor barely a king,
a duke and a prince. We sit there
upon thrones of thrones, and thence
send forth mandates into all the world
and beyond." Then I said to him,
" Do you not see that you are insane
from the fantasy of supereminence ? "
And he answered, " How can you talk
so ! because we absolutely seem to our
selves, and also are acknowledged by
our companions, as such." On hear
ing this, I did not wish to say again,
" You are insane," because he was in
sane from fantasy. And it was given
me to know that that devil, when he
lived in the world, was only the stew
ard of a certain house ; and that then
he was so elated in spirit, that he de
spised all the human race in comparison
with himself, and indulged the fantasy
that he was of more dignity than a
king, and even than an emperor ; in
consequence of which pride, he had
denied God, and accounted all the holy
things of the church as of no impor
tance for him, but as something for
the stupid common people. At length
I asked him, " How long do you two
hundred there, thus glory among your
selves?" He said, "Forever; but
that those of us who torture others on

account of denying supereminence,
sink down ; for it is lawful for us to
glory, but not to do evil to any one."
I asked again, " Do you know what is
the condition of those who sink down ? "
He said, " They sink down into a cer
tain prison, where they are called viler
than the' vile, or the most vile, and
where they labor." Then I said to
that devil, "Beware, then, lest you also
sink down."
After this the earth again opened
itself, but to the right ; and I saw another
devil rising up, upon whose head there
was, as it were, a mitre encompassed
with folds as of a snake, the head of
which rose up from the top ; his face
was leprous from the forehead to the
chin, and also both of his hands ; his
loins were naked and black as soot,
through which appeared a dusky fire
as of a fire hearth ; and the ankles of
his feet were like two vipers. The
former devil, seeing this, cast himself
upon his knees and adored him. I
asked, " Why so ? " He said, "He is
the god of heaven and earth, and he is
omnipotent." And then I asked him,
" What do you say to this ? " He
answered, " What shall I say ? I have
all power over heaven and hell ; the
lot of all souls is in my hand." And
I again asked, " How can he who is
emperor of emperors, submit himself
thus, and you receive adoration 1" He
answered, " He is still my slave. What
is an emperor in the sight of God ? In
my hand is the thunderbolt of excom
munication." And then I said to him,
" How can you be so insane ? You
were in the world only a priest ; and
because you labored under the fantasy
that you had the keys, and thence the
power of binding and loosing, you
worked up your spirit to this degree of
madness, that you now believe that you
are God himself." At this being indig
nant, he swore that he was, " and that
the Lord had Lot any power in heaven,
because He has transferred it all to us.
We have only to give command, and
heaven and hell obey with reverence.
If we send any one to hell, the devils
immediately receive him, and so do the
angels him whom we send to heaven.'

438

Concerning Imputation.

I asked further, " How many are there
of you in your society ? " He said,
" Three hundred, and we all there are
gods, but I am the god of gods." After
this the earth opened under the feet of
both, and they sunk down deep into
their hells ; and it was given me to see,
that, under their hells, there were work
houses, into which those would fall
who do harm to others ; for to every
one in hell is left his fantasy, and also
his glorying in it, but it is not lawful to
do evil to another. The reason that
they are such there, is because man
then is in his spirit, and the spirit, after
it is separated from the body, comes
into the full liberty of acting according
to its affections and the thoughts thence.
Afterwards it was given to look into
their hells; and the hell where the
emperors of emperors and kings of
kings were, was full of all uncleanness,
and they seemed like various wild
beasts with fierce-looking eyes : and also
in the other hell, where were the gods
and the god of gods ; and in this there
appeared direful birds of night, which
are called ochim and ijim, flying around
them ; the images of their fantasy thus
appeared to me. Hence it was mani
fest what political self-love is, and what
ecclesiastical self-love is ; that this is,
that they wish to be gods, but that, that
they wish to be emperors ; and that
they thus wish, and also aspire after
what they wish for, so far as the reins
are given to those loves.
After these sad and horrible things
had been seen by me, I looked around
and saw two angels not far from me
standing and talking together : one
was clad in a woollen robe, shining from
a bright purple, and a tunic of shining
fine linen under it: the other in similar
garments of scarlet, with a mitre in
which some carbuncles were inserted
on the right side. I went up to them
and gave the salutation of. peace; and
with reverence I asked, " Why are you
here below?" They answered, "We
have let ourselves down from heaven to
this place, at the command ofthe Lord,
to speak with you concerning the happy
lot of those who wish to rule from the
love of uses. We are worshippers of

the Lord ; I am the prince of a society,
and the other the high-priest there."
And the prince said that he was the
servant of his society, because he
served it in doing uses ; and the other
said that he was the minister of the
church there, because in serving them
he ministered holy things for the uses
of their souls; and that both are in
perpetual joys from the eternal happi
ness which was in them from the Lord;
and that every thing in that society was
splendid and magnificent ; splendid
from gold and precious stones, and
magnificent from palaces and paradises.
" The reason is, because our love of
ruling is not from the love of self, but
from the love of uses ; and because the
love of uses is from the Lord, therefore
all good uses in the heavens are splen
did and refulgent; and because we all
in our society are in this love, therefore
the atmosphere there appears gilded,
from the light there, which partakes of
the flammeous ofthe sun, and the flam
meous of the sun corresponds to that
love." When they had said this, there
appeared also to me a similar sphere
around them, and an aromatic odor
was perceived from it, which also 1
mentioned to them ; and I requested
that they would add something more to
what had been said respecting the love
of use. And they continued by saying,
" The dignities in which we are, we
sought for, indeed, but for no other end
than that we might be able more fully
to do uses and to extend them more
widely. And also we are surrounded
with honor, and we receive it, not for
the sake of ourselves, but for the good
of the society ; for our brethren and
companions, who are of the common
people there, scarcely know but that
the honors of our dignities are in us,
and thence that the uses which we do
are from us : but we feel otherwise ; we
feel that the honors of our dignities are
out of us, and that they are like the
garments with which we are clothed ;
but that the uses which we perform are
from the love of them within us from
the Lord, and this love receives its
blessedness from communication with
others by uses. And we know by ex-

Concerning Imputation.

439

perience, that as far as we do uses from
the love of them, so far that love in
creases, and with the love wisdom,
from which the communication is
made ; but that as far as we retain the
uses in ourselves, and do not communi
cate them, so far the blessedness per
ishes ; and then the use becomes like
food retained in the stomach, which, not
being diffused, does not nourish the
body and its parts, but remains undi
gested, by which sickness ofthe stomach
is occasioned. In a word, the whole
heaven is a continent of uses from first
to last : what is use but actual love of
the neighbor ? and what holds the
heavens together but this love?"
Having heard this, I asked, " How can
any one know whether he does uses
from the love of self, or from the love
of uses? Every man, whether good or
bad, does uses, and he does them from
some love. Let it be supposed that in
the world there is a society composed
of mere devils, and a society composed
of mere angels ; and I am of opinion
that the devils in their society, from the
fire of self-love and from the splendor
of their own glory, would do as many
uses as the angeis in theirs : who then
can know from what love and from
what origin the uses are?" To this
the two angels replied, " The devils
do uses for the sake of themselves, and
for the sake of fame, that they may be
promoted to honors or may gain riches ;
but the angels do uses, not for the sake
of those things, but for the sake of
uses from the love of them. Man can
not distinguish those uses, but the Lord
distinguishes them. Every one who
believes in the Lord, and shuns evils
as sins, does uses from the Lord ; but
every one who does not believe in the
Lord, nor shun evils as sins, does uses
from himself and for the sake of him
self. This is the distinction between
the uses done by devils and the uses
done by angels." The two angels,
after saying these words, departed, and
at a distance they seemed to be carried
in a fiery chariot, like Elijah, and
taken up into their heaven.
662. Another Relation. After a
certain space of time, I entered a cer

tain grove, and there walked about in
meditation on those who are in the
lust, and thence in the fantasy, of pos
sessing the things which are of the
world ; and then, at some distance
from me, I saw two angels talking
together, and by turns looking at me ;
wherefore I went up nearer. As I
approached, they spoke to me and
said, " We perceive in ourselves that
you are meditating on what we are
speaking, or that we are speaking what
you are meditating, which is from the
reciprocal communication of affections."
I asked, therefore, what they were talk
ing about. They said, " About fantasy,
about lust, and about intelligence ; and
now about those who delight themselves
with the vision and imagination of pos
sessing all the things in the world."
And then I requested that they would
express their mind respecting those
three — respecting lust, fantasy and in
telligence. And, commencing their
discourse, they said, " That every one
is inwardly in lust from nativity, but
outwardly in intelligence from educa
tion; and that no one is in intelligence,
still less in wisdom, inwardly, thus as
to the spirit, but from the Lord ; for
every one is withheld from the lust of
evil, and held in intelligence, according
as he looks to the Lord, and is at the
same time in conjunction with Him.
Without this, man is nothing but lust ;
but still, in externals, or as to the body,
he is in intelligence from education ;
for man lusts for honors and riches, or
eminence and opulence, and these two
things he does not obtain, unless he
appears moral and spiritual, thus intel
ligent and wise ; and to appear thus he
learns from infancy, which is the
reason that, as soon as he comes
among men, or into company, he in
verts his spirit, and removes it from lust,
and acts and speaks from the principles
of decency and honor, which he has
learned from his infancy, and retains in
the memory of his body ; and he takes
the greatest precaution that nothing
may come forth from the madness of
the lust in which his spirit is. Thence
every man, who is not inwardly led by
the Lord, is a dissembler, a sycophant

440

Concerning Imputation.

and a hypocrite, and thus an apparent
man, and yet not a man ; of whom it
may be said, that his shell or body is
wise, but his kernel or spirit is insane ;
and that his external is that of a man,
and his internal that of a wild beast.
Such with the hinder part of the head
look upwards, and with the forehead
look downwards ; thus they walk as if
oppressed with heaviness, the head
hanging with the face towards the
ground. When they put off the body,
and become spirits, and are then man
umitted, they become each the madness
of Jiis own lust ; for those who are in
the love of self, desire to rule over the
universe, yea, to extend the limits of it,
in order to enlarge their dominion ; they
nowhere see an end. Those who are in
the love of the world, desire to possess
every thing in it, and they are sorrow
ful and envious, if any treasures are
concealed by any ; wherefore, lest such
should become merely lusts, and thus
not men, it is given them, in the spiritual
world, to think from the loss of fame,
and thus of honor and gain, as also
from the fear of the law and its penalty ;
and it is also given to apply the mind
to some study or work, by which they
are kept in externals, and thus in a
state of intelligence, however delirious
and insane they may be inwardly."
After this I asked, whether all those
who are in lust, are also in its fantasy.
They replied, "That those are in the
fantasy of their lust, who think inwardly
in themselves, and indulge their imagi
nation too much in talking with them
selves ; for they almost separate their
spirit from its connection with the body,
and from vision overwhelm the under
standing, and foolishly entertain them
selves as with the possession of the
universe. Into this delirium the man
is let after death, who has abstracted
his spirit from the body, and has not
been willing to recede from the delight
ofthe delirium, by thinking any thing
from religion concerning evils and
falses, and least of all any thing con
cerning the unbridled love of self, that
it is destructive of love to the Lord,
and concerning the unbridled love of

the world, that it is destructive of love
towards the neighbor.
After this there came upon the two
angels, and also upon me, a desire of
seeing those who are in the visionary
lust or fantasy of possessing all wealth,
from the love of the world ; and we
perceived that that desire was inspired,
in order that they might be known.
Their abodes were under the ground of
our feet, but above hell ; wherefore we
looked at each other and said, " Let
us go." And an opening was seen,
and a ladder there ; by this we de
scended. And it was said that they
must be approached from the east, lest
we should enter into the cloud of their
fantasy, and be beclouded as to the
understanding, and then, at the same
time, as to the sight. And behold, a
house was seen, built of reeds, thus full
of chinks, standing in the cloud which,
like smoke, continually issued through
the chinks of the walls* on three sides.
We entered ; and there were seen fifty
here, and fifty there, sitting upon
benches ; and, being turned from the
east and south, they were looking to
wards the west and north. Before each
one there was a table, and upon the
table purses filled full, and around the
purses a plenty of gold coin. And we
asked, " Are those the riches of all
in the world ? " They said, " Not of
all in the world, but of all in the king
dom." The sound of their voice was
like hissing, and they appeared with
round faces, which glittered like the
shell of a cockle, and the pupil of the
eye, in a green plane, as it were spar
kled, which was from the light of fan
tasy. We stood in the midst of them
and said, " Do you believe that you
possess all the riches in the kingdom ? "
And they replied, "We do." Then
we asked, " Which of you ? " They
said, "Every one." And we asked,
"How, everyone? there are many of
you." They said, " Every one of us
knows that all his is mine; it is not
lawful for any one to think, still less to
say, Mine is not thine ; but it is lawful
to think and to say, Thine is mine."
The coin on the tables appeared as ol

Concerning Imputation.

441

pure gold, even in our sight ; but when
we let in light from the east, they were
little grains of gold, whicli, by their com
mon united fantasy, they had thus mag
nified. They said that every one that
came in must bring with him some gold,
which they cut into little pieces, and
these into little grains, and, by the unan
imous power of fantasy, they enlarge
them into coins of larger size. And
then we said, " Were you not born
men of reason ? Whence have you
this visionary infatuation ? " They
said, " We know that it is an imagina
ry vanity ; but because it delights the
interiors of our minds, we come in here
and are delighted as with the possession
of all things. But we stay here only a
few hours, after which we go out, and
then a sound mind returns to us ; but
still our visionary recreation comes
upon us again, and causes us to come
in and to go out by turns ; thus we are
by turns wise and insane. We know
also that a hard lot awaits those who,
Dy artifice, defraud othersof their goods."
We asked, " What lot? " They said,
" They are swallowed up and thrust
naked into some infernal prison, where
they are obliged to labor for clothes and
for food, and afterwards for some little
pieces of money, which they collect,
and in which they place the joy of their
heart ; but if they do evil to their com
panions, they must give a part of their
money for a fine.
663. Third Relation. Once I was
in the midst of angels and heard their
discourse ; their discourse was concern
ing intelligence and wisdom, that man
does not feel or perceive otherwise than
that they both are in himself, and thus
that whatever he wills and thinks is
from himself; when yet not a particle
of them is from man, but only the
faculty of receiving them. Among
the many things which they mentioned,
there was also this, that the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil in the gar
den of Eden signified the faith, that
intelligence and wisdom were from
man ; and that the tree of life signified
that intelligence and wisdom were from
God ; and because Adam, by the per
suasion of the serpent, ate of the for-
56

mer tree, thus believing that he should
be, or should become, like God, there
fore he was driven out of the garden
and condemned. While the angels
were in this discourse, there came twc
priests, together with a man who in the
world had been an ambassador of a
kingdom, and I related to them what
I had heard from the angels concern
ing intelligence and wisdom ; on hear
ing which, those three began to dispute
about each of them, and also about
prudence, whether they are from God
or from man. The dispute was warm ;
the three believed alike, that they are
from man, because sensation itself and
thence perception confirm it; but the
priests, who then were in theological
zeal, insisted that nothing of intelli
gence and wisdom and thus nothing of
prudence was from man, and this they
confirmed from these things in the
Word ; A man cannot take any thing,
unless it be given to him from heaven,
John iii. 27 ; and from these, Jesus
said to the disciples, Without Me ye can
not do any thing, xv. 5. But then, be
cause it was perceived by the angels,
that, although the priests spoke thus,
still in heart they believed the same as
the ambassador, therefore the angels'
said to them, " Put off your garments,
and put on the garments of ministers
of state, and believe that you are such."
And they did so ; and then they thought
from their interior selves, and spoke
from the arguments which they inwardly-
cherished, which were, that all intelli
gence and wisdom dwell in man, and
that they are his ; saying, " Who has
ever yet felt, that they flowed in from
God ?" And they looked each other in
the face, and confirmed each other.
It is something peculiar in the spiritual,
that a spirit thinks himself to be such,
as the garment upon him is : the rea
son is, because the understanding
clothes every one there. At that mo
ment there appeared a tree near them,
and it was said to them, " It is the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil;
beware that you do not eat from it."
But still, being infatuated with their
own intelligence, they burned with the
desire of eating from it ; and they said

442

Concerning Imputation.

one to another, " Why not? Is not the
fruit good ? " And they went up and
ate. When the ambassador observed
this, they went together and became
cordial friends ; and, holding each other
by the hand, they went together the
way of their own intelligence, which
led towards hell ; but still I saw them
returning thence, because they were
not yet prepared.
664. Fourth Relation. Once I
looked into the spiritual world to the
right, and observed some of the elect
conversing together ; and I went up to
them, and said, "I saw you at a dis
tance, and around you a sphere of heav
enly light, from which I knew that you
were of those who in the Word are
called the elect; wherefore I came up
for the sake of hearing on what heaven
ly subject you are conversing." And
they replied, " Why do you call us the
elect ? " I answered, " Because in
the world, where I am in the body, they
know no otherwise than that by the
elect in the Word are meant those who
are elected by God, before they were
born or after they were born, and pre
destinated to heaven ; and that to them
alone faith is given, as the badge of
election, and that the rest are repro
bated and left to themselves, that they
may go whatever way they please to
hell ; when yet I know, that no elec
tion is made before nativity nor after it,
but that all are elected and predesti
nated, because all are called, to heaven ;
and that the Lord, after death, elects
those who have lived well and believed
aright, and elects them after they have
been explored. That it is so, has been
given me to know from much experi
ence ; and because I saw you encircled
as to your heads with a sphere of heav
enly light, I perceived that you were of
the elect, who are being prepared for
heaven." To this they replied, " You
relate things not heard before. Who
does not know, that there is not any
man born, who is not called to heaven ;
and that out of them, after death, those
are elected, who had believed in the
Lord, and lived according to his com
mandments ; and that to acknowledge
any other election, is to accuse the

Lord himself not only of inability to
save, but also of injustice ?"
665. After this a voice was heard
out of heaven, from the angels who
were immediately above us, saying,
" Come up hither, and we will ask one
of you, who is still in the natural world
as to the body, what they know there
about Conscience." And we went'
up ; and after entering, some wise ones
came to meet us, and they asked me,
" What do they know in your world
about conscience ? " And I replied,
" Let us go down, if you please, and
call together, both from the laity
and from the clergy, a number of those
who are believed to be wise ; and we
will stand directly under you and ques
tion them, and thus you will hear with
your ears what they will answer."
And it was done so ; and one of the
elect took a trumpet, and sounded it
towards the south, the north, the east
and the west ; and then, after an hour's
time, there came so many that they
almost filled up the space of a furlong.
And the angels from above arranged
them all into four companies, one of
which consisted of politicians, another
of scholars, the third of physicians,
and the fourth of clergymen ; to whom,
being thus arranged, we said, " Par
don us, that you have been called
together ; the reason is, because the
angels who are directly above us have
an ardent desire to know what you
thought, in the world in which you were
before, concerning conscience, and
thence what you still think concerning
it, since you still retain the former ideas
concerning such things ; for it has been
related to the angels, that the knowledge
concerning conscience is among the
knowledges that have been lost in the
world." After this we began ; ana
first we turned ourselves to the com
pany which consisted of politicians,
and requested that they would say from
the heart, if they pleased, what they
had thought, and thence what they still
thought, concerning Conscience. To
this they replied one after another;
whose answers, being collected into
one, were, " That they knew no other
than that conscience was to know in

Concerning Imputation.

443

one's self, thus to be conscious, what
he has intended, thought, done and
spoken." But we said to them, " We
did not ask about the etymology of the
word conscience, but about conscience."
And they replied, " What else is con
science, but a pain arising from the
fearful anticipation of the losses of
honor or of wealth, and also of reputation
on account of those two ? But that pain
is removed by feasts, and by cups of
noble wine, and by talk about the sports
of Venus and her boy." To this we
said, " You are jesting ; tell us, if you
please, whether any of you has ever
felt any anxiety from any other source."
They replied, " Why from any other
source? is not the whole world like a
theatre, upon which every one acts his
•part, as comedians do upon theirs ?
We have eluded and circumvented a
multitude, each one by his own lust ;
these by mockeries, these by flatteries,
these by knaveries, these by pretended
friendship, these by feigned sincerity,
and these by other politic artifice and
intrigue. We have thence no pain
of mind, but on the contrary cheerful
ness and gladness, which we silently
and yet fully exhale from an expanded
breast. We have heard, indeed, from
some of our sodality, that anxiety and
straitness, as it were, of the heart and
breast, and thence, as it were, a con
traction of the mind, have at times
come upon them ; but when they asked
the apothecaries about these things,
they were instructed that they were
from a melancholy humor arising from
things undigested in the stomach, or
from a disordered state of the spleen ;
but with respect to some of these, we
have heard of their being restored to
their former cheerfulness by drugs."
After we had heard this, we turned
ourselves to the company which con
sisted of scholars, among whom there
were also several skilled in natural
philosophy; and, addressing them, we
said, " You, who have studied the
sciences, and are thence believed to be
oracles of wisdom, tell, if you please,
what conscience is." And they re
plied, " Why, what a proposition this
is! We have heard, indeed, that there

is, with some, sadness, sorrow and
anxiety, infesting not only the gastric
regions of the body, but also the habi
tations ofthe mind ; for we believe that
the two brains are those habitations,
and, because these consist of connected
fibres, that there is some acrid humor,
which twitches, bites and gnaws the
fibres there, and thus so compresses
the sphere ofthe thoughts of the mind,
that it cannot be diffused into any
agreeable recreations from varieties ;
thence it comes to pass, that man
attends only to one thing, by which the
tensibility and elasticity of those fibres
are destroyed, whence their obnixity
and stiffness, from which arises an ir
regular motion of the animal spirits,
which is called by physicians ataxy,
and also a defect in their functions,
which is called lipothymy. In a word,
the mind then sits as if it were beset
with hostile troops, nor can it turn
itself hither and thither any more than
a wheel fastened with nails, or than a
ship fixed on quicksands. Such strait-
nesses of the mind, and thence of the
breast, arise in those with whom the
reigning love suffers loss; for if this is
opposed, the fibres ofthe brain contract
themselves, and that contraction pre
vents the mind from expatiating freely,
and enjoying delights in various forms :
these persons, when they are in this
crisis, are seized, each according to his
temperament, with various kinds of
fantasy, madness and delirium, and
some with brain-sick scruples in reli
gious matters, which they call stings of
conscience." After this we turned
ourselves to the third company, which
consisted of physicians, among whom
there were also surgeons and apotheca
ries ; and we said, " You perhaps know
what conscience is, whether it is a
troublesome pain which seizes both the
head and the parenchyma of the heart,
and thence the epigastric and hypogas
tric regions situated below, or some
thing else." And they replied, "Con
science is nothing but such pain ; we
know the origins of it better than others,
for they are contingent diseases, which
infest the organic parts of the body, and
also the organic parts of the head, con-

444

Concerning Imputation.

sequently also the mind, for this sits in
the organs ofthe brain, like a spider in
the centre of the threads of her web,
through which she runs back and forth
in like manner. These diseases we
call organic diseases, and those of them
which at times return, chronic diseases.
But such pain as is described to us by
sick people, as the pain of conscience,
is nothing else than a hypochondriac
disease, which primarily deprives the
spleen, and secondarily the pancreas
and mesentery, of their proper func
tions ; thence are deri"ed diseases of
the stomach, among which is cacochy-
my ; for a compression ;s made about
the orifice of the stomach, which is
called cardialgy ; from these are derived
humors impregnated with black, yellow
or green bile, by which the smallest
blood-vessels, which are called capil
lary, are obstructed, whence cachexy,
atrophy and symphesis, and likewise
a spurious peripneumony from sluggish
phlegm, and an ichorous and corrosive
lymph in the whole mass of the blood.
The same things also flow from the
falling of purulent matter into the
blood and its serum, from opened
empyemas, abscesses, and imposthumes
in the body ; which blood, when it rises
through the carotids into the head, frets,
corrodes and consumes the medullaries,
corticals and meninges of the brain,
and thus excites pains, which are called
the pains of conscience." On hearing
these things, we said to them, " You
speak in the language of Hippocrates
and Galen. Those things are Greek
to us ; we do not understand them.
We did not ask about these diseases,
but about conscience, which is of the
mind alone." And they said, " The
diseases of the mind and the diseases
of the head are the same ; and these
ascend from the body, for they cohere
like two stories of one house, between
which there are stairs for ascending
and descending; wherefore we know
that the state of the mind depends in
separably on the state of the body.
But those heavinesses or headaches,
which we took you to mean by con
science, we have cured, some by plas
ters and cupping-glasses, some by in

fusions and emulsions, and some by
condiments and by anodynes." When,
therefore, we still heard the like things
from them, we turned ourselves away
from them, and towards the clergymen,
and said, " You know what conscience
is ; tell, therefore, and instruct these
who are present." And they replied,
" What conscience is, we know and
we do not know. We believed that
it was the contrition which precedes
election, that is, the moment when man
is gifted with faith, by whicli a new
heart and a new spirit is made for him
and he is regenerated ; but we perceived
that that contrition happened to few ;
to some only dread and thence anxiety
on account of hell-fire, and scarcely to
any on account of sins and thence the
just anger of God ; but those we '
confessors healed by the gospel, that
Christ, by the passion of the cross, took
away condemnation, and thus extin
guished hell-fire, and opened heaven to
those who are blessed with faith, on
which is inscribed the imputation of
the merit of the Son of God. Besides,
there are conscientious persons of va
rious religions, both true and fanatical,
who make for themselves scruples in
things of salvation, not only those which
are essential, but also those which are
formal, and even in those which are
indifferent. Wherefore, as we said
above, we know that conscience is ;
but what it is, or what true conscience^
which must be altogether spiritual, is,
we do not know."
666. All these things, which were said
by the four companies, the angels who
were above them heard ; and they said
»one to another, " We perceive that no
one in Christendom knows what con
science is; wherefore \v<- will send down
one from us who may instruct." And
then immediately there stood in the
midst of them an angel in white rai
ment, about whose head there appeared
a lucid girdle in which were small stars;
and, addressing the four companies, he
said, " We heard in heaven that you
brought forth your sentiments in or
der concerning Conscience, and that
all supposed that it is a certain pain of
mind, which infests the head with heavi-

Concerning Imputation.

445

ness and thence the body, or the body
and thence the head ; but conscience,
viewed in itself, is not any pain, but it
is a spiritual willingness to do accord
ing to the thin*s which are of religion
and faith. Thence it is, that those who
enjoy conscience are in the tranquillity of
peace and in internal blessedness, when
they do according to conscience, and in
a certain intranquillity when they do
contrary to it. But the pain of mind
which you believed to be conscience
is not conscience, but it is temptation,
which is a combat of the spirit and the
flesh ; and this, when it is spiritual,
derives its source from conscience, but
if it is only natural, it derives its origin
from the diseases which the physicians
just recounted. But what conscience
is may be illustrated by examples. A
priest, who has a spiritual willingness
to teach truths for the end that his
flock may be saved, he has conscience ;
but he who does so for any other rea
son as an end, has no conscience. A
judge, who looks only at justice, and
does it with judgment, he has con
science ; but he who primarily looks
at reward, friendship and favor, has no
conscience. Again, every man who
has the goods of another in his posses
sion, without the other's knowledge,
and thus can gain them without fear of
the law, and of the loss of honor and
fame, if still he returns them to the
other, because they are not his own,
he has conscience, for he does what is
just for the sake of what is just. Sup
pose also there be one, who can come
to an office, but he knows that another,
who also seeks it, would be more useful
to society ; if he gives place to the
other for the good of society, he has a
good conscience ; and so in other cases.
All those who have conscience, speak
from the heart whatever ¦ they speak,
and do from the heart whatever they
do ; for they have not a divided mind.

for they do and speak according to that
which they understand and believe to
be true and good. Hence it follows,
that a more perfect conscience may be
given with those who are in the truths
of faith more than others, and who are
in a clearer perception than others, than
with those who are less illustrated, and
in olscuie perception. The spiritual
life itself of man is in a true conscience,
for there his faith is conjoined to chari
ty ; wherefore to do from conscience
is to them to do from their spiritual
life, and to do contrary to conscience,
is to them to do contrary to their spirit
ual life. Besides, who does not know,
from common discourse, what con
science is ? As, when it is said of any
one, ' He has a conscience,' is it not
then also understood, he is a just man ?
And, on the other hand, when it is said
of any one, ' He has no conscience,'
is it not then also understood, he is an
unjust man ? " When the angel had
said these things, he was suddenly ta
ken up into his heaven ; and the four
companies came together into one, and
after they had conversed together some
time about the things which the angel
had spoken, behold, they were again
divided into four companies, but into
other ones than before ; into one, where
were those who comprehended the words
of the angel, and assented to them ;
into another, where were those who did
not comprehend, but still favored ; into
a third, where were those who did not
wish to comprehend, saying, " What
have we to do with conscience ? " into
a fourth, where weie those who mocked,
saying, " What is conscience but a
puff? " And I saw them withdrawing
from each other, and then the two for
mer companies going off to the right,
and the two latter companies to the left,
and these descending, but those ascend
ing.-

446

Concerning Baptum.

CHAPTER XII.

CONCERNING BAPTISM.

667. That without Knowledge
concerning the Spiritual Sense of
the Word, no one can know what
the two Sacraments, Baptism and
the Holy Supper, involve and ef
fect.
That there is a spiritual sense in all
and every part of the Word, and that
this sense has been hitherto unknown,
and that it is at this day opened for the
sake of the New Church which is to
be instituted by the Lord, was shown in
the chapter concerning the Sacred
Scripture. What that sense is, may
be seen not only there, but also in the
chapter concerning the Decalogue,
which was also explained according to
that sense. Unless that sense had
been opened, who would think any
thing else concerning the two sacra
ments, baptism and the holy supper,
than according to the natural sense,
which is the sense of the letter ? And
thence any one might say or mutter to
himself, " What is . baptism but the
pouring of water upon the head of an
infant ? and what is this to salvation ? "
And also, " What is the holy supper
but the taking of bread and wine ? and
what is this to salvation ? And besides,
where is there any thing holy in them,
except from this, that they have been
received and enjoined from the eccle
siastical order as holy and divine, and
that in themselves they are nothing
more than ceremonies, concerning
which the churches say, that when the
Word of God comes to those elements,
they become sacraments?" I appeal to
the laity and also to the clergy, whether
they have perceived in spirit and heart
any thing else concerning those sacra
ments ; and that they have worshipped
them as divine for various causes and

reasons ; when yet those two sacraments,
viewed in the spiritual sense, are the
most holy things of worship : that they
are such, will be evident from what
follows, where their uses will be ex
plained. But because the uses of these
sacraments can never come into the
mind of any one, unless the spiritual
sense disclose and unfold them, it fol
lows that, without that sense, no one can
know but that they are ceremonies,
which are holy because they were in
stituted by command.
668. That baptism was commanded,
is manifestly evident from the baptism
of John in the Jordan, to which ail
Judea and Jerusalem came, Matt. iii.
5, 6 ; Mark i. 4, 5 ; and also that the
Lord himself our Savior was baptized by
John, Matt. iii. 13 to 17; and moreover
that He commanded the disciples, that
they should baptize all nations, xxviii.
19. Who does not see, if he is will
ing to see, that there is something divine
in that institution, which has hitherto
been concealed, because the spiritual
sense of the Word was not before re
vealed ? And this is now revealed,
because the Christian church, such as it
is in itself, is now first commencing ;
the former church was Christian only
in name, but not in essence and re
ality. 669. The two sacraments, baptism
and the holy supper, are, in the Chris
tian church, like two jewels on the scep
tre of a king ; but if their uses are not
known, they are like two figures of
ebony on a staff. Those two sacra
ments in the Christian church may also
be compared with two rubies or car
buncles in the robe of an emperor ; but
if their uses be unknown, they are like
two carnelians or crystals in any gown.

Concerning Baptism.

447

Without the uses of those two sacra-
ments,revealed by means of the spirit
ual sense, mere conjectures would be
spread concerning them, such as are
with those who divine from the stars,
yea, such as were with those formerly
who presaged from the flying of birds
or from the entrails of beasts. The uses
of those two sacraments may be com
pared to a temple, which, from its an
tiquity, has sunk down into the earth,
and lies covered with ruins even to its
roof, over which the young and the
old walk and ride in coaches and on
horses, not knowing that any such tem
ple is under their feet and concealed, in
which are altars of gold, walls within
of silver, and decorations of precious
stone ; which cannot be dug up and
brought forth into the light, except by
means of the spiritual sense, which is
at this day disclosed'for the New Church,
on account of its use in the worship of
the Lord. Those sacraments also may
be compared to a double temple, one of
which is below and the other above ;
and in the lower of which the gospel
concerning the new advent of the
Lord is preached, and also concerning
regeneration and thence salvation by
Him. From this temple, around the
altar, there is an ascent into the upper
temple, in which the holy supper is cel
ebrated, and thence a passage into
heaven, where the Lord receives them.
They may be compared to the taberna
cle, in which, behind the entrance, ap
peared the table upon which the bread
of faces was arranged in order ; and
also the golden altar for incense, and in
the midst the candlestick with the lamps
lighted, by which all those things come
into view ; and at length, for those who
suffer themselves to be illuminated, the
veil is opened to the holy of holies,
where, in the place of the ark, in which
the decalogue had been, the Word is
laid up, over which was the propitia
tory with cherubs of gold. These are
representations of those two sacraments
with their uses.
670. II. That by the Washing
which is called Baptism, is meant
spiritual Washing, which is Purifi

cation from Evils and Falses, and
thus p.egeneration.
That washings were enjoinei upon
the sons of Israel, is known from t. e
statutes made by Moses, as that Aaron
should wash himself before he put ot.
the garments of the ministry, Le^.
xvi. 4, 24 ; and before he came to the
altar to ir inister, Exod. xxx. 18 to 21 ;
xl. 30, 31 ; in like manner the Levites,
Num. viii. 6, 7 ; and also others who
became unclean by sins ; and that they
are said to be sanctified by washings, Ex.
xix. 14; xl. 12; Lev. viii. 6: where
fore, that they might wash themselves,
a brazen sea and many lavers were
placed near the temple, 1 Kings vii.
23 to 39 : yea, that they washed vessels
and utensils, as tables, benches, beds,
dishes and cups, Lev. xi. 32 ; xiv. 8,
9; xv. 5 to 12; xvii. 15, 16; Mark
vii. 4. But washings and many such
like things were commanded and en
joined upon the sons of Israel, because
the church instituted with them was
a representative church, and this was
such, that it prefigured the Christian
church which was about to come.
Wherefore, when the Lord came into
the world, He abrogated the representa-<
tives, which all were external, and in
stituted a church, of which all things
should be internal ; thus the Lord put
away the figures, and revealed the effi
gies themselves ; as one removes a veil
or opens a door, and causes the things
within not only to be seen, but also to
be approached. Of all those things the
Lord retained only two, which should
contain, in one complex, all things of the
internal church ; which two things are
baptism instead of washings, and the
holy supper instead of the lamb, which
was sacrificed every day, and fully at
the feast of the passover.
671. That the washings above men
tioned figured and shadowed forth, that
is,represented, spiritual washings, which
are purifications from evils and falses,
is manifestly evident from these : When
the Lord shall have washed away the
filth of the daughters of Zion, and the
blood, by the spirit of judgment, ana
by the spirit of cleansing, Isaiah iv 4

448

Concerning Baptism.

Tliough thou ivash thyself with nitre,
and apply to thyself much soap, still
thy iniquity will retain spots, Jer. ii.
22; Job ix. 30,31. Wash me from
my iniquity, and I shall be whiter than
snow, Psalm li. 2, 7. Wash thy heart
from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that thou
mayest be saved, Jer. iv. 14. Wash
yourselves, make yourselves clean ; re
move the wickedness of your works from
my eyes ; cease to do evil, Isaiah i. 16.
That the washing of the spirit of man
was meant by the washing of his body,
and that the internal things of the
church were represented by external
things, such as were in the Israelitish
church, manifestly appears from these
words of the Lord : The Pharisees
and scribes, seeing that his disciples ate
bread with unwashed hands, found
fault; {for the Pharisees and all the
Jews, unless they wash their hands up
to the ivrist, eat not; beside many
other things which they have received
to hold, as the washing of cups, and
earthen and brazen vessels, and beds;)
to whom and to the multitude the Lord
said, Hear Me, all of you, and under
stand ; there is nothing out of a man,
which, entering into him, can make him
unclean; but the things which go out qf
him make him unclean, Mark vii. 1, 2,
3, 4, 14, 15; Matt. xv. 2, 11, 17, 18,
19, 20. And in other places ; as, Wo to
you, scribes and Pharisees, because you
make the outside of the cup and of the
platter clean, but the insides are full
of rapine and excess. Blind Pharisee,
first make the inside of the cup and of
the platter clean, that the outside may
be made clean also, Matt, xxiii. 25,
26. From these it is evident, that by
the washing which is called baptism,
spiritual washing is meant, which is
purification from evils and falses.
672. What man of sound reason
cannot see, that the washing of the
face, of the hands and feet, and of all
the limbs, yea, of the whole body in a
bath, effects nothing else than that the
dirt is washed off, so that, in the sight
of men, in the human form they may
appear clean ? And who cannot under
stand that no washing enters into the

spirit of man and makes this equall)
clean ? For every villain, robber or
murderer can wash himself even to
neatness : is the disposition of the vil
lain, the robber and tne murderer thus
wiped away ? Does not the internal
flow into the external, and work the
effects of its will and understanding;
but not the external into the internal''
for this is contrary to nature, because
contrary to order ; but that is according
to nature, because according to order
673. Hence it follows, that washings,
and baptisms also, unless the internal
of man be purified from evils and falses,
effect nothing more than the platters
and plates cleansed by the Jews; and
as it also follows there, than the sepul
chres, which outwardly appear beautiful,
but within are full of the bones of the
dead, and of all uncleanness, Matt.
xxiii. 25 to 28; which is still more
manifest from this, that the hells are
full of satans from men as well baptized
as not baptized. But what good
baptism effects, will be seen in what,
follows. Wherefore, without its uses
and fruits, it conduces no more to sal
vation, than the triple cap on the pope's
head, and the sign of the cross on his
shoes, to his pontifical supereminence;
nor more than the purple robe about a
cardinal to his dignity, or the cloak
about a bishop to the true discharge of
his ministry ; nor more than the throne,
crown, sceptre and robe of a king, to
his regal power ; nor more than the cap
of silk upon the head of a laurelled
doctor to his intelligence ; nor more
than the standards before troops of
horsemen to their bravery in war.
Yea, it may further be said, that it does
not purify man any more than the
washing of a sheep and a lamb before
shearing; for the natural man, separate
from the spiritual man, is merely an ani
mal; yea, as was before shown, he is
more of a wild beast than the wild
beast of the forest. Wherefore, if you
are washed with the water of rain, with
the water of dew, with the waters of
the most excellent fountains, or, as the
prophets say, if you are cleansed with
nitre, hyssop or soap every day, still

Concerning Baptism.

449

you are not purified from iniquities,
except by means of regeneration, con
cerning which we have treated in the
chapters concerning Repentance and
concerning Reformation and Regen
eration. 674. III. That Baptism was in
stituted in the Room of Circum
cision ; because by the Circumcision
of the Foreskin, was represented
the Circumcision of the Heart, in
order that an Internal Church
might succeed the External
Church, which in all and every
Thing figured forth the Internal
Church. It is known in the Christian world,
that there is an internal and an exter
nal man, and that the external is the
same with the natural man, and the
internal the same with the spiritual
man, because his spirit is in it; and,
because the church consists of men, that
there is given an internal church and
an external church ; and, if the succes
sions of churches from ancient times to
the present, be traced, it will be seen
that the former churches were external
churches, that is, that their worship
consisted in external things, which
represented the internal things of the
Christian church, which was founded
by the Lord when he was in the world,
and now is first being built up by Him.
The primary thing which distinguished
the Israelitish church from the rest in
the Asiatic world, and afterwards from
the Christian, was circumcision ; and
because, as has been said, all the things
of the Israelitish church, which were ex
ternal, figured forth all the things of
the Christian church, which are inter
nal, therefore the primary sign of that
church was inwardly similar to the sign
of the Christian church ; for circum
cision signified the rejection of the lusts
of the flesh, and thus purification from
evils; baptism also signifies the like.
Whence it is manifest, that baptism
was commanded in the room of circum
cision, in order both that the Christian
church might be distinguished from
the Jewish church, and that the inter
nal church might thus be better
known; and this is known from the
57

uses of baptism, which will be treated
of in what follows.
675. That circumcision was insti
tuted for a sign that the men of the
Israelitish church were of the posterity
of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is evi
dent from these words : God said to
Abraham, This is the covenant with
Me, which ye shall observe between Me
and you, and thy seed after thee ; cir
cumcise every male among you, and ye
shall circumcise the flesh of your fore
skin, that it may be for a sign of the
covenant between Me and you, Gen.
xvii. 10, 11 ; which covenant, or its
sign, was afterwards confirmed by
Moses, Lev. xii. 1, 2, 3. And because
that church was distinguished from the
rest by that sign, therefore, before the
sons of Israel passed over the Jordan,
it was commanded that they should be
circumcised again, Josh. v. The rea
son was, because the land of Canaan
represented the church, and the river
Jordan introduction into it. And
moreover, that they might remembei
that sign in the land of Canaan itself,
this was commanded : When ye shall
have come into the land, and shall have
planted every tree for food, ye shall
circumcise the foreskin qf its fruit;
three years it shall be to you uncircum-
cised, it shall not be eaten, Lev. xix.
23. That circumcision represented,
and thence signified, the rejection of
the lusts of the flesh, and thus purifica
tion from evils, the same as baptism, is
evident from the passages in the Word
where it is said, that they should cir
cumcise the heart, as in these : Moses
said, Circumcise the foreskin of your
heart ; harden not your neck, Deut.
x. 16. Jehovah God will circumcise thy
heart, and the heart of thy seed, that
thou mayest love Jehovah thy God
from thy whole heart, and from thy
whole soul, that thou mayest live, xxx.
6. And in Jeremiah : Circumcise your
selves to Jehovah, that He may remove
the foreskins of your heart, ye men of
Judah and inhabitants qf Jerusalem,
lest my anger go forth like fire, on ac
count qf the wickedness of your works,
iv. 4. And in Paul: In Jesus Christ
neither circumcision availeth any thing,

450

Concerning Baptism.

nor uncircumcision, but faith working
by charity; and a new creature, Gal.
v. 6; vi. 15. From these now it is
manifest, that baptism was instituted in
the place of circumcision, because, by
the circumcision of the flesh, the cir
cumcision of the heart was represented,
which also signifies purification from
evils ; for evils of every kind arise from
the flesh, and the foreskin signifies its
filthy loves. Since circumcision and
the washing of baptism signify the same
thing, therefore it is said in Jeremiah,
Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, that
He may remove the foreskins of your
heart, iv. 4 ; and a little after, O Je
rusalem, wash thy heart from wicked
ness, that thou mayest be saved, verse
14. What the circumcision and wash
ing of the heart are, the Lord teaches
in Matt. xv. 18, 19.
676. There were many among the
sons of Israel, and there are at this day
many among the Jews, who believe
themselves to have been elected in pref
erence to all others, because they have
been circumcised ; and among Chris
tians, because they have been baptized;
when yet both circumcision and bap
tism were given only for a sign and for
a memorial, that they should be puri
fied from evils, and thus become elect.
What is an external without an internal
with man, but like a temple without
worship, which is not for any use, un
less it may serve for a stable ? And
further, what is an external without an
internal, but like a field of mere straw
and stalks without any corn? or like
a vineyard of mere branches and leaves
without any grapes? or like a fig-tree
without its fruit, which the Lord
cursed? Matt. xxi. 19; or like the
lamps in the hands of the foolish virgins
without oil ? Matt. xxv. 3 ; yea, what,
but like a habitation in a mausoleum,
where dead bodies are under the feet,
bones about the walls, and nocturnal
spectres flying under the roof? or
like a coach drawn by leopards, upon
which a wolf sits as coachman, and an
ideot rides in it? For the external
man is not the man, but only the figure
of a man ; for the internal, which is,
to be wise from God, makes the man.

So it is with one who is circumcised
and baptized, unless he circumcise or
wash his heart.
677. IV. That the first Use of
Baptism is Introduction into the
Christian Church, and at the same
Time Insertion among Christians in
the Spiritual World.
That baptism is an introduction into
the Christian church, is evident from
many things, as from these : (1.) That
baptism was instituted in the place of
circumcision, and that as circumcision
was a sign that they were of the Isra
elitish church, so baptism is a sign that
they are of the Christian church, as
was shown in the preceding article;
and a sign does nothing else than that
they may be known, like swaddling
clothes of diverse colors put on the in
fants of two mothers, that they may be
distinguished from each other, and may
not be changed. (2.) That it is only a
sign of introduction into the church, is
manifestly evident from the baptizing
of infants, who are partakers of no
reason at all, and are not as yet more
fit for receiving any thing of faith, than
young shoots in any tree. (3.) That
not only infants are baptized, but also
all foreign proselytes who are converted
to the Christian religion, both small
and great, and this before they have
been instructed, merely from the con
fession that they wish to embrace Chris
tianity, into which they are inaugurated
by baptism ; which also the apostles
did, according to the words of the Lord,
that they should make disciples of all
nations, and baptize them, Matt, xxviii.
19. (4.) That John baptized all that
came to him from Judea and Jerusalem,
in the Jordan, iii. 6 ; Mark i. 9. The
reason why he baptized in the Jordan
was, because the entrance into the
land of Canaan was through that river ;
and by the land of Canaan was signi
fied the church, because it was there ;
and thence, by the Jordan, introduction
into it. That that land signified the
church, and the Jordan introduction
into it, may be seen in the Apocalypse
Revealed, n. 285. But this is done
on earth ; but in the heavens, infants
are introduced by baptism into the

Concerning Baptism.

451

Christian heaven, and angels are there
assigned to them by the Lord, to take
care of them. Wherefore, as soon as
infants are baptized, angels are ap
pointed over them, by whom they are
kept in a state of receiving faith in the
Lord ; and as they grow up, and come
to the exercise of their own right and
their own reason, the guardian angels
leave them, and they associate to them
selves such spirits as make one with
their life and faith. Whence it is
manifest, that baptism is an insertion
among Christians also in the spiritual
world. 678. That not only infants, but also
all, are inserted by baptism among Chris
tians in the spiritual world, is because
people and nations in that world are
distinguished according to their reli
gions; Christians are in the middle,
Mahometans around them, idolaters of
various kinds behind them, and Jews
at the sides. Moreover, all of the same
religion are arranged into societies in
heaven according to the affections of
love to God and towards the neighbor ;
in hell into congregations according to
the affections opposite to those two loves,
thus according to the lusts of evil. In
the spiritual world, by which we mean
both heaven and hell, all things are
most distinctly arranged, in the whole
and in every part, or in general and in
every particular.^ On the distinct ar
rangement there, '4fie preservation of
the whole universe depends, and this
distinction cannot / be effected, unless
every one, after hef is born, be known by
some sign, indicating to what religious
assembly he belongs ; for without the
Christian sign, which is baptism, some
Mahometan spirit, or some one of the
idolaters, might apply himself to Chris
tian infants newly born, and also to
children, and infuse into them an in
clination for his religion, and thus draw
away their mind and alienate them
, from Christianity, which would be to
distort and destroy spiritual order.
679. Every one, who traces effects to
causes, may know that the consistence
of all things depends on order ; and
that there are manifold orders, general
and particular ; and that there is one,

which is the most universal of all, and
on which the general and particular
ones depend in a continued series ; and
that the most universal one enters into
all, as the essence itself into forms ; and
that thus, and thus only, they make one :
this oneness is what causes the preser
vation of the whole, which otherwise
would fall to pieces, and not only re
lapse into the first chaos, but into
nothing. How would it be with man,
unless all and every thing in his body
were most distinctly arranged, and the
whole of them depended on one heart
and lungs ? What else but a confused
something? Could the stomach then
exercise its functions, the liver and pan
creas theirs, the mesentery and meso
colon theirs, the kidneys and intestines
theirs ? It is from the order in them
and among them, that all and each of
them appear before man as one. With
out distinct order in the mind or spirit
of man, and unless the whole of it de
pended on the will and understanding,
what could it be, but a confused and
indigested something ? Without that
order, would a man be able to think and
will any more than his picture on a
tablet, or his statue in the house ? What
would man be without the most orderly
influx from heaven, and the reception of
it? And what would this influx be,
without one most universal, on which
the government of the whole and of all
its parts depends, thus unless it were
from God, and unless in Him and from
Him all things existed, lived and moved ?
These things may be illustrated to the
natural man by innumerable things, as
by these : What would an empire or
kingdom be without order, but a gang
of robbers, many of whom being gath
ered together would slay thousands, and
at length a few, these many ? What
would a state be without order ? yea,
what would a house be without order ?
And what would a kingdom, state, or
house be, unless some one in each
should act as supreme ?
680. Besides, what is order without
distinction ? and what is distinction with
out indications? and what are indica
tions without signs, by which the qual
ities are known ? For without a knowl-

452

Concerning Baptism.

edge of the qualities, order is not
known as order. The signs or signa
tures in empires and in kingdoms are
titles of dignities and rights of admin
istration annexed to them ; thence are
subordinations, by means of which all
are arranged together as into one : in
this manner a king exercises, according
to order, his regal power distributed
among many, whence a kingdom be
comes a kingdom. The case is similar
in very many other things, as in armies :
what valor would they have, unless they
were distinguished in an orderly man
ner into phalanxes, these into cohorts,
and these into companies ; and subordi
nate leaders were appointed over each,
and one over all, who is supreme ?
And what would those arrangements
be, without the signs, which are called
standards, to show in what station every
one is to be ? By such means all act
in battles as one, and without them they
would rush against the enemy, like
troops of dogs, with open mouths, howl
ing and empty fury ; and then all with
out strength would be cut to pieces by
the enemy arranged in the proper order
of battle ; for what can the divided do
against the united ? By these things
is illustrated this first use of baptism,
which is a sign in the spiritual world,
that he is of Christians, where every
one is inserted among societies and
congregations there, according to the
quality of the Christianity in him or
out of him.
681. V. The second Use of Bap
tism IS THAT THE CHRISTIAN MAY
know and acknowledge the lord
Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and
Savior, and follow Him.
This other use of baptism, which is,
that one may know the Lord, the Re
deemer and Savior Jesus Christ, in
separably follows the first, which is,
that there may be introduction into the
Christian church, and insertion among
Christians in the spiritual world ; and
what is that first use without this other,
but only a name ? It is like a subject
who attaches himself to a king, and yet
disobeys his laws or those of his coun
try, and attaches himself to a foreign
king, and serves him ; or like a servant

who engages himself to some master,
and receives a livery as his badge, and
runs away and in his livery serves an
other ; or like a standard-bearer who
goes off with the standard, and cuts it
in pieces, and throws the pieces of it
either into the air, or under the soldiers'
feet, that they may be trampled upon.
In a word, the name that one is a Chris
tian, that is, that he is of Christ, and
not to acknowledge Him and follow
Him, that is, to live according to his
commandments, is as empty as a
shadow, as smoke, and as a blackened
picture ; for the Lord says, Why call
ye Me Lord, and do not the things
that I say ? Luke vi. 46, and the
following. Many will say to Me in that
day, Lord, Lord; but then I shall con
fess to them, I know you not, Matt. vii.
22, 23.
682. By the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, nothing else is meant in the
Word, than an acknowledgment of Him,
and a life according to his command
ments. The reason why His name
signifies those things, you may see in
the explanation of the second com
mandment of the decalogue, Thou shalt
not take the name of God in vain.
Nothing else is meant by the name of
the Lord in these passages : Jesus
said, Ye will be hated by all nations on
account of my name, Matt. x. 22; xxiv.
9, 10. Wlicre two or three are gath
ered together in, my name, there am, J
in 'the midst of tliem, xviii. 20. As
many as received Him, to them He
gave power that they might be sons of
God, believing in his ndme, John i. 12.
Many believed in his name, ii. 23. He
that believeth not is already judged,
because he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God, iii.
17, 18. Believing, they shall have
life in his name, xx. 31. On account
cf my name thou hast labored and hast
not fainted, Rev. ii. 3 ; and elsewhere.
Who cannot see, that by the name of
the Lord, in those passages, is not meant
the name only, but the acknowledg
ment of Him, that He is the Redeemer
and Savior, and at the same time
obedience, and at length faith in Him?
for at baptism an infant receives the

Concerning Baptism.

453

sio-n of the cross upon the forehead and
breast, which is a sign of inauguration
into the acknowledgment and worship
of the Lord. By name also is meant
the quality of any person ; the reason
is, because, in the spiritual world, every
one is named according to his quality ;
wherefore by the name that one is a
Christian, is meant his quality, that he
has faith in Christ, and charity towards
the neighbor, from Christ. This is
meant by name in the Revelation. The
Son of Man said, I have a few names
in Sardis, that have not defiled their
garments} and they shall walk with Me
in white, because they arc worthy, Rev.
iii. 4. By walking with the Son of
Man in white, is signified to follow the
Lord, and to live according to the truths
of his Word. The like is meant by
name in John : Jesus said, The sheep
hear my voice, and I call my own sheep
by name, and lead them out. I go be
fore them, and the sheep follow Me, be
cause they know my voice ; but a stran
ger they do not follow, because they
know not the voice of strangers, x. 3,
4, 5. By name is by the quality, in
that they are Christians ; and to follow
Him is to hear his voice, that is, to
obey his commands. This name all
receive at baptism, for it is in the sign.
6S3. Wh'at is a name without the
thing, but a something vain, and a
sound, such as rebounds from the trees
of a forest, or from arched roofs, which
is called an echo? or like the almost
inanimate sound from persons dream
ing ? or like the sound of the wind of
the sea, or of a machine, in which there
is nothing of use? Yea, what is the
name of being a king, a duke, a consul,
a bishop, an abbot, a monk, without
the office which adheres to the name,
but vanity? Thus what is the name
of being a Christian, when yet the man
lives like a barbarian, and contrary to
the precepts of Christ, but like looking
at the sign of Satan instead of the sign
of Christ, whose name, nevertheless,
was interwoven in golden threads at
baptism? What are those, who, after
<hey have received the signature of
Christ, laugh at his worship, scoff at his
name, and profess Him, not as the Son

of God, but as the son of Joseph, but
rebels and regicides ? And what are
their speeches, but blasphemies against
the Holy Spirit, which cannot be for
given in this world nor in the future ?
These, like dogs with open mouths, bite
the Word, and tear it to pieces with their
teeth. With these, who are opposed to
Christ and his worship, all the tables are
full qf the vomit of eating, Isaiah xxviii.
8 ; xlviii. 26 ; when yet the Lord Jesus
Christ is the Son of the Most High
God, Luke i. 32, 35; the Only-begot
ten, John i. 18; iii. 16; the true God
and eternal Life, 1 John v. 20, 21 ;
in whom all the fulness of the Godhead
dwelleth bodily, Coloss. ii. 9; and that
He is not the son of Joseph, Matt. i.
25 ; besides in thousands of other
places.
684. VI. That the third Use of
Baptism, which is the final Use, is,
that Man may be regenerated.
This use is the very use for the sake
of which baptism was instituted, thus
the final use ; the reason is, because
he who is truly a Christian, knows and
acknowledges the Lord the Redeemer
Jesus Christ, who, because He is the
Redeemer, is also the Regenerator.
That redemption and regeneration
make one, may be seen in the chapter
concerning Reformation and Regen
eration, art. iii. And also a Christian
possesses the Word, in which the means
of regeneration are fully described; and
the means there are faith in the Lord,
and charity towards the neighbor.
This is the same with what is said con
cerning the Lord, that He baptizeth
with the Holy Spirit and fire, Matt. iii.
11; Mark i. 9 to 11; Luke iii. 16;
John i. 33. By the Holy Spirit is
meant the divine truth of faith, and by
fire the divine good of love or charity,
both proceeding from the Lord. That
the divine truth of faith is meant by
the Holy Spirit, may be seen in the
chapter concerning the Holy Spirit :
and that the divine good of love is
meant by fire, may be seen in the
Apocalypse Revealed, n. 468, 395;
and by means of these two, all regene
ration is effected by the Lord. The
reason that the Lord himself was bap-

454

Concerning Baptism.

tized by John, (Matt. iii. 13 to 17;
Mark i. 9; Luke iii. 21, 22,) was not
only that He might institute baptism for
the future, and go before as an example,
but also because He glorified his Hu
man, and made it Divine, as He regen
erates man. and makes him spiritual.
685. From what has been said before
and now, it may be seen, that the three
uses of baptism cohere as one ; in like
manner as the first cause, the mediate
cause, which is the efficient, and the
ultimate cause, which is the effect, and
the end itself for the sake of which the
former were. For the first use is, that
one may be named a Christian; the
second, following from this, is, that he
may know and acknowledge the Lord
the Redeemer, Regenerator and Sa
vior ; and the third is, that he may be
regenerated by Him, and when this is
done, he is redeemed and saved. Since
these three uses follow in order, and
join themselves together in the last,
and thence, in the idea of the angels,
cohere as one, therefore, when baptism
is performed, read in the Word, and
named, the angels who are present do
not understand baptism, but regenera
tion ; wherefore by these words of the
Lord, Whosoever believeth and is bap
tized, shall be saved, but whosoever be
lieveth not shall be condemned, Mark
xvi. 16, this is understood by the angels
in heaven, that he who acknowledges
the Lord and is regenerated is saved.
Thence also it is, that baptism is called
by Christian churches on earth the
Laver of Regeneration. Let the
Christian, therefore, know that whoso
ever doth not believe in the Lord cannot
be regenerated, although he has been
baptized; and that baptizing, without
faith in the Lord, does nothing at all,
may be seen above in this chapter, art.
ii. n. 673. That baptism involves
purification from evils, and thus regen
eration, may be very well known to
every Christian; for when the priest, as
an infant is baptized, makes with his
finger a sign of the cross on the fore
head and on the breast, as a memorial
of the Lord, he afterwards turns him
self to the sponsors, and asks whether
he renounces the devil and all his

works, and whether he receives faith,
to which, instead of the infant, it is
answered by the sponsors, " Yes."
Renunciation of the devil, that is, of
the evils which are from hell, and faith
in the Lord, perfect regeneration.
686. It is said in the Word, that the
Lord God our Redeemer baptizes with
the Holy Spirit and fire : that by this
is meant, that the Lord regenerates
man by the divine truth of faith, and
by the divine good of love or charity,
may be seen above in this article, n.
684. Those who have been regenerat
ed by the Holy Spirit, that is, by the
divine truth of faith, are in the heav
ens distinguished from those who have
been regenerated by fire, that is, by
the divine good of love. Those who
have been regenerated by the divine
truth of faith, go in heaven in white
garments of fine linen, and are called
spiritual angels ; but those who have
been regenerated by the divine good
of love, go in purple garments, and are
called celestial angels. Those who go
clothed in white garments, are meant
by these : They follow the Lamb, clothed
in fine linen white and clean, Rev. xix.
14. They shall walk with Me in white,
iii. 4 ; and also vii. 14. The angels at
the Lord's sepulchre, seen in white and
shining garments, (Matt, xxviii. 3 ; Luke
xxiv. 4,) were of this kind ; for fine
linen signifies the righteousness qf the
saints, Rev. xix. 8, where this is openly
said. That garments, in the Word,
signify truths, and white and fine linen
garments, divine truths, may be seen
in the Apoc. Revealed, n. 379, where
that is shown. That those who have
also been regenerated by the divine
good of love are in purple garments, is
because purple is the color of love,
which it derives from the fire of the
sun and its redness, by which is signi
fied love : see the Apocalypse Re
vealed, n. 468, 725. Since garments
signify truths, therefore he who was
found among the guests not clothed
with wedding garments, was cast out
and cast into outer darkness, Matt.
xxii. 11, 12, 13.
687. Besides, baptism, like regenera
tion, is represented, both in heaven and

Concerning Baptism.

455

in the world, by many things. In heaven,
as has now been said, by white and
purple garments, and besides by the
marriage of the church with the Lord ;
and also by the new heaven and new
earth, and the New Jerusalem descend
ing thence, concerning which, He that
sat upon the throne said, Behold I
make all things new, Rev. xxi. 1 to 4,
5; and by the river of living water
proceeding from the throne of God and
ofthe Lamb, xxii. 1, 2; and also by
the five prudent virgins, who had lamps
and oil, and went in with the bride
groom to the wedding, Matt. xxv. 1,
2, 10. One baptized, that is, regen
erated, is meant by creature, Mark xvi.
15 ; Rom. viii. 19, 20, 21 ; and by a new
creature, 2 Cor. v. 17 ; Gal. vi. 15 : for
creature is said from to be created, by
which also is signified to be regenerat
ed : see the Apocalypse Revealed,
n. 254. In the world, regeneration is
represented by various things, as by
the blossomings of all things of the
earth in the time of spring, and by
their successive growth even to fructifi
cations; in like manner, by the growth
of every tree, shrub and flower, from
the first month of heat even to the last
of it. It is represented also by the pro
gressive ripening of all fruits from the
first stamen to full maturity : it is
represented then by morning and even
ing showers and by dews, at the coming
of which the flowers open themselves,
and at the darkness of night they con
tract themselves; again, by the fra
grances from gardens and fields, and
also by the rainbow in the cloud, Gen.
ix. 14 to 17; as also by the splendid
colors of the morning before sunrise ;
and, in general, by the continual reno
vation of all things in bodies, by means
of the chyle, and by means of the ani
mal spirit, and thence the blood, the
purification of which from useless things,
and renovation, and as it were regen
eration, is perpetual. If attention be
given to the vilest things in the earth,
an image of regeneration is presented
in the wonderful transformation of silk
worms and many other worms into
nymphs and butterflies, and in that of
others, which in time are furnished with

wings. To which we may add things
still more trivial ; it is represented by
the desire of certain birds of immersing
themselves in waters for the sake of
washing and cleansing themselves,
after which they return, like the nightin
gales, to their songs. In a word, the
whole world, from the firsts to the lasts
of it, is full of representations and types
of regeneration.
688. VII. That by Means of the
Baptism of John, a Way was pre
pared, that Jehovah the Lord
might be able to come down into
the World and perform Redemp
tion.
It is read in Malachi, Behold I send
my angel, who will prepare the way
before Me; and suddenly the Lord
whom ye seek will come to his temple,
even the Angel of the covenant, whom
ye desire. Wlio will be able to bear
the day of his coming, and who will
stand when He shall appear ? iii. 1, 2.
And again; Behold I will send to you
Elijah the prophet, before the great
and terrible day of Jehovah cometh,
lest I come and smite the earth with a
curse, iv. 5, 6. And Zachariah the
father, prophesying concerning his son
John : Thou child shalt be called the
prophet of the Most High ; thou shalt
go before the face of the Lord, to pre
pare his ways, Luke i. 76. And the
Lord himself, concerning John : This
is he of whom it is written, Behold 1
send my angel before my face, who will
prepare thy way before Thee, Luke vii.
27. From these it is evident, that John
was that prophet who was sent to pre
pare the way for Jehovah God, that He
might come down into the world, and
perform redemption ; and that he pre
pared that way by baptism, and then
the annunciation of the coming of the
Lord ; and that without that prepara
tion, all there would have been smitten
with a curse, and would have perished
689. The reason why a way was
prepared by the baptism of John was,
because, by means of that, as was
shown above, they were introduced
into the future church of the Lord, and
in heaven were inserted among those
there, who expected and desired the

456

Concerning Baptism.

Messiah, and thus were guarded by
angels, so that devils from hell might
not break forth and destroy them.
Wherefore it is said in Malachi, Who
will be able lo bear the day of his com
ing ? and, Lest Jehovah come and smite
the earth with a curse, iii. 2, and iv. 6.
In like manner in Isaiah ; Behold the
day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, and of
indignation, and cf wrath, and of an
ger. I will shake the heaven, and the
earth shall tremble out of its place, in
the day of the wrath of his anger, xiii.
6, 9, 13; xxii. 5, 12. Likewise in
Jeremiah, that day is called a day of
wasting, of vengeance, and of destruc
tion, iv. 9 ; vii. 32 ; xlvi. 10, 21 ; xlvii.
4 ; xlix. 8, 26 : in Ezekiel, a day
of anger, of cloud and thick darkness,
xiii. 5; xxx. 2, 3, 9; xxxiv. 11, 12;
xxxviii. 14, 16, 18, 19 : and also in
Amos, v. 13, 18, 20; viii. 3, 9, 13: in
Joel, the great and terrible day of
Jehovah, and who will be able to bear
it? ii. 1, 2, 11; iii. 2, 4: and in
Zephaniah ; In that day there shall be
the voice of a cry ; the great day of
Jehovah is near, this day a day of wrath,
a day of trouble and distress, a day of
wasting and devastation. In the day
of Jehovah's wrath the whole earth shall
be devoured, and He will make a consum
mation with all the inhabitants of the
earth, i. 7 to 18 : besides in other
places. From which it is manifest, that
unless a way had been prepared for
Jehovah coming down into the world,
by baptism, the effect of which in heav
en was, that the hells were closed, and
the Jews preserved from total destruc
tion, [they must have perished]. Jeho
vah also said to Moses, In one moment,
if I should come up into the midst of
thee, I should consume the people, Exod.
xxxiii. 5. That it is so, is clearly man
ifest from the words of John to the mul
titudes coming out to be baptized by
him : O generation of vipers, who
hath warned you to flee from the wrath
to come ? Matt. iii. 7 ; Luke iii. 7.
That John also taught Christ and his
coming, when he baptized, may be seen
Luke iii. 16; John i. 25, 26, 31, 32,
33 : iii. 26. Hence it is manifest how
John prepared the way.

690. As to what concerns the bap»
tism of John, it represented the cleans
ing of the external man ; but the bap
tism which is at this day with Chris
tians, represents the cleansing of the
internal man, whicli is regeneration :
wherefore it is read, that John baptized
with water, but that the Lord baptizes
with the Holy Spirit and fire ; and
therefore the baptism of John is called
the baptism of repentance, Matt. iii. 2 ;
Mark i. 4, and the following ; Luke
iii. 3, 16; John i. 25, 26, 33; Acts
i. 22; x. 37; xviii. 25. The Jews
who were baptized were merely exter
nal men, and the external man cannot
become internal without faith in Christ.
That those who were baptized with the
baptism of John became internal men,
when they received faith in Christ, and
then were baptized in the name of
Jesus, may be seen in the Acts of the
Apostles, xix. 3 to 6.
691. Moses said to Jehovah, Show
me thy glory ; to whom Jehovah said,
Thou canst not see my face, because no
man shall see Me and, live. And He
said, Behold there is a place where thou
shalt stand upon a rock, and I will put
thee in a hole of the rock, and I will
cover thee with my hand, until 1 shall
have passed by ; and when I shall have
removed my hand, thou shalt see my
back parts, but my face shall not be
seen, Exod. xxxiii. 18 to 23. The
reason why man cannot see God and
live, is, because God is Love itself, and
Love itself or the Divine Love, in the
spiritual world, appears before the an
gels as a sun, distant from them as
the sun of our world is distant from
men. Wherefore, if God, who is in the
midst of that sun, should approach near
to the angels, they would perish, as
men would if the sun of the world
should approach to them, for it is equally
burning ; for which reason there are
perpetual temperatives, which modify
and moderate the heat of that love, lest
it should flow in, as it is in itself, into
heaven, for then the angels would be
consumed. And therefore, when the
Lord exhibits Himself more immediate
ly present in heaven, the wicked who
are under heaven begin to lament, to be

Concerning Baptism.

457

tortured, and to become inanimate ;
wherefore they flee away into caves and
clefts of the mountains, crying, Fall
upon us, and hide us from the face of
Him that sitteth upon the throne, Rev.
vi. 16; Isaiah ii. 19,21. The Lord
himself does not descend, but an angel
with a sphere of love from the Lord
around him. I have several times seen
the wicked terrified by that descent, as
if they saw death itself before their
eyes ; some who precipitated themselves
deeper and deeper into hell, and some
driven to madness. Thence it was
that the sons of Israel prepared them
selves for three days, before the descent
of Jehovah the Lord upon mount Sinai ;
and that the mount was hedged around,
lest any one should approach and die,
Exod. xix. It was similar with the
holiness of Jehovah the Lord in the
decalogue, then promulgated and written
upon two tables with the finger of God,
and afterwards laid up in the ark, over
which, in the tabernacle, the mercy-seat
was placed, and upon this the cherubs,
that no one might touch that holiness
immediately with the hand or eye ; to
which neither could Aaron come but
once in a year, after he had expiated
himself by sacrifices and incense.
Thence it was that the Ekronites and
Bethshemites to several thousands died,
only because they saw the ark with
their eyes, 1 Sam. v. 11, 12; vi. 19:
and also Uzzah, because he touched it,
2 Sam. vi. 6, 7. From these few things
it has been illustrated, , with what a
curse and destruction the Jews would
have been smitten, unless they had
been prepared, by means of the bap
tism of John, for receiving the Messiah,
who was Jehovah God in the human
form, and unless He had assumed the
Human, and thus revealed Himself; and
that they were prepared by this, that in
heaven they were enrolled and num
bered among those who, in heart, ex
pected and desired the Messiah ; whence
angels were then sent and made their
guardians. 692. To the above I shall add these
Relations. First. When I was
going home from the school of wisdom,
58

I saw in the way an angel in a violet-
colored garment. He joined himself
to my side, and said, " I see that you
have come from the school of wisdom,
and that you were delighted with the
things heard there ; and because I
perceive that you are not fully in this
world, because you are at the same
time in the natural world, and are
therefore ignorant of our Olympiac gym
nasiums, where the ancient sages meet
together, and learn of the new comers
from your world what changes of state
and successions wisdom has under
gone and still undergoes ; if you please,
I will conduct you to a place where
several of the ancient sages and their
sons, that is, their disciples, dwell."
And he conducted me to the confines
between the north and east ; and when,
from an elevated place, I looked forward
thither, behold, there appeared a city,
and on one side of it two hills, and the
one next to the city lower than the
other ; and he said to me, " That city
is called Athenaeum, the lower hill
Parnassiuvn, and the higher Heli-
conaeum. They are so called, because
the ancient wise men in Greece, as Py
thagoras, Socrates, Aristippus, Xeno
phon, with their disciples and scholars,
reside in the city and around it." And
I inquired about Plato and Aristotle.
He said that they and their followers
dwelt in another region, because they
taught rational things, which are ofthe
understanding; but the former, moral
things, which are of life. He said that
students were frequently sent away
from the city Athenaeum to the learned
of the Christians, that they might tell
what they think at this day concerning
God, concerning the creation of the
universe, concerning the immortality
of the soul, concerning the state of
man relative to the state of beasts, and
concerning other subjects which are of
interior wisdom. And he said that'
the herald had announced a meeting
to-day, an indication that the emissaries
had found new comers from the earth,
from whom they have heard curious
things. And we saw many going out
of the city and from the vicinity, some
having laurels upon their heads, some

458

Concerning Baptism.

holding palms in their hands, some
with books under their arms, and some
with pens under the hair of the left
temple. We joined them, and went up
together with them ; and behold, upon
the hill an octagonal palace, which they
called the Palladium ; and we entered,
and behold there eight hexangular
apartments, in each of which there was
a library, and also a table, at which the
laurelled ones sat down ; and in the
Palladium itself were seen seats carved
out of stone, upon which the rest seated
themselves. And then a door was
opened to the left, through which two
new comers from the earth were intro
duced, and after they had been saluted,
one of the laurelled ones asked them,
" What news from the earth ? "
And they said, " The news is, that they
have found in the woods men like
beasts, or beasts like men ; but that
from the face and body they know that
they were born men, and in the second
or third year of their age lost or left in
the woods. They said that they could
not express any thing of thought, nor
learn to articulate sound into any word ;
that they did not know the food con
venient for them, as beasts do, but that
they put wild fruits both clean and un
clean . into their mouth ; beside many
other things; from which some of the
learned with us conjectured, and some
concluded, many things concerning the
state of men relative to the state of
beasts." On hearing this, some of the
ancient sages asked, " What do they
conjecture and conclude from them ? "
And the two new comers answered,
" Many things, which, however, may be
referred to these : 1. That man, from
his nature, and also from nativity, is
more stupid, and thence more vile, than
any beast, and that he becomes so, if
he is not instructed. 2. That he can
be instructed, because he has learned
to sound articulately, and thence to
speak ; and that by this means he began
to utter thoughts, and this successively
more and more, until he could express
the laws of society, many of which,
however, are impressed upon beasts
from nativity. 3. That beasts have
rationalitv as well as men. 4. Where

fore, if beasts could speak, they would
reason on any subject as ingeniously
as men ; a proof of which is, that they
think from reason and prudence as well
as men. 5. That understanding is
only a modification of light from the
sun, heat cooperating, by means of
ether, so that it is only the activity of
interior nature, and that this can be
exalted so that it may appear as wisdom.
6. That it is therefore vain to believe
that man lives after death, any more
than a beast; except that he may, per
haps, for several days after his decease,
from an exhalation of the life of the
body, appear as a thick cloud under
the form of a ghost, before he is dissi
pated into nature ; scarcely otherwise
than as a twig, taken out of the ashes,
appears in the likeness of its own form.
7. Consequently that religion, which
teaches a life after death, was invented,
that the simple may be held inwardly
in bondage by its laws, as they are
held outwardly by the laws of the state.'1
To this they added, that the merely in
genious reason thus, but not the intelli
gent. And they asked, " How do the
intelligent? " They said that they had
not heard, but that they thought so.
On hearing these things, all who sat
at the tables said, " Oh ! what times
now upon the earth ! Alas ! what
changes has wisdom undergone ! Is it
not turned into an infatuated ingenuity?
The sun is set, and it is under the
earth diametrically opposite to its me
ridian. From the case of those who
were left and found in the woods, who
may not know that man uninstructed
is such ? Is he not as he is instructed ?
Is he not born in ignorance more than
the beasts ? Must he not learn to walk
and to speak? If he did not learn to
walk, would he raise himself up on his
feet ? If he did not learn to speak,
would he utter any thing of thought ?
Is not every man just as he is instruct
ed, insane from falses, and wise from
truths ? And is not he who is insane
from falses, in the full persuasion that
he is wiser than one who is wise from
truths? Are there not idiots and in
sane persons, who are no more men
than those found in the woods ? Are

Concerning Baptism.

459

not those who are deprived of memory
like these ? From all these cases we
have concluded, that man, without in
struction, is not a man nor a beast, but
a form which can receive into itself
"that which makes a man ; and thus that
he is not born a man, but that he be
comes a man ; and that man is born such
a form, that he may be an organ recep
tive of life from God, in order that he
may be a subject into which God can
put every good, and, by union with him
self, make him happy for ever. We
perceive, from your discourse, that wis
dom at this day is so far extinguished
or infatuated, that they know nothing
at all concerning the state of the life of
men relative to the state of the life of
beasts ; thence it is, that they do not
know the state of the life of man after
death. But those who could know this,
but are not willing to know it, and
thence deny it, as many of you Chris
tians do, we can liken to those found
in the woods ; not that they became so
stupid from want of instruction, but
that they have made themselves so stu
pid by means of the fallacies of the
senses, which are the darkness of
truths." But then a certain one, standing in
the middle of the Palladium, holding
in his hand a palm, said, " Unfold, I
pray, this mystery, how man, cre
ated a form of God, could be changed
into the form of the devil. I know that
the angels of heaven, are forms of God,
and that the angels of hell are forms of
the devil ; and the two are opposite to
each other, these insanities, and those
wisdoms. Tell, therefore, how a man,
created a form of God, could pass from
day into such night as to be able to
deny God and eternal life." To this
the teachers answered in order, first
the Pythagoreans, then the Socratics,
and afterwards the rest. But among
them there was a certain Platonist : he
spoke last, and his opinion prevailed,
which was, " That the men of the
Saturnian or the golden age knew and
acknowledged, that they were forms re
ceptive of life from God, and that, there
fore, wisdom was inscribed upon their
souls and hearts ; and thence, that from

the light of truth they saw truth, and by
means of truths perceived good from
the delight of the love of it. But as ,
the human race, in the following ages,
receded from the acknowledgment that
all the truth of wisdom, and thence
the good of love with them, continually
flowed in from God, they ceased to be
habitations of God ; and then also ceas
ed communion with God, and consocia
tion with angels ; for the interiors ot
their mind were bent out of their
direction, which had been elevated up
wards to God by God, into a direction
more and more oblique outwards into
the world, and thus to God by God
through the world ; and at length turn
ed about into the opposite direction,
which is downwards to themselves.
And because God cannot be looked at
by man interiorly inverted, and thus
averted, men separated themselves
from God and became forms of hell,
and thus of the devil. Hence it follows,
that in tiie first ages they acknowledged,
in heart and soul, that they had all the
good of love, and thence the truth of
wisdom, from God, and also that these
were of God in them, and thus that they
were mere receptacles of life from God.
and thence called images of God, sons
of God, and born of God ; but that in
succeeding ages they did not acknowl
edge that in heart and soul, but with a
certain persuasive faith, and then with
an historical faith, and, at last, only
with the mouth ; and to acknowledge
such a thing only with the mouth, is not
to acknowledge it, yea, it is to deny it
in heart. Hence it may be seen, what
sort of wisdom there is at this day on
the earth with Christians; although
from a written revelation they could be
inspired by God, yet they do not know
the distinction between man and beast;
and thence many believe, that if man
lives after death, beasts will live also; or,
because a beast does not live after death,
that man will not. Has not our spirit
ual light, which enlightens the sight of
the mind, with them become thick
darkness ? And has not their natural
light, which enlightens only the sight
of the body, become to them bright
ness ? "

460

Concerning Baptism.

After this, they all turned themselves
towards the two new comers, and thank
ed them for coming and telling the
news, and requested that they would re
late to their brethren the things which
they had heard. And the new comers
replied, that they would confirm their
brethren in this truth, that, as far as they
attribute all the good of charity and
truth of faith to the Lord, and not to
themselves, so far they are men, and so
far they become angels of heaven.
693. Second Relation. After
some weeks, I heard a voice from
heaven, saying, " Behold, again a meet
ing in Parnassium ; come hither, we
will show the way." I went up, and
when I was near, I saw a certain one
upon Heliconaeum with a trumpet,
with which he announced and pro
claimed the meeting. And I saw them
going up from the city Athenaeum and
its confines, as before ; and in the midst
of them, three new comers from the
world. Those three were from the
Christians ; one was a priest, another
a politician, and the third a philosopher ;
these they entertained in the way with
various conversation, especially concern
ing the ancient wise men, whom they
named. They asked if they should
see them. They said that they should,
and, if they wished, they might speak
to them, since they were affable. They
asked about Demosthenes, Diogenes, and
Epicurus. They said, "Demosthenes
is not here, but with Plato. Diogenes,
with his scholars, resides under Heli
conaeum, because he reputes the things
of the world as of no account, and re
volves in his mind only heavenly things.
Epicurus dwells to the west, on the
boundary ; nor does he come in to us,
because we distinguish between good
affections and evil affections, and say
that good affections are in agreement
with wisdom, and evil affections are
contrary to wisdom." When they had
ascended the hill Parnassium, some
guards there brought water from the
fountain there, in crystal cups, and
said it was water from the fountain,
concerning which the ancients fabled
that it was broken through by the hoof
of the horse Pegasus, and afterwards

consecrated to the nine virgins But
by the winged horse Pegasus the
ancients understood the understanding
of truth, by which is wisdom ; by the
hoofs of his feet they understood ex
periments, by which is natural intelli
gence; and by the nine virgins, they
understood knowledges and sciences
of every kind. These things are at
this day called fables, but they were
correspondences, from which the prime
val people spoke. The companions
said to the three new coiners, " Do not
wonder; the guards have been in
structed to speak thus ; and we under
stand, by drinking water from a foun
tain, to be instructed concerning truths,
and, by means of truths, concerning
goods, and thus to be wise." After this
they entered the Palladium, and with
them the three new comers from the
world — the priest, the politician and the
philosopher. And then the laurelled
ones who sat at the tables asked, "What
news from the earth ? " And they
answered, " This is new, that a cer
tain man affirms that he speaks with
angels, and has his sightopen into the
spiritual world equally as he has it open
into the natural world ; and he brings
thence many new things, among which
are these : That man lives a man after
death, just as he did before in the world ;
that he sees, hears, speaks, as before in
the world ; that he is clothed and adorn
ed as before in the world ; that he hun
gers and thirsts, eats and drinks, as
before in the world ; that he enjoys
conjugial delight as before in the world ;
that he sleeps and awakes as before
in the world ; that there are there
lands and lakes, mountains and hills,
plains and valleys, fountains and rivers,
paradises and groves ; and also that
there are there palaces, and houses, and
cities, and villages, as in the natural
world ; as also that there are writings and
books, and that there are employments
and tradings, and also precious stones,
gold and silver ; in a word, that there are
all things and every thing that there is
in the earth ; and those in the heavens
are infinitely more perfect, with the
difference only, that all the things that
are in the spiritual world are from a

Concerning Baptism.

461

spiritual origin, and thence spiritual, be
cause they are from the sun there, which
is pure love ; and that all the things
that are in the natural world are from a
natural origin, and thence natural and
material, because they are from the sun
there, which is pure fire ; in a word,
that man after death is perfectly man,
yea, more perfectly man than before in
the world ; for before, in the world, he
was in a material body, but in this he
is in a spiritual body."
After these things were said, the
indent wise men asked, " What do
they think about those things upon
earth ? " The three said, " We know
that they are true, because we are here,
and have surveyed and explored them
all; wherefore we will tell how they
talked and reasoned about them upon
the earth." And then the Priest said,
" Thtise who are of our order, at first,
when they heard those things, called
them visions, then fictions, afterwards
that he may have seen spectres, and at
last they hesitated and said, ' Believe
if you will ; we have hitherto taught
that man is not to be in a body after
death, before the day of the last judg
ment.'" And they asked, "Are there
not some intelligent ones among them,
who can demonstrate and convince
them of the truth, that man lives a man
after death?" The priest said, " There ,
are those who demonstrate, but they do
not convince. Those who demonstrate,
say that it is contrary to sound reason
to believe that man does not live a man
before the day of the last judgment,
and that in the mean time he is a soul
without a body. What is the soul, and
where is it, in the mean time ? Is it
breath, or something of wind fly
ing about in the air, or an entity hid in
the middle of the earth ? Where is its
location? {Pu) Are the souls of Adam
and Eve, and of all after them now for
six thousand years, or sixty centuries,
flying about in the universe, or kept
shut up in the centre of the earth, and
in expectation of the last judgment ?
What is more anxious and miserable
than such expectation ? May not their
condition be compared with the condi
tion of those who are bound with chains

and fetters in prisons ? If such were
the condition of men after death, would
it not be better to be born an ass than
a man ? Is it not also contrary to rea
son to believe, that the soul can be
reinvested with its body ? Is not the
body eaten up by worms, mice and
fishes ? And can a bony skeleton, burnt
up by the sun or reduced to dust, be
put into that new body ? How will
those cadaverous and stinking things
be collected and united to the souls 1
But to such things, when they hear
them, they do not answer any thing
from reason, but stick to their faith,
saying, ' We keep reason under obedi
ence to faith.' To the collecting of
all from the sepulchres at the day of
the last judgment they say, ' This is
the work of omnipotence.' And when
they name omnipotence and faith, rea
son is banished ; and I can say, that
then sound reason is as nothing, and to
some as a spectre ; yea, they can say
to sound reason, ' You are insane.' "
Having heard these things, the wise
men of Greece said, " Are not those
paradoxes, as contradictions, dissipated
by themselves ? And yet, at this day,
they cannot be dissipated in the world
by sound reason. What more paradox
ical can be believed, than that wh' ;h is
told about the last judgment? -that
then the universe is to be des jyed,
and that then the stars of heaven are
to fall down upon the earth, which is
smaller than the stars ; and that then
the bodies of men, whether carcasses
or mummies eaten up by men, or float
ing atoms, are to be reunited to their
souls ? When we were in the world,
we believed in the immortality of the
souls of men, from the inductions which
reason afforded us, and also we desig
nated places for the blessed, which
we called the Elysian fields ; and we
believed them to be human effigies or
shapes, but delicate because spiritual."
After these things were said, they turned
themselves about to another new comer,
who in the world had been a Politi
cian. He confessed that he had not
believed in a life after death, and that
he had thought concerning the new
things which he heard about it, that

462

Concerning Baptism.

they were fictions and inventions.
Meditating upon it, I said, " How can
souls be bodies? Does not all of the
man lie dead in the sepulchre 1 Is not
the eye there ? how can he see ? Is
not the ear there ? how can he hear ?
Whence has he a mouth with which he
may speak ? If any thing of man lived
after death, would it be any thing else
than like a spectre? How can a spec
tre eat and drink, and how can it enjoy
conjugial delight ? Whence has it
clothes, house, food, &c. ? And spec
tres, which are aerial effigies, appear as
if they were, and yet they are not.
These and the like things I thought in
the world, concerning the life of man
after death; but now, since I have seen
all, and touched all with my hands, I
am convinced, by thesenses themselves,
that I am a man, as in the world, so
that I know no other than that I live
just as I have lived, with the difference
that I have now sounder reason. I have
several times been ashamed of my
former thoughts." The Philosopher
related similar things respecting him
self; but yet with this difference, that
he reckoned those new things which
he had heard concerning the life after
death, among the opinions and hypoth
eses which he had collected from the
ancients and the moderns. On hear
ing these things, the sages were aston
ished ; and those who were of the
Socratic school said, that they perceived,
by the news from the earth, that the in
teriors of human minds have been suc
cessively closed up, and that now in the
world the faith of the false shines like
the truth, and an infatuated ingenuity
like wisdom, and that the light of wis-
dom, since our times, has got down from
the interiors of the brain into the
mouth, under the nose, where it appears
to the eyes as the splendor of the lip,
and the speech of the mouth thence, as
wisdom. Having he-ard these things,
one of the tyros there said, " And how
stupid are the minds of the inhabitants
of the earth at this day ! O that the
disciples of Heraclitus and Democri-
tus, who laugh at every thing, and who
weep at every thing, were present, and
we should hear great laughter and great

weeping." After this meeting was
over, they gave to the three new comers
from the earth the badges of their au
thority, which were little copperplates,
upon which some hieroglyphics were
engraved, with which they departed.
694. Third Relation. Sometime
after, I looked towards the city Athenae
um, concerning which something was
said in the foregoing Relation, and I
heard thence an unusual cry ; there
was in it something of laughter, in this
something of indignation, and in this
something of sadness ; but still that cry
was not thence discordant, but harmo
nious, because one was not together
with another, but one within another.
In the spiritual world, a variety and
mixture of affections are distinctly
perceived in sound. I asked at a dis
tance, "What is the matter?" And
they said that a messenger had come
from the place where the new comers
from the Christian world first appear,
saying, " That he heard from three
there, that in the world whence they
came, they had believed with the rest
there, that the blessed and happy after
death would have entire rest from all
labors ; and because administrations,
offices and employments are labors, that
they would have rest from them. And
because those three have now been
brought hither by our emissary, and
are standing at the door and waiting, a
cry was made ; and after consultation
they determined that they should not
be introduced into the Palladium in
Parnassium, as the former had been,
but into a large auditory there, that
they might tell their news from the
Christian world ; and some deputies
have been sent to introduce them in
due form." Because I was in the spirit,
and to spirits distances are according
to the states of their affections, and
because I then had the affection of
seeing and hearing them, I seemed to
myself present there, and saw them in
troduced, and heard them speak. The
older or wiser in the auditory sat at the
sides, and the rest in the middle ; and
before these there wss •!.-? Hevated
place; hither the threi rv.-* .j-.mers,
with the messenger, wert :; ..'V.'.ed, in

Concerning Baptism.

462

a formal manner, by the younger ones,
through the middle of the auditory.
And after silence was made, they were
saluted by a certain elder there, and
asked, " What news from the
earth ? " And they said, " There are
many new things, but tell, I pray, con
cerning what subject." And the elder
answered, " What news from the
earth concerning our world and
concerning heaven ? " And they
answered, " When we had just come
into this world, we heard that there
are there and in heaven administrations,
offices, employments, tradings, studies,
in all the departments of learning, and
wonderful pieces of workmanship ; and
yet we believed that after emigration
or translation from the natural world
into this spiritual world, we should come
into an eternal rest from labors; and
what are employments but labors ? "
To this the elder said, " By eternal rest
from labors, did you understand eternal
idleness, in which you would be con
tinually sitting and lying down, drawing
in delights with your breast, and drink
ing in joys with your mouth?" To
this the three new comers, smiling
pleasantly, said, that they supposed
some such thing. And then it was
answered them, " What have joys and
delights and the happiness thence, in
common with idleness ? From idleness
the mind collapses and is not expanded,
or the man is deadened and not en
livened. Suppose some one sitting in
perfect idleness, with his hands dan
gling, his eyes cast down or withdrawn,
and suppose that he is surrounded with
an atmosphere of gladness ; would not
a lethargy seize both his head and
body, and would not the vital expansion
of his face fall away; and at length, his
fibres being relaxed, would he not totter
and totter till he should fall to the
earth? What keeps the system of the
whole body in expansion and tension,
but the intention of the mind ? And
whence the intention of the mind, but
from occupations and employments,
when they are engaged in from delight ?
Wherefore I will tell you some news
from heaven, that there are there ad
ministrations, offices, courts of justice,

superior and inferior, mechanical arts
and trades." The three new comers
when they heard that there were courts
of justice, superior and inferior, in heav
en, said, "Why those? Are not all
in heaven inspired and led by God,
and thence do they not know what is
just and right? What need, then, of
judges?" And the elder answered,
" In this -world we are instructed, and
we learn what is good and true, and
also what is just and equitable, in like
manner as in the natural world ; and
these things we learn, not immediately
from God, but mediately through others;
and every angel, as well as every man,
thinks truth and does good as from
himself, and this, according to the state
of the angel, is mixed and not pure ;
and also among the angels there are
the simple and the wise, and the wise
will judge, while the simple, from sim
plicity and from ignorance, doubt con
cerning what is just, or depart from it.
But because you are as yet fresh in
this world, if it be your good pleasure,
follow me into our city, and we will
show you every thing." And they
went out of the auditory, and some of
the elders also accompanied them ;
and first they went into a large library,
which was distinguished into smaller
collections according to the sciences.
The three new comers, on seeing so
many books, were astonished, and said,
" Are there books, too, in this world ?
Whence are the parchment and paper,
whence the pens and ink?" To this
the elders replied, "We perceive that
you believed in the former world, that
this world was empty, because spiritual;
and that you believed this, is, because
you cherished an idea of the spiritual
abstracted from the material ; and what
is abstracted from the material appeared
to you as nothing, thus as empty, when
yet there is here a plenty of all things.
All things here are substantial, and
not materia], and material things derive
their origin from substantial things.
We who are here are spiritual men,
because substantial and not material ;
thence it is, that all the things that are
in the natural world are here in their
perfection, even books and writings, and

464

Concerning Baptism.

many more things." The three new
comers, when they heard things sub
stantial named, thought that it was
so, both because they saw written
books, and because they heard it said
that matter was originally from sub
stance. That they might be still
more confirmed concerning this, they
were brought to the abodes of the
scribes, who were transcribing copies
of what had been written by the wise
men of the city ; and they inspected
the writing, and wondered that it should
be so neat and handsome. After this
they were conducted to the museums,
gymnasiums and colleges, and where
their schools were, some of which they
called the schools of the Heliconides,
some the schools of the Parnassides,
some the schools of the Atheneides,
and some the schools of the virgins ot
the fountain. They said that these
were so called, because virgins signify
the affections of sciences, and accord
ing to the affection of sciences, every
one has intelligence ; the schools, so
called, were spiritual exercises and
trials of skill. Afterwards they were
led around in the city to the rulers,
administrators, and their subordinate
officers, and by these they were led to
the wonderful works which are done
by the workmen in a spiritual manner.
After these things were seen, the elder
spoke with them again concerning the
eternal rest from labors, into which the
blessed and happy come after death ;
and he said, "Eternal rest is not idle
ness, since from idleness there is a
languor, torpor, stupor, and sleepiness of
the mind, and thence of the whole body,
and these are death and not life, and
still less eternal life in which the angels
of heaven are. Wherefore eternal rest
is a rest that disperses those things,
and causes man to live; and this is
nothing else than such as elevates the
mind ; it is therefore some study and
work by which the mind is excited,
enlivened and delighted ; and this is
done according to the use from which,
in which, and for which one works.
Thence it is that the whole heaven is
viewed by the Lord as containing uses,
and every angel is an angel according

to use; the delight of use carries him
along, as a favorable stream does a
ship, and causes him to be in eternal
peace and in the rest of peace ; thus is
understood eternal rest from labors.
That an angel is alive according to the
exertion of the mind from use, appears
manifest from this, that every one has
conjugial love with its vigor, potency
and delights, according to the perform
ance of the genuine use in which he
is." After those three new coiners
were confirmed, that eternal rest was
not idleness, but the delight of some
work which is for use, there came
some virgins with things embroidered
and spun, the works of their own
hands, and presented these to them.
And the virgins, when those novitiate
spirits were departing, sung an ode, in
which they expressed, with angelic
melody, the affection of works of use
with its gratifications.
695. Fourth Relation. Most
people at this day, who believe in a life
after death, also believe that in heaven
their thoughts will be only devotions,
and their words only prayers, and these
and those, together with the expressions
of the face and the actions of the body,
only glorifications of God, and thus
their houses only so many houses of
worship, or temples, and thus that, all
will be priests of God. But I can
assert, that there the holy things of the
church do not occupy the minds and
houses, more than in the world, when
God is duly worshipped, although more
purely and interiorly ; but that there
the various things which are of civil
prudence, and the various things which
are of rational learning, are in their
excellence. One day I was raised up
into heaven, and brought into a society
where were the sages who, in ancient
times, excelled in learning, by study
and meditation upon such things as
were of reason, and at the same time
of use, and who are now in heaven,
because they believed in God, and now
in the Lord, and love the neighbor as
themselves. Afterwards I was intro
duced into an assembly of them, and
there was asked whence I was. 1
told them that with the body I was in

Concerning Baptism.

465

the natural world, but with the spirit
in your spiritual world. On hearing
this, those angels were delighted ; and
they asked, " What do they, in the
world, where you are with the body,
know and understand about Influx ? "
And then, after I had recollected what
I had learned about it from the dis
courses and writings of the celebrated,
I answered, "That they did not yet
know of any influx from the spiritual
world into the natural world, but con
cerning an influx from nature into the
things derived from nature, as concern
ing the influx of heat and light from
the sun into animate bodies, as also into
trees and shrubs, whence these and
those are enlivened; and also of cold
into the same, whence they become
dead ; and, moreover, concerning an
influx of light into the eyes, whence is
seeing, concerning an influx of sound
into the ears, whence is hearing, and
concerning an influx of smell into the
nostrils, whence is smelling, &c. Be
side these,- the learned of this age
reason differently concerning the influx
of the soul into the body, and of this
into the soul ; and respecting this they
are divided into three parties, whether
the influx be of the soul into the body,
which they call occasional, from the
occasion of things falling into the
senses of the body ; or whether there
be an influx of the body into the soul,
which they call physical, because ob
jects fall into the senses, and from
them into the soul ; or whether there
be a simultaneous and instantaneous
influx into the body, and at the same
time into the soul, which they term
preestablished harmony ; but yet each
thinks concerning his influx, that it is
within nature. Some believe that the
soul is a particle or drop of ether ; some
that it is a globule or spark of heat and
light ; some that it is a certain some
thing concealing itself in the brain.
But this and that, which to them is the
soul, they call, indeed, spiritual ; but
by spiritual, they understand the purer
natural, for they do not know any thing
about the spiritual world and about the
influx of this into the natural world;
wherefore they remain within the
59

sphere of nature, and in it ascend and
descend, and raise themselves into it,
like eagles in the air. And those who
stop in nature, are like the inhabitants
of some island in the sea, who do not
know that there is any other country
beyond them ; and they are like the
fishes in a river, which do not know
that there is air above their waters.
Wherefore, when it is mentioned that
there is a world distinct from theirs,
where angels and spirits dwell, and that
all the influx into men, and also an
interior influx into trees, is thence,
they stand amazed, as if they heard
visionary stories about spectres, or idle
tales from astrologers. Beside the phi
losophers, our people in the world, where
I am with the body, do not, think and
speak of any other influx than of the
influx of wine into cups, of the influx
of food and drink into the stomach,
and of taste into the tongue, and also
perhaps of the influx of air into the
lungs, &c. ; but if they hear any thing
about an influx of the spiritual world
into the natural, they say, 'Let it flow
in, if it does; what advantage is it, and
of what use is it to know it ? ' and they
go away, and afterwards, when they
speak about what they have heard con
cerning that influx, they play with it,
as some play with cockles between their
fingers." Afterwards I spoke with those angels
about the wonderful things which exist
from the influx of the spiritual world
into the natural, as concerning worms
when they become butterflies, and also
concerning bees and drones, and the
wonderful things respecting silk-worms,
and also respecting spiders ; and that
the inhabitants of the earth ascribe
those things to the light and heat of
the sun, and thus to nature ; and, what
I have often wondered at, by means of
these things they confirm themselves in
favor of nature, and by confirmations
in favor of nature, they bring upon
their minds sleep and death, and be
come atheists. After this I related
wonderful things respecting vegetables,'
that they all succeed in just order from
a seed even to new seeds; just as if
the earth knew how to suit and accom-

466

Concerning Baptism.

modate its elements to the prolific prin
ciple of the seed, and from this to draw
forth the germ and expand it into a
stalk ; and from this to put forth
branches and clothe them with leaves,
and afterwards adorn them with flowers ;
and from the interiors of these to in
itiate and produce fruits, and by them,
for the sake of re-production, seeds as
an offspring. But these things, because
they have become familiar, customary
and common, by being continually ob
served, and constantly recurring, they
do not look upon as wonderful, but as
mere effects of nature ; and this they
think solely because they do not know
that there is any spiritual world, and
that this operates from within, and ac
tuates all and each of the things that
exist and are formed in the world of
nature, and upon its earth, and operates
as the human mind does into the senses
and motions of the body ; and that all
the particular things of nature are as
it were coats, sheaths and coverings,
which encompass spiritual things, and
proximately produce effects correspond
ing to the end of God the Creator.
696. Fifth Relation. ¦ Once I
prayed to the Lord that it might be
given me to speak with the disciples of
Aristotle, and at the same time with
the disciples of Descartes, and with
the disciples of Leibnitz ; in order that
I might learn the opinions of their
mind concerning the intercourse of the
soul and the body. After I had prayed,
nine men were present, three Aristote
lians, three Cartesians, and three Leib-
nitzians, and stood around me ; the
. adorers of Aristotle on the left side, the
followers of Descartes on the right, and
the favorers of Leibnitz behind. At a
distance from me, and at intervals from
each other, were seen, as it were, three
laurelled men ; and from the perception
which flowed in from heaven, I knew
that they were the leaders or founders
themselves. Behind Leibnitz there
stood one holding in his hand the skirt
of his garment, and it was said that it
was Wolfius. Those nine men, when
they looked at each other, at first
saluted and spoke to each other with
a friendly voice; but presently after,

there arose from below a spirit with a
torch in his right hand, and he vibrated
it before their faces; thence they be
came enemies, three against three, and
looked at each other with a stern as
pect; for the lust of disputing and
wrangling seized them. And then the
Aristotelians, who also were schoolmen,
rose up, saying, "Who does not see
that objects flow in through the senses
into the soul, as one enters through the
door into a room, and that the soul
thinks according to the influx? When
a lover sees a beautiful virgin or bride,
does not his eye sparkle, and carry the
love of her to the soul ? Does not a
miser, when he sees purses in which
there is money, burn for them in every
sense ? and does he not infuse this
burning thence into the soul, and excite
the desire of possessing them ? When
any proud man hears praises of himself
from another, does he not prick up his
ears ? and do not these convey them to
the soul ? Are not the senses of the
body like entries, through which alone
entrance is made to the soul ? Who
can conclude, from these and many
similar things, otherwise than that in
flux is from nature, or physical ? " To
these things the followers of Descartes,
holding their fingers under their fore
head, and now drawing them back,
replied by saying, " Alas ! you speak
from appearances. Do you not know,
that it is not the eye that loves a vir
gin or a bride, but the soul? and,
that the sense of the body does not
desire the money in the purse from
itself, but from the soul ? and also,
that the ears eagerly catch hold of the
praises of flatterers in no other man
ner ? Is not perception that which
causes sensation ? And perception is
ofthe soul and not ofthe organ. Tell,
if you can, what else makes the tongue
and lips speak, but thought ; and what
else makes the hands work, but the
will ; and thought and will are of the
soul. Thus what makes the eye see.
and the ears hear, and the other organs
feel, attend and advert to their objects,
but the soul ? From these and many
other similar things, every one who is
wise above the sensual hings of the

Concerning Baptism.

467

body, concludes that there is not an
influx of the body into the soul, but of
the soul into the body, which we call
occasional influx, and also spiritual."
Having heard this, the three men who
stood behind the former triads, who
were favorers of Leibnitz, lifted up
their voice, saying, "We have heard
the arguments on both sides, and have
compared them, and have perceived
that in many things these are stronger
than those, and in many things those
are stronger than these ; wherefore,
if it be permitted, we will settle the
dispute." And to the question, How?
they said, " There is not any influx of
the soul into the body, nor of the body
into the soul ; but there is a unanimous
and instantaneous operation of both
together, which a celebrated author has
designated by a noble name, calling it
preestablished harmony." After this,
the spirit appeared again with a torch
in his hand, but now in the left hand ;
and he vibrated it at the hinder part of
their heads ; thence the ideas of them
all became confused, and they cried
together, " Neither our soul nor our
body knows which side we should take ;
wherefore, let us decide this dispute by
lot, and the lot which comes out first
we will favor." And they took three
pieces of paper, and on one of them
they wrote Physical Influx, on
another, Spiritual Influx, and on
the third, Pre-established Harmony ;
and they put these three into the crown
of a cap, and chose one to take them
out. And this one put in his hand
and took hold of that on which was
written Spiritual Influx ; which
being seen and read, they all said, yet
some with a clear, flowing sound, some
with an obscure and stifled one, " Let
us favor this, because it came out first."
But an angel then suddenly stood by
and said, "Do not suppose that the
piece of paper in favor of spiritual
influx came out by chance, but provi
dentially; for you do not see the truth
of it, because you are in confused
ideas, but the truth offered itself to the
hand, that you might favor it."
697. Sixth Relation. Once I saw,
not far "from me, a meteor : I saw a

cloud divided into little clouds, some of
which were azure and some dark ; and
I saw them as if they were dashing
against each other. Rays in streaks
darted through them, which now seemed
sharp like the points of swords, now
blunt like broken swords. The streaks
sometimes ran out to meet each other;
sometimes they drew themselves back
within themselves, just like boxers ; thus
the little clouds of diverse colors ap
peared as if they were fighting with
each other ; but they were playing.
And because this meteor was seen not
far from me, I lifted up my eyes, looked
attentively, and saw boys, young men and
old men entering into a house, which
was built of marble, and underpinned
with porphyry. Over this house was
that phenomenon. And then, address
ing one of those who were entering, I
asked, " What is there 1 " He an
swered, " It is a gymnasium, where the
young are initiated into the various
things which are of wisdom." On
hearing this, I entered with them. I
was in the spirit, that is, in a state like
that in which the men of the spiritual
world are, who are called spirits and
angels. And behold, in that gymna
sium, in the front, there was seen a
desk, in the middle, • benches, at the
sides round about, seats, and over the
entrance an orchestra. The desk was
for the young men who were to answer
to the problem then about to be pro
posed ; the benches for the hearers ; the
seats at the sides for those who had
before answered wisely ; and the or
chestra for the elders who were to be
the arbiters and judges. In the middle
of the orchestra there was a pulpit,
where sat a wise man, whom they called
the head-master, who proposed the prob
lems, to which the young men in the
desk were to answer. And after they
had assembled, the man rose up from
the pulpit, and said, " Answer now, I
pray, to this problem, and solve it if you
can : What is the Soul, and what is
the quality of it ? " On hearing
these words, all were astonished and
murmured, and some of those ' who sat
upon the benches cried out, " What
man, from the age of Saturn even to this

468

Concerning Baptism.

of ours, has been able, by any thought
of reason, to see and find out what the
soul is, and still less what its quality is ?
Is not this above the sphere of every
one's understanding ? " But to this
they answered from the orchestra, " It
is not above the understanding, but in
it and before it; so answer now." And
the young men rose up, who were ap
pointed that day to ascend the desk and
answer to the problem. There were
five who had been explored by the
elders, and found to be distinguished for
sagacity, and then they were sitting at
the sides of the desk on sofas ; and
afterwards they ascended in the order
in which they sat ; and each one, when
he ascended, put on a tunic of an opal
ine color, and over it a gown of soft
wool, in which flowers were interwoven ;
and moreover a cap, on the top of which
there was a bunch of roses encircled
with little sapphires. And I saw the
first thus clad ascend, who said, " What
the soul is and what its quality is, has
not been revealed to any one since the
day of creation ; it is a secret in the
treasures of God alone. But this has
been disclosed, that the soul resides in
man like a queen ; but where her court
is, learned interpreters have conjec
tured ; some that it is in the little tuber
cle between the cerebrum and the cere
bellum, which is called the pineal gland ;
and in this they have fixed the seat of
the soul, because the whole man is
governed by those two brains, and that
tubercle disposes them. Wherefore,
whatever disposes the brains at its nod,
the same also disposes the whole man
from the head to the heel. And,"
said he, " this has thence appeared to
many in the world as true or probable,
but after an age it was rejected as a
figment." After he had said this, he
took off the gown, tunic and cap, which
the second of those who were appointed
put on, and went into the desk. His
proposition concerning the soul was,
" That in the whole heaven and in the
whole world, it is unknown what the
soul is, and what its quality is. It is
known that it is, and that it is in man,
but where, it is conjectured. It is cer
tain that it is in the head, since there

the understanding thinks and there the
will intends; and in the fore part of the
head, or in the face, are the five sensories
of man. To these and those nothing
else gives life but the soul, which re
sides inwardly in the head ; but where
its court is there, I should not dare to
say ; but I agreed once with those who
assigned to it a seat in the three ven
tricles of the cerebrum; now, with
those who fix it in the corpora striata
there ; now, with those who fix it in the
medullary substance of both part* ot
the brain ; now, with those who fix it in
the cortical substance ; now with those
who fix it in the dura mater ; for there
were some plausible arguments from
confirmations in favor of each seat.
The arguments in favor of the three
ventricles of the cerebrum were, that
they are the receptacles of the animal
spirits, and of all the lymphs of the cere
brum. The arguments in favor of the
corpora striata were, that they make
the marrow, through which the nerves
go forth, and through which both parts
of the brain are continued into the
spine, and that from this and from that
the fibres emanate, of which the con
texture of the whole body is formed.
The arguments in favor of the medullary
substance of both parts of the brain
were, that that is a collection and as
semblage of all the fibres which are
the initiaments of the whole man. The
arguments in favor of the cortical sub
stance were, that these are the first and
last ends, and thence the beginnings of
all the fibres, and thus of all the senses
and motions. The arguments in favor
of the dura mater were, that that is the
common covering of both parts of the
brain, and thence, by something con
tinuous, it extends itself over the heart
and over the viscera of the body. As
for me, I do not decide in favor of one
more than another ; I pray you to de
cide and choose what is best." Having
said this, he descended from the desk,
and handed the tunic, gown and cap
to the third, who, mounting the desk,
spoke these words : " What have I, a
youth, to do with so sublime a theorem ?
I appeal to the learned sitting here at
the sides ; I appeal to you wise men ir

Concerning Baptism.

469

the orchestra ; yea, I appeal to the an
gels of the highest heaven, whether
any one from his own rational light is
able to form to himself any idea con
cerning the soul. But concerning its
seat in man, I, like others, can guess,
and I guess that it is in the heart and
thence in the blood ; and this is my
guess, because the heart with its blood
rules both the body and the head, for
it sends forth the large vessel, called
aorta, into the whole of the body, and
it sends forth the vessels called caro
tids into the whole of the head ; thence
there is a universal agreement, that the
soul from the heart, by means of the
blood, sustains, nourishes and vivifies
the whole organic system both of the
body and the head. In confirmation
of this assertion it may be added, that
the soul and heart are so often spoken
of in the Sacred Scripture ; as that,
Thou shalt love God from the whole
soul, and from the whole heart ; and
that God creates in man a new soul and
a new heart, Deut. vi. 5 ; x. 12 ; xi.
13 ; xxvi. 16 ; Jer. xxxii. 41 ; Matt.
xxii. 37; Mark xii. 30, 33; Luke x.
27 ; besides other passages ; and it. is
said openly that the blood is the soul of
the flesh, Lev. xvii. 11, 14." On hear
ing this, some raised their voice, say
ing, " Learned, learned : " they were
of the regular clergy. After this, the
fourth, putting on his garments, and go
ing into the desk, said, " I also sus
pect that there is no one of so subtile
and refined a genius, that he can dis
cern what the soul is, and what its
quality is; wherefore I think that with
him who wishes to pry into it, subtilty
is wasted in superfluous things. But
even from my childhood, I have con
tinued in the belief of the opinion, in
which the ancients were, that the soul
of man is in the whole of him, and in
every part of this whole ; and thus that
it is as well in the head and in every part
of it, as in the body and in every part
of it ; and that it was a vain invention
of the moderns to designate for it a
seat somewhere, and not every where.
The soul also is a spiritual substance, of
which extension cannot be predicated,
nor place, but habitation and imple-

tion. Also, who does not mean life,
when he mentions the soul ? Is not
life in the whole and in every part ? "
These words many in the auditory
favored. After him the fifth rose up,
and being adorned with the same in
signia, he delivered from the desk this
" I do not stop to say where the soul is
whether it be in some part, or every
where in the whole ; but from my stock
and store I will open my mind concern
ing this, what the soul is, and what its
quality is. The soul is not thought of
by any one, but as something pure,
which may be likened to ether or air or
wind, in which there is a vital principle
from the rationality which man has
above the beasts. This opinion I have
founded upon this, that when man ex
pires, he is said to breathe out, or give
up the soul or spirit. Thence also the
soul, which lives after death, is believed
to be such breath, in which there is a
cogitative life, which is called soul :
what else can the soul be ? But because
I heard those from the orchestra say
that the problem concerning the soul,
what it is, and what its quality is, is
not above the understanding, but in it
and before it, I beg and pray that
you yourselves would disclose this eter
nal secret." And the elders in the or
chestra looked at the head-master, who
had proposed that problem, who under
stood from their nods that they wished
that he would descend and teach. And
immediately he descended from the
pulpit, passed through the auditory, and
went into the desk ; and there, stretch
ing forth his hand, he said, " Listen, I
pray : who does not believe that the
soul is the inmost and most subtile
essence of man ? But what is an essence
without a form, but an imaginary entity ?
Wherefore the soul is a form ; but what
form shall be told. It is the form of
all things of love, and of all things of
wisdom. All the things of love are
called affections, and all the things of
wisdom are called perceptions : these
from those and thus with those make
one form, in which there are innumer
able things, in such order, series and
coherence, that they may be called one ;
and they may be called one, becaus*

470

Concerning Baptism.

,iot any thing can be taken from it, nor
any thing added to it, that it may be
such. What is the human soul but
such a form? Are not all things of
love, and all things of wisdom, the
essentials of that form ? And these
with man are in the soul, and from the
soul in the head and body. You are
called spirits and angels, and you be
lieved in the world that spirits and
angels were like winds or ethers, and
thus rational and animal minds ; and
now you see clearly, that you are truly,
really and actually men, who in the
world lived and thought in a material
body ; and you knew that the material
body did not live and think, but a
spiritual substance in that body, and
this you called the soul, the form of
which you did not know, and yet now
you have seen it and do see it. You all
are souls, concerning whose immortality
you have heard, thought, said and writ
ten so much ; and because you are
forms of love and wisdom from God,
you cannot die to eternity. The soul,
therefore, is a human form, from which

nothing at all can be taken away and
to which nothing at all can be added ,
and it is the inmost form of all the
forms of the whole body ; and because
the forms which are without receive
from the inmost both essence and form,
therefore you are, as you appear to
yourselves and to us, souls. In a word,
the soul is the man himself, because it
is the inmost man ; wherefore its form
is fully and perfectly the human form ;
nevertheless it is not life, but it is the
proximate receptacle of life from God,
and thus the habitation of God."
These words many applauded, but some
said, " We will consider." I then went
home ; and behold, over the gymna
sium, instead of the former meteor,
there appeared a bright cloud, without
streaks or rays fighting with each other ;
which cloud, penetrating through the
roof, entered the room, and illuminated
the walls ; and I heard that they saw
pieces of writing, and amongst others
also this : Jehovah God breathed into
man's nostrils the Soul of lives, and
man became a living Soul, Gen. ii 7

Concerning the Holy Supper.

471

CHAPTER XIII.

CONCERNING THE HOLY SUPPER.

698. 1. That without Information
concerning the correspondences of
Natural Things with Spiritual, no
one can know the uses of the
Holy Supper.
This was in part unfolded in the
chapter concerning Baptism, where
it was shown ; That without a knowl
edge of the spiritual sense of the Word,
it cannot be known what the two sacra
ments, Baptism and the Holy Supper,
involve and effect; which may be seen,
n. 667 to 669. Here it is said, That
without information concerning the cor
respondences of natural things with
spiritual; which is the same thing,
because the natural sense of the Word
is turned into the spiritual, by corre
spondences, in heaven. Thence it is,
that those two senses correspond to
each other ; wherefore he who knows
the correspondences, may know the
spiritual sense. But what correspon
dences are, may be seen in the chapter
concerning the Sacred Scripture,
from the beginning to the end ; and
also in the Explanation of the Dec
alogue, from the first commandment
to the last; and particularly in the
Apocalypse Revealed.
699. Who that is truly a Christian,
does not acknowledge that those two
sacraments are holy ; yea, that they
are the most holy things of worship in
Christendom ? But who knows where
their holiness resides, or whence it is ?
In the institution of the holy supper,
from the literal sense, no more is
known, than that the flesh of Christ is
given for eating, and his blood for drink
ing ; and that, instead of these, bread
and wine. Who can thence think
otherwise, than that it is holy only on
account of the command of the Lord ?

Wherefore the most sagacious of the
church have taught, that while the
Word comes to the element, it becomes
a sacrament. But because this origin
of its holiness does not fall into the un
derstanding, nor appear in the elements
or symbols of the sacrament, but only
into the memory, therefore some observe
it from a confidence that sins are re
mitted by means of it ; some because
they believe that it sanctifies; some
because it strengthens faith, and thus
also promotes salvation. But those who
think lightly of it, frequent it merely
from custom from childhood ; and
some, because they see nothing of
reason concerning it, neglect it; but
the impious turn themselves away from
it, and say to themselves, " What is it,
but a certain ceremony, on which holi
ness has been impressed by the clergy?
For what is there there but bread and
wine ? And what is it but a figment,
that the body of Christ, which hung
upon the cross, and his blood which
was then shed, are distributed to the
communicants together with the bread
and wine?" Besides other things.
700. Such ideas of this most holy
sacrament are at this day entertained
in all Christendom, solely because they
coincide with the sense of the letter
of the Word ; and the spiritual sense
has been hitherto concealed, and not
until this day disclosed, in which alone
the use of the holy supper is clearly
seen in its truth. The reason that
this sense is now for the first time dis
closed is, because there was before no
Christianity, except in name, and with
some a kind of shadow of it ; for
hitherto they have not immediately ap
proached and worshipped the Savior
himself, as the one God in whom is the

472

Concerning the Holy Supper.

Divine Trinity, but only mediately ;
which is not to approach and worship,
but only to honor as the cause on ac
count of which man has salvation ;
which is not the essential cause, but
a mediate cause, which is below the
essential and out of it. But, because
Christianity itself is now first begin
ning to dawn, and a New Church,
which is meant by the New Jerusalem
in the Revelation, is now being estab
lished by the Lord, in which God the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are ac
knowledged as one, because in one
person, it has pleased the Lord to
reveal the spiritual sense of the Word,
that this church may come into the
very use of the sacraments, baptism
and the holy supper ; which is done
when men see, with the eyes of their
spirit, that is, with the understanding,
the holiness which is concealed therein,
and apply it to themselves, by the means
which the Lord has taught in his
Word. 701. The holiness of the sacrament
which is here treated of, without the
spiritual sense of the Word being open
ed, or, what is the same thing, without
the correspondences of natural things
with spiritual being revealed, can no
more be acknowledged interiorly, than
a treasure hid in a field ; which field is
valued no more than any common one;
but when it is discovered that there is
a treasure in that field, the field is
valued at a great price ; and the buyer
then appropriates to himself opulence
thence ; and still more when it is
known, that in it there is a treasure
more precious than all gold. Without
the spiritual sense, that sacrament is
like a house shut up full of jewels and
treasures, which is passed by as any
other house in the street ; but because
it was built by the clergy, as to the
walls, of marble, and overlaid, as to the
roof, with plates of gold, the sight of
those who pass by is attracted, to view,
to praise and to prize. It is otherwise
when that house is opened, and leave
of entering is given to every one, and
the keeper furnishes to some a loan
thence, to some a gift thence, to every
one according to his dignity. It is

said, a gift thence, because the pre
cious things there are inexhaustible,
and they are continually supplied ; so
it is with the Word as to its spiritual
things, and with the sacraments as to
their celestial things. The sacrament,
which is here treated of, without its
holiness being revealed, which is con
cealed within, appears like the sand of
a river, in which there are little grains
of gold in great abundance, which are
not conspicuous ; but when it is re
vealed, it is like the gold collected
thence and melted into a mass, and this
fabricated into beautiful forms. This
sacrament, without its holiness being
disclosed and seen, is like a box or
a chest of beech or poplar, in which
lie diamonds, rubies, and many other
precious stones, disposed in order in the
partitions. Who does not value that
box or chest, who knows that such
things are concealed within ; and the
more when he sees them, and also
when they are distributed freely ?
That sacrament, without its correspon
dences with heaven being revealed,
and thus the heavenly things to which
it corresponds being seen, is like an
angel seen in the world in a common
dress, who is honored only according
to the dress ; it is altogether otherwise,
when it is known that he is an angel,
and something angelic is heard from
his mouth, and wonderful things are
seen from his deeds. What the holiness
is which is only proclaimed, and what
the holiness is which is seen, may he
illustrated by this example, seen and
heard in the spiritual world. There
was read an epistle written by Paul, at
the time when he sojourned in the
world, but not published, without any
one's knowing that it was by Paul,
This at first was lightly esteemed by
the hearers ; but when it was discovered
that it was one of Paul's epistles, it was
received with joy, and all and each of
the things there were adored. Whence
it was manifest, that the mere proclaim
ing of holiness respecting the Word
and respecting the sacraments, when
it is done by the primates of the clergy,
gives an impression, indeed, of holiness ;
but it is otherwise when the holiness

Concerning the Holy Supper.

473

itself is disclosed and set forth before
the eyes to be seen, which is done by
the revelation of the spiritual sense :
from this, external holiness becomes
internal, and the proclamation of it
becomes an acknowledgment of it.
It is similar with the holiness of the
sacrament of the supper.
702. II. That from Correspon
dences BEING KNOWN,- IT MAY BE
known what is meant by the flesh
and Blood of the Lord, and that
the like is meant by bread and
Wine : namely, that by the Flesh
of the Lord, and by Bread, is meant
the Divine Good of his Love, and
also all the Good of Charity ; and
that by the Blood of the Lord,
and by Wine, is meant the Divine
Truth of his Wisdom, and also all
the Truth of Faith ; and by Eating,
Appropriation.
Since the spiritual sense of the Word
is at this day disclosed, and together
with it correspondences, because these
are mediates, therefore there will only
be adduced passages from the Word,
from which it may be clearly seen,
what is meant by flesh and blood, and
by bread and wine, in the holy supper.
But to these will be premised the in
stitution itself of that sacrament by the
Lord ; and also his doctrine concerning
his flesh and his blood, and concerning
bread and wine.
703. The Institution of the Holy'
Supper by the Lord. Jesus kept
the passover with the disciples ; and
when the evening was come, He sat
down with them. And as they were
eating, Jesus, taking Bread, and bless
ing, broke and gave to the disciples,
and said, Take, eat ; this is my Body.
And taking the Cup, and giving thanks,
He gave to them, saying, Drink ye all
of it; this is my Blood, that qf the
New Testament, which is shed for
many, Matt. xxvi. 26, 27, 28 ; Mark
xiv. 22, 23, 24 ; Luke xxii. 19, 20.
The Doctrine of the Lord con
cerning his Flesh and his Blood,
and concerning Bread and Wine.
Work not for the food lohich perisheth,
but for the food which endureth unto
eternal life, which the Son of Man will
60

give to you. Verily, verily, I say to
you, Moses gave you not the bread from
heaven, but my Father giveth you the
true bread from heaven ; for the bread
of God is He that came down from
heaven, and giveth life to the world.
I am the bread of life; he that cometh
to Me, shall never hunger, and he that
believeth in Me, shall never thirst. 1
am the bread which came down from
heaven. Verily, verily, I say to you,
he that believeth in Me, hath eternal
life. I am the bread of life. Your
fathers ate manna in the desert, and
died; this is the bread which came
down from heaven, that any one
may eat of it, and live, and not die. I
am the living bread which came down
from heaven; if any one eat of this
bread, he shall live for ever. The bread
which I will give, is my flesh, which I
will give for the life of the world. Ver
ily, verily, I say to you, unless ye eat
the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink
his blood, ye will not have life in you.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh
my blood, hath eternal life, and I will
resuscitate him at the last day ; for my
flesh is truly meat, and my blood is
truly drink. He that eateth my flesh,
and drinketh my blood, abideth in Me
and I in him, John vi. 27, 32, 33,
35, 41, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56.
704. That by flesh there, is not meant
flesh, nor by blood blood, any one
enlightened from heaven may perceive
in himself; but that by both is meant,
in the natural sense, the passion of
the cross, which they should remember ;
wherefore He»said, when He instituted
this supper of the last Jewish passover,
and the first Christian passover, Do
this in remembrance of Me, Luke xxii.
19 ; 1 Cor. xi. 24, 25. In like manner,
that by bread is not meant bread, nor
by wine wine, but in the natural
sense, the same as by flesh and blood,
namely, his passion of the cross ; for it
is read ; Jesus broke bread, and gave te
the disciples, and said, This is my body
And taking the cup, He gave to them,
saying, This is my blood, Matt. xxvi. ;
Mark xiv. ; Luke xxii. Wherefore
also He called the passion of the cross
a cup, Matt. xiv. 36 ; John xviii. 1 ]

474

Concerning the Holy Supper.

705. That by these four things, flesh,
blood, bread and wine, are meant the
spiritual and celestial things which
correspond to them, may be evident
from the passages in the Word, where
they are named. That by flesh in
the Word is meant something spiritual
and celestial, may be evident from
these passages there : Come, and be
gathered together to the supper of the
great God, that ye may eat the flesh
of kings, and the flesh of captains, and
the flesh of mighty ones, and the flesh
of horses, and of those who sit upon
them, and the flesh of all, free and
bond, small and great, Rev. xix. 17,
18. And in Ezekiel : Gather your
selves together from every side to my
Sacrifice which I sacrifice for you, a
great Sacrifice upon the mountains
of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and
drink blood ; ye shall eat the flesh of
the mighty, and drink the blood of the
princes of the earth ; and ye shall eat
fat to satiety, and drink blood even to
drunkenness of my sacrifice ; and ye
shall be satiated at my table, with horse
and chariot, with the mighty, and with
every man of war. Thus I will give
my glory among the nations, xxxix.
17 to 21. Who does not see, that, in
those passages, by flesh is not meant
flesh, nor by blood blood, but the
spiritual and celestial things which
correspond? Otherwise, what would
these be but strange and unmeaning
expressions, that they should eat the
flesh of kings, of captains, of the
mighty, of horses, of those that sit
upon them ; and that the^y should be
satiated at the table with horse and
chariot, the mighty, and every man of
war ; and that they should drink the
blood of the princes of the earth, and
blood even to drunkenness ? That
these things were said concerning the
holy supper of the Lord is clearly man
ifest, for it is called the supper of the
great God, and also a great sacrifice.
Since all spiritual and celestial things
refer themselves solely to good and
truth, it follows, that by flesh is meant
the good of charity, and by blood, the
truth of faith, and, in the highest sense,
the Lord as to the Divine Good of love

and as to the Divine Truth of wisdom.
Spiritual good is also meant by flesh,
by these words in Ezekiel : I will give
them one heart, and a new spirit I will
give in the midst of you ; and I will
remove the heart of stone, and will
give them a heart of flesh, xi. 19
xxxvi. 26. By heart, in the Word, is
signified love ; thence by a heart qf
flesh, the love of good. Moreover, that
by flesh and blood are meant good and
truth, both spiritual, is still more evi
dent from the signification of bread and
wine in what now follows ; since the
Lord says, that his flesh is bread, and
that his blood is wine, which was drunk
out of a cup.
706. That by the blood of the
Lord is meant the Divine Truth of Him
self and the Word, is, because by his
flesh spiritually is meant the Divine
Good of love ; and these two are united
in the Lord. It is known that the Lord
is the Word ; and there are two things
to which all things of the Word refer
themselves, divine good and divine
truth ; wherefore if the Word is taken
for the Lord, it is manifest that those
two things are meant by his flesh and
blood. That the divine truth of the
Lord, or of the Word, is meant by
blood, is evident from many passages;
as that blood was called the blood of
the covenant, and a covenant is con
junction, and this is effected by the
Lord by means of his divine truth, as
in Zechariah : By the blood of thy
covenant I will send forth the prisoners
out of the pit, ix. 11. And in Moses-
After Moses had read the book of the
law in the ears of the people, he sprin
kled half of the blood upon the people,
and said, Behold the blood of the
covenant which Jehovah hath made
with you upon all these words, Exod.
xxiv. 3 to 1 ] . And Jesus took the cup,
and gave it to them, saying, This is my
blood, that of the New Covenant, Matt.
xxvi. 27, 28 ; Mark xiv. 24 ; Luke xxii.
20. By the blood of the New Covenant,
or Testament, nothing else is signified
but the Word, which is called a Cove
nant and Testament, Old and New,
thus the divine truth there. Since this
is signified by blood, therefore the

Concerning the Holy Supper.

475

Lord gave them wine, saying, This is
my blood; and wine signifies divine
truth; wherefore it also is called the
blood of grapes, Gen. xlix. 1 1 ; Deut.
xxxii. 14. This is still more manifest
from the words of the Lord : Verily,
verily, I say to you, Unless ye eat the
flesh of the Son of Man, and drink
his blood, ye will not have life in you ;
for my flesh is truly meat, and my
blood is truly drink. He that eateth
my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth
in Me, and I in him, John vi. 50 to
53. That by blood here is meant the
divine truth of the Word is very man
ifest, because it is said, that he that
drinketh hath life in himself, and
abideth in the Lord, and the Lord in
him. That divine truth effects this,
and a life according to it, and that the
holy supper confirms it, may be known
in the church. Since blood signified
the divine truth of the Lord, which
also is the divine truth of the Word,
and this is the Covenant itself and Tes
tament Old and New, therefore blood
was the most holy representative of the
church with the sons of Israel, in which
all and each of the things were cor
respondences of natural things with
spiritual : as, That they should take of
the paschal blood, and put upon the
posts of the door, and on the lintels of
the houses, lest the plague should come
upon them, Exod. xii. 7, 13, 22. That
the blood of the burnt-offering should
be sprinkled upon the altar, at its
foundations, and upon Aaron, his sons
and their garments, xxix. l2, 16, 20,
21; Lev. i. 5,11, 15; iii. 2, 8, 13; iv.
25, 30, 34; viii. 15,24; xvii. 6; viii.
8 ; Deut. xii. 27. Also, Upon the veil
which was over the ark, upon the mercy-
seat there, and upon the horns of the
altar of incense, Lev. iv. 6, 7, 17, 18;
xvi. 12, 13, 14, 15. The like is signi
fied by the blood of the Lamb in the
. Revelation : These have washed their
robes, and whitened them in the blood
of the Lamb, vii. 14. And by these
there, War was made in heaven ; Mi
chael and his angels fought against the
dragon, and overcame him by the blood
of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony, xii. 7, 11. For it cannot be

thougnt that Michael and his angels
overcame the dragon by any thing else
than by the divine truth of the Lord in
the Word; for the angels in heaven
cannot think of any blood, nor do they
think of the Lord's passion, but of divine
truth, and of his resurrection. Where
fore, when man thinks of the blood
of the Lord, the angels perceive the
divine truth of his Word, and when he
thinks of the passion of the Lord, they
perceive his glorification, and then only
the resurrection. That it is so, it has
been given me to know by much ex
perience. That blood signifies divine
truth, is manifest also from these words
in David : God will preserve the souls
of the needy ; precious shall their blood
be in his eyes, and they shall live, and
He will give them of the gold of Sheba,
Psalm lxxii. 13, 14, 15, 16. The
blood precious in the eyes of God, for
the divine truth with them ; the gold of
Sheba is the wisdom thence. And in
Ezekiel : Gather yourselves together to
the great sacrifice upon the mountains
of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and
drink blood; ye shall drink the blood of
the princes of the earth, and ye shall
drink blood even to drunkenness. Thus
I will give my glory among the nations,
xxxix. 17 to 21. There the church
is treated of, which the Lord was about
to institute among the nations. That
by blood here cannot be meant blood,
but the truth from the Word with them,
may be seen just above.
707. That the like is meant by
Bread as by flesh, is clearly evident
from the words of the Lord : Jesus, tak
ing bread, broke and gave, saying,
This is my body, Matt. xxvi. ; Mark xiv. ;
Luke xxii. And also, The bread
which I will give is my flesh, which I
will give for the life of the world, John
vi. 51. And also He says, That He is
the Bread of life ; he that eateth of
this bread shall live for ever, vi.
48, 51, 58. This bread also is what is ¦
meant by the sacrifices, which are call
ed bread in the following passages :
The priest shall burn them upon the al
tar, the Bread of the offering made
by fire to Jehovah, Lev. iii. 11, 16.
The sons of Aaron shall be holy to

476

Concerning the Holy Supper.

their God ; neither shaE they profane
the name qf their God, because they
offer the offerings made by fire to
Jehovah, the bread of their God.
Thou shalt sanctify him because he
offereth the bread of thy God. A
man of the seed of Aaron, in whom
there is a blemish, shall not come to offer
the Bread of his God, Lev. xxi. 6, 8,
17, 21. Command the sons of Israel,
andsay to them, My offering, my Bread,
for the offerings made by fire of
an odor of rest, ye shall observe to
offer lo Me at the set time, Num. xxviii.
2. He that hath touched an unclean
thing shall not eat of the holy things ;
but he shall bathe his flesh in water, and
aftcrivards he shalleai of the holy things ,
because it is his bread, Lev. xxii. 6, 7.
To eat of the holy things, was to eat
the flesh of the sacrifices, which here
also is called bread ; besides in Malachi,
i. 7. By the meal offerings in the
sacrifices, which were of the flour of
wheat, thus bread, nothing else was
signified, Lev. ii. 1 to 11 ; vi. 6 to 14 ;
vii. 9 to 13, and in other places. Nor
was any thing else signified by the
bread upon the table in the tabernacle,
which was called the bread of faces
and the shew bread, concerning which,
Exod. xxv. 30 ; xl. 23 ; Lev. xxiv. 5 to
10. That by bread is not meant nat
ural bread, but heavenly bread, is man
ifest from these passages : Man liveth
not by bread alone, but by every thing
that proceedeth out of the mouth of
Jehovah man doth live, Deut. xviii. 2, 3.
I will send hunger into the land; not
hunger for bread, nor thirst for water ,
but for hearing the words of Jehovah,
Amos viii. 11. Moreover, by bread is
meant all food, Lev. xxiv. 5 to 9 ; Exod.
xxv. 30; xl. 23; Num. iv. 7; 1 Kings
vii. 48. That spiritual food also is
meant, is manifest from these words of
the Lord; Work not for the food which
perisheth, but for the food which en-
' dureth unto eternal life, which the Son
of Man will give to you, John vi. 27.
708. That by Wine the same is
meant as by blood, is clearly manifest
from the words of the Lord : Jesus took
the cup, saying, This is my blood, Matt.
xxvi. ; Mark xiv. ; Luke xxii. And also

from these : He washeth his vesture in
Wine, and his robe in the blood of
grapes, Gen. xlix. 11. These are
concerning the Lord. Jehovah of hosts
will make for all people a feast of fat
things, a feast of the lees of wine, or
of sweet wine, Isaiah xxv. 6. These
are concerning the sacrament of the
holy supper, which was to be instituted
by the Lord. In the same : Every
one that thirstcth, come ye to the waters,
and he that hath no money, coine ye,
buy and eat; and buy wine without
money, lv. 1. By the produce of
the vine, which they were about to
drink new in the heavenly kingdom,
Matt. xxvi. 29; Mark xiv. 22; Luke
xxii. 17, 18, nothing else is meant but
the truth of the new church and heav
en ; wherefore, also, the church, in
many places in the Word, is called a
vineyard, as Isaiah v. 1, 2, 4 ; Matt.
xx. 1 to 13 : And the Lord calls Him
self the True Vine, and those who are
ingrafted into Him the branches, John
xv. 1, 5 ; besides in many other places.
709. Hence, now, it may be evident
what is meant by the flesh and blood
of the Lord, and by bread and wine,
in the threefold sense, natural, spiritual
and celestial. Every man in Chris
tendom, imbued with religion, may
know, or, if he does not know, may
learn, that there is natural nourishment
and spiritual nourishment ; and that
natural nourishment is for the body,
but spiritual nourishment for the soul :
for Jehovah the Lord says in Moses,
Man doth not live by bread alone, but
by every thing that proceedeth out qf
the mouth of Jehovah doth man live,
Deut. viii. 3. Now, because the body
dies, and the soul lives after death, it
follows, that spiritual nourishment is
for eternal salvation. Who, then, does
not see, that those two kinds of nourish
ment are by no means to be confounded,
and that if any one does confound them,
he cannot form to himself any other
ideas concerning the flesh and blood ot
the Lord, and concerning bread and
wine, than natural and sensual ones;
which are material, corporeal and car
nal, which suffocate spiritual ideas
concerning this most holy sacrament.

Concerning the Holy Supper.

AT,

But if any one is so simple that he
cannot think any thing else from the
understanding, than what he sees with
the eye, I advise him to think with
himself, concerning the holy supper,
when he takes the bread and wine, and
hears them then called the flesh and
blood of the Lord, that it is the most
holy thing of worship, and to remem
ber the passion of Christ and his love
for the salvation of man ; for He says,
Do this in remembrance of Me, Luke
xxii. 19. And also, The Son qf Man
hath come to give his life a ransom for
many, Matt. xx. 23; Mark x. 4. /
lay down my life for the sheep, John x.
15, 17 ; xv. 13.
710. This also may be illustrated by
comparisons. Who does not remem
ber and love him, who, from the zeal
¦ of love for his country, fights with the
enemy even to death, that he may
thereby deliver it from the yoke of
bondage ? And who does not remem
ber and love him, who, when he sees
his fellow citizens in extreme want,
and their death by distressing famine
before their eyes, then, from compas
sion, brings forth all his silver and gold
out of his house and distributes it freely ?
And who does not remember and love
him, who, from love and friendship, takes
the only lamb that he possesses, and
kills it and sets it before his guests? <fcc.
711. III. That froji these Things
being understood, it may BE COM7
prehended that the Holy Supper
tontains, universally and particu
LARLY, all Things of the Church
and all Things of Heaven.
In the preceding article it was shown,
that the Lord himself is in the holy
supper, and that the flesh and bread
are Himself, as to the divine good of
love, and that the blood and wine are
Himself as to the divine truth of wis
dom ; wherefore, there are three things
which the holy supper involves, namely,
the Lord, his divine good, and his di
vine truth. Since, therefore, the holy
supper includes and contains these
three things, it follows that it also in
cludes and contains the universals of
heaven and the church ; and because
all particulars depend on universals. as

the things contained on the things con
taining them, it follows, also, that the
holy supper includes and contains all
particulars of heaven and the church.
Hence, first, it is evident, that because,
by the flesh and blood of the Lord, and
in like manner by bread and wine, are
meant the divine good and divine truth,
both from the Lord, and the Lord, the
holy supper contains universally and
particularly all things of heaven and
the church.
712. It is also known, that the es
sentials of the church are three, name
ly, God, charity and faith ; and that all
things there refer themselves to those
three, as to their universals. These
are the same with those which were
said above ; for God, in the holy supper,
is the Lord, charity is the divine good,
and faith is the divine truth. What
else is charity than the good which
man does from the Lord? And what
else is faith, but the truth which man
believes from the Lord ? Thence it is,
that there are three things in man, as
to his internal, namely, the soul or
mind, the will and the understanding.
These three are the receptacles of those
three universals : the soul itself, or
mind, is the receptacle of the Lord, for
thence it lives ; the will is the recepta
cle of love or good ; and the understand
ing is the receptacle of wisdom or truth ;
wherefore, all and each of the things in
the soul or mind not only refer them
selves to those three universals of heav
en and the church, but also proceed
from them. Name any thing that pro
ceeds from man, in which are not the
mind, will and understanding ; if one
of them were taken away, would man
be anything more than something inan
imate ? In like manner, there are
three things in man, as to his external,
to which also all and each of the things
refer themselves, and on which they
depend ; namely, the body, the heart
and the lungs ; and these three things
of the body correspond to the three
things of the mind, the heart to the will,
and the lungs or respiration to the un
derstanding. That there is such a cor
respondence has been fully shown in
the foregoing pages. Thus now all

478

Concerning the Holy Supper.

and each of the things in man, as well
universally as particularly, were formed
as receptacles of those three univer
sals of heaven and the church. The
reason is, because man was created an
image and likeness of God; consequent
ly, that he may be in the Lord and
the Lord in him.
713. On the other hand, there are
three things opposite to those univer
sals, which are the devil, evil and the
false. The devil, by which is meant
hell, is in opposition to the Lord, evil
is in opposition to good, and the
false to the truth ; these three make
one, for where the devil is, there also
is evil and the false thence. These
three also contain, universally and par
ticularly, all things of hell, and like
wise all the things of the world, which
are contrary to heaven and the church.
But because they are opposites, there
fore they are entirely separate, but
still they are kept together in connec
tion by a wonderful subjection of all
hell under heaven, of evil under good,
and of the false under truth ; which sub
jection is treated of in the work con
cerning Heaven and Hell.
714. That particulars may be kept
together in their order and connection,
it is necessary that there should be
universals from which they exist and
in which they subsist ; and also it is
necessary that the particulars should,
in a certain image, relate to their uni
versals ; otherwise the whole with the
parts would perish. This relation is
the cause of the preservation of all
things of the universe, from the first
day of creation to this time, and here
after. That all things in the universe
refer themselves to good and truth, is
Known : the reason is, because all
things were created by God, from the
divine good of love by the divine truth
of wisdom. Take whatever thing you
will, either an animal, or a shrub, or a
stone, those three most universal things
are in a certain relation inscribed upon
them. 715. Since the divine good and
divine truth are the most universal of
all the things of heaven and the church,
therefore als© Melchisedek, who repre

sented the Lord, brought forth bread
and wine to Abraham, and blessed him.
Concerning Melchisedek it is thus read :
Melchisedek, king of Salem, brought
forth to Abram bread and wine ; and
he was a priest to the most High God;
and he blessed him, Gen. xiv. 18, 19.
That Melchisedek represented the
Lord is evident from these words in
David : Thou art apriestfor ever after
the order of Melchisedek, Psalm ex. 4.
That these words are concerning the
Lord, may be seen, Heb. v. 6, 8, 10;
vi. 20 ; vii. 1, 10, 11, 15, 17, 21. The
reason why he brought forth bread and
wine was, because those two include
all things of heaven and the church,
thus all things of blessing ; in like
manner as the bread and wine in the
holy supper.
716. IV. That the whole of the
Lord is in the Holy Supper, and
the whole of his redemption.
That the whole of the Lord is in the
holy supper, as well. as to the glorified
Human as to the Divine, from which
the Human proceeded, is evident from
his own express words. That his Hu
man is present in the holy supper is
evident from these words : Jesus took
bread, and broke, and gave to the disci
ples, and said, l.liis is my body. And
taking the cup, He gave to them, saying,
This is my blood, Matt. xxvi. ; Mark
xiv. ; Luke xxii. And also in John : 1
am the bread of life ; if any one eat of
this bread, he shall live for ever. The
bread which I rvill give is my flesh.
Verily, verily, I say to you, He that
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,
abideth in Me and I in him; and he
shall live for ever, vi. From these words
it evidently appears, that the Lord, as
to his glorified Human, is in the holy
supper. That the whole of the Lord,
also, as to His Divine, from which the
Human proceeded, is present in the
holy supper, is evident from this, that
He is the bread which came down from
heaven, John vi. He came down
from heaven with the Divine, for it is
said, The Word was with God, and
God was the Word. All things were
made by Him. And the Word became
flesh, i 1, 3, 14. And further, from

Concerning the Holy Supper.

479

these : That the Father and He arc one,
x. 30. That all things of the Father
are His, iii. 35; xvi. 15. That He
is in the Father and the Father in
Him, xiv. 10, 11, &c. And further,
that his Divine can no more be sepa
rated from his Human than the soul
from the body. Wherefore, when it is
said that the whole of the Lord, as to
his Human, is in the Holy Supper, it
follows that his Divine, from which it
proceeded, is also there at the same
time. Now, since his flesh signifies
the divine good of his love, and his
blood the divine truth of his wisdom,
it is manifest that the whole of the
Lord, both as to the Divine and as to
the glorified Human, is omnipresent in
the holy supper ; consequently, that it
is a spiritual eating.
7*17. That the whole of the Lord's
redemption is present in the holy sup
per follows, as a consequence, from
what has now been said ; for where
the whole of the Lord is, there also is
the whole of his redemption ; for He is,
as to the Human, the Redeemer ; con
sequently, also, redemption itself: not
any thing of redemption can be absent,
where He is wholly present. Where
fore, all those who worthily go to the
holy communion, become his redeemed
ones ; and because by redemption are
meant deliverance from hell, conjunc
tion with Him and salvation (of which
below, in this chapter, and more fully in
the chapter concerning Redemption),
therefore those fruits are ascribed to
man ; not, indeed, so far as the Lord
wills, because from his divine love He
wills to ascribe them all, but as far as
man receives ; and he who receives,
is redeemed in the degree in which he
receives. Whence it is evident, that
the effects and fruits of the Lord's re
demption return to those who worthily
approach. 718. With every sound man there is
a faculty of receiving wisdom from the
Lord, that is, of multiplying the truths
from which it is, to eternity ; and also of
receiving love, that is, of fructifying
the goods from which this is, in like
manner to eternity. This perpetual
fructification of good and thence of

love, and that perpetual multiplication
of truth and thence of wisdom, is given
with the angels, and also it is given
with men who become angels ; and
because the Lord is Love itself and
Wisdom itself, it follows that man has
the faculty of conjoining himself to the
Lord, and the Lord to him, for ever.
But still, because man is finite, the
Divine itself of the Lord cannot be con
joined to him, but only adjoined ; as,
for illustration, the light of the sun
cannot be conjoined to the eye, nor the
sound of the air conjoined to the ear,
but only adjoined to them, and thus
give the faculty of seeing and hearing;
for man is not life in himself, as the
Lord is, even as to the Human, (John
v. 26,) but he is a receptacle of life;
and life itself is what is adjoined to
man, but is not conjoined. These
things are added in order that it may
be understood, in what way the whole
of the Lord, and the whole of his re
demption, is present in the holy supper.
719. V. That the Lord is present
and opens Heaven to those who
worthily come to the holy supper,
AND THAT He IS ALSO PRESENT WITH
those who come unworthily, but
that He does not open Heaven to
them j consequently, that as bap
TISM is an Introduction into the
Church, so the Holy Supper is an
Introduction into Heaven.
Who they are that come to the holy
supper worthily, is shown in the two
following articles, and at the same time
concerning those who come unworthily ;
for from the one which is affirmed, the
other is known from its opposition.
That the Lord is present both with the
worthy and with the unworthy, is be
cause He is omnipresent, both in heav
en and in hell, and also in the world ;
consequently, with the evil as well as
with the good ; but with the good, that
is, the regenerate, He is present uni
versally and particularly, for the Lord
is in them and they in the Lord, and
where the Lord is, there is heaven.
Heaven also makes the body of the
Lord ; wherefore, to be in his body, is
to be at the same time in heaven. But
the presence of the Lord with those

480

Concerning the Holy Supper.

who come unworthily, is his universal
but not his particular presence ; or,
what is the same, it is his external but
not his internal presence ; and his uni
versal or external presence causes man
to live as man, and to enjoy the faculty
of knowing, of understanding, and of
speaking rationally from the under
standing ; for man is born for heaven,
and therefore also spiritual, and not
like a beast, only natural. He enjoys
also the faculty of willing and of doing
those things which the understanding
can know, understand, and thence
speak rationally; but if the will refuses
obedience to the truly rational things
of the understanding, which also are
intrinsically spiritual, then the man be
comes external. Wherefore, with those
who only understand what is true and
good, the presence of the Lord is uni
versal or external; but with those who
also will and do what is true and good,
the presence of the Lord is both univer
sal and particular, or both internal and
external. Those who only understand
and talk about truths and goods are
comparatively the foolish virgins, who
had lamps but not oil ; but those who
not only understand and talk about
truths and goods, but also will and do
them, are the prudent virgins, who
were admitted into the wedding, but
the former stood at the door and
knocked, but were not admitted, Matt.
xxv. 1 to 12. Hence it is evident that
the Lord is present and opens heaven
to those who come worthily to the holy
supper ; and that He is also present
with those who come unworthily, but
that he does not open heaven to them.
720. But still it is not to be believed
that the Lord shuts heaven to those
who come unworthily ; this He does
not to any man even to the end of his
life in the world ; but that man shuts it
against himself, which he does by the
rejection of faith, and by evil of life.
But still man is continually kept in a
possible state of repentance and con
version ; for the Lord is perpetually
present, and urges that He may be
received ; for He says, J stand at the
door and knock; if any one hear my
voice, and open the door, I will go in

and sup with him and he with Me
Rev. iii. 20. Wherefore man himself
is in the fault, who does not open the
door. The case is otherwise after
death ; then heaven is shut, and is not
to be opened to those who, even to the
end of life, have come to the holy sup
per unworthily, for then the interiors
of their mind are fixed and established.
721. That baptism is an introduc
tion into the church, was shown in
the chapter concerning Baptism ; but
that the holy supper is an introduction
into heaven, is evident from the things
above said and perceived. Those two
sacraments, baptism and the holy sup
per, are as it were two gates to eternal
hfe. Every Christian man by baptism,
which is the first gate, is admitted and
introduced into the things which the
church teaches from the Word concern
ing another life ; which all are means by
which man may be prepared for and led
to heaven. The other gate is the holy
supper, through which every man who
has suffered himself to be prepared and
led by the Lord, is admitted and intro
duced into heaven. There are no more
universal gates. These two may be
compared with a prince born for a king
dom, in that he is first introduced into
the knowledges which belong to the
office of governing, and then follows
his coronation and government. They
may be compared also with a son born
to a great inheritance, who will first
learn and imbue himself with such
things as pertain to the just disposition
of possessions and wealth ; the other
thing is the possession and administra
tion. They may be compared also with
the building of a house, and with its
being inhabited ; and also with the in
struction of a man from infancy even
to the age when he comes to the exer
cise of his own right and judgment,
and with his rational and spiritual life
afterwards : one period necessarily pre
cedes, that the other may be obtained ;
for this is not attainable without that.
By these things it is illustrated, that
baptism and the holy supper are, as it
were, two gates, through which man is
introduced into eternal life, and that,
after the first gate, there is a plain, over

Concerning the Holy Supper.

481

which he must run, and that the other is
the goal, where is the prize to which he
directed his course ; for the palm is not
given till after the contest, nor the re
ward till after the combat.
722. VI. That those come to
the Holy Supper worthily, who
are in Faith in the Lord, and in
Charity towards the Neighbor,
thus who are regenerate.
That God, charity and faith are the
three universals of the church, because
they are the universal means of salva
tion, is known, acknowledged and per
ceived by every Christian who studies
the Word. That God is to be acknowl
edged, in order that any one may
have religion, and any thing of the
church in him, reason itself, in which
there is something spiritual, dictates.
Wherefore, he who comes to the holy
supper, and does not acknowledge God,
profanes it ; for he sees with the eye
the bread and wine, and tastes them
with the tongue ; but the mind thinks,
What is this but an idle ceremony?
And how do they differ from similar
things upon my table ? Yet I do this
lest I should be accused by the priest
hood, and thence by the vulgar, of the in
famous crime of being an atheist. That,
after the acknowledgment of God,
Charity is another means which causes
one to come worthily, is evident both
from the Word and from the exhortations
read before coming to the communion
in the whole Christian world. From the
Word : that the first commandment
and precept is, that men should love God
above all things, and the neighbor as
themselves, Matt. xxii. 34 to 39 ; Luke
x. 25 to 28. And also Paul says, that
there are three things which contribute
to salvation, and that the greatest of
them is charity, 1 Cor. xiii. 13. As
also from these, We know that God
heareth not sinners ; but if any one
worship p*;th God and doeth his will, him
He heareth, John ix. 31. Every tree
that produceih not good fruit, is cut
down and cast into the fire, Matt. vii.
19, 20 ; Luke iii. 8, 9 : From the
exhortations read before coming
to the Holy Supper in the whole
Christian world : in those the people
61

are every where seriously admoni.ihed
to be in charity by reconciliation and
repentance ; of which I shall here trans
cribe only these words from the exhor
tation to communicants in England :
— " The way and means," to become
a worthy partaker of the holy supper,
" is, first, to examine your lives and
conversations by the rule of God's com
mandments ; and whereinsoever ye shall
perceive yourselves to have offended,
either by will, word, or deed, there to
bewail your own sinfulness, and to con
fess yourselves 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 neighbors; then ye
shall reconcile yourselves unto them,
being ready to make restitution and
satisfaction, according to the uttermost
of your powers, 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 at God's hand ; for
otherwise, the receiving of the holy
communion doth nothing else but in
crease your damnation. Therefore, if
any of you be a blasphemer of God, a
hinderer or slanderer of his Word, an
adulterer, or be in malice or envy, or in
any other grievous crime, repent ye of
your sins, or else come not to that holy
table; lest, after the taking of that holy
sacrament, the devil enter into you, as
he entered into Judas, and fill you full
of all iniquities, and bring you to de
struction both of body and soul." That
Faith in the Lord is a third means
of the worthy participation of the holy
supper, is because charity and faith
make one, like heat and light in the
time of spring, from which two con
joined, every tree springs forth afresh ;
in like manner, from spiritual heat, which
is charity, and from spiritual light, which
is the truth of faith, every man lives.
That faith in the Lord does this, is evi
dent from these passages : He that be
lieveth in Me shall never die, but shall
live, John xi. 25, 26. This is the will
of the Father, that every one that be
lieveth in the Son should have eterna.
life, vi. 40. God so loved the world

482

Concerning the Holy Supper.

that He gave his only-begotten Son, that
every one that believeth in Him might
have eternal life, iii. 15, 16. He that
believeth in the Son hath eternal life;
but he that believeth not the Son shall
not see life, but the anger of God abid
eth on him, iii. 36. We are in the truth,
in the Son of God, Jesus Christ : this
is the true God and eternal life, 1 John
v. 20, 21.
723. It was shown in the chapter
concerning Reformation and Regen
eration, that man is regenerated by
these three, the Lord, charity and faith,
as one ; and that one cannot come into
heaven, unless he be regenerated ;
wherefore the Lord can open heaven to
no others than the regenerate, and after
natural death introduction into it is
given to no others. By the regenerate
who come worthily, are meant those
who are internally in those three essen
tials of the church and heaven, but not
those who are only externally ; for these
do not confess the Lord with the soul,
but only with the tongue ; and they do
not exercise charity towards the neigh
bor with the heart, but only with the
body. Such are all who work iniquity,
according to these words of the Lord :
Then ye will begin to say, Lord, we
have eaten and drunk in thy presence ;
but I shall say to you, I know you not
whence ye are ; depart from Me, all ye
workers of iniquity, Luke xiii. 26, 27.
724. These things, like the former,
may be illustrated by various things
which agree and also correspond, as
by these : That no others are admit
ted to the table of an emperor or a
king, than those who are in high office
and dignity ; and that these also, be
fore they come, clothe themselves with
suitable garments, and adorn themselves
with the badges of their office, that
they may come acceptably, and be
favored. Why not, when they come
to the table of the Lord, who is the
Lord of lords and King of kings, Rev.
xvii. 14, to which all are called and
invited ; but those only who are spirit
ually worthy, and clothed in honorable
apparel, after they rise up from the ta
ble, are admitted into the palaces of
heaven, and into the joys there, and

honored as princes, because they are
sons of the greatest King ; and after
wards they sit down daily with Abra
ham, Isaac and Jacob, Matt. viii. 11 ;
by whom is meant the Lord as to the
celestial Divine, the spiritual Divine
and the natural Divine. Those same
things may be compared also with wed
dings on earth, to which no others are
invited than the relations, kindred and
friends of the bridegroom and the bride;
if any other one enters, he is admitted,
indeed, but because he has no place at
the table, he retires. It is similar with
those who are called to the marriage
of the Lord, as bridegroom, with the
church, as bride; among whom those
are relations, kindred and friends, who
derive their lineage by regeneration
from the Lord. Moreover, who in the
world is initiated into the friendship of an
other, unless he trusts him with a sincere
heart, and does his will ? This one, and
not others, he reckons among his friends,
and intrusts to him his possessions.
725. VII. That those who come
to the Holy Supper worthily, are
in the Lord and the Lord in them ;
consequently, that Conjunction
with the Lord is effected by the
Holy Supper.
That those come to the Holy Supper
worthily who are in faith in the Lord,
and in charity towards the neighbor,
and that the truths of faith set forth
the presence of the Lord, and the goods
of charity, together with faith, conjunc
tion, has been demonstrated above in
several chapters ; from which it follows,
that those who come to the holy supper
worthily, are conjoined to the Lord, and
those who are conjoined to the Lord are
in Him and He in them. That this is
the case with those who come worthily,
the Lord himself declares in John, in
these words : He that eateth my flesh
and drinketh my blood, abideth in Me
and I in him, vi. 56. That this is con
junction with the Lord, He also teaches
elsewhere in the same : Abide in Me
and I in you ; he that abideth in Me
and I in him, the same beareth much
fruit, xv. 4, 5 ; and Rev. iii. 20. What
else is conjunction with the Lord, but
being among those who are in his body ?

Concerning the Holy Supper.

483

And those constitute his body, who be
lieve in Him and do his will. His will
is the exercise of charity according to
the truths of faith.
726. That without conjunction with
the Lord, eternal life and salvation can
not be given, is because He is both.
That He is eternal Life, is clearly
evident from passages from the Word,
and from this in John : Jesus Christ is
the true God, and eternal Life, 1 John v.
21. That He is Salvation, is because
this and eternal life are one. His
name Jesus also signifies salvation, and
thence, in the whole Christian world,
He is called the Savior. But still no
others come worthily to the holy sup
per, but those who are interiorly con
joined to the Lord, and those are in
teriorly conjoined who are regenerate ;
but who the regenerate are was shown in
the chapter concerning Reformation
and Regeneration. Besides, there
are many who confess the Lord and
who do good to the neighbor ; but if
they do not do this from love towards
the neighbor and from faith in the Lord,
they are not regenerate ; for they do
good to the neighbor only for reasons
which regard the world and themselves,
but not the neighbor as the neighbor.
The works of these are merely natural,
which do not inwardly contain in them
any thing spiritual ; for they confess
the Lord only with the mouth and lips,
from which the heart is far distant.
Love itself towards the neighbor, and
faith itself, are from the Lord alone ;
and both are given to man, while, from
his own free choice, he does good to the
neighbor, and believes truths rationally,
and looks to the Lord, and does these
three things on account of the com
mandments in the Word ; then the
Lord implants charity and faith in the
midst of him, and makes both spiritual.
Thus the Lord conjoins man to Him
self, and man himself to the Lord ; for
there is no conjunction, unless it be
made reciprocally. But these things
have been fully shown in the chapters
concerning Charity, Faith, Free
Agency and Regeneration.
727. It is known that conjunctions
and consociations are made in the world

by invitations to tables and by foasts ;
for thereby the person who invites in
tends something which contributes to
some end, which respects agreement
or friendship ; much more the invita
tions which have spiritual things for an
end. The feasts in the ancient churches
were feasts of charity ; in like manner
in the primitive Christian church, in
which they encouraged one another to
continue in the worship of the Lord,
from a sincere heart. The sons of Is
rael's eating together of the sacrifices
near the tabernacle, signified nothing
else than unanimity in the worship of
Jehovah ; wherefore, the flesh which
was eaten was called holy, Jer. xi.
15 ; Hag. ii. 12 ; and in many other
places, because it was a part of the sacri
fice ; why not the bread and wine and
the paschal flesh, at the supper of the
Lord, who offered Himself a sacrifice
for the sins of the whole world ? More
over, conjunction with the Lord, by
means of the holy supper, may be illus
trated by the conjunction of families
from one common father ; from him de
scend those who are related by blood,
and in order kindred and relations, and
they all derive something from the first
stock ; but they do not thus derive
flesh and blood, but from the flesh and
blood, thus a spul and thence an inclina
tion to similar things, by which they are
conjoined. The conjunction itself also
appears generally in the faces and also
in the manners, and thence they are
called one flesh, as Gen. xxix. 14 ;
xxxvii. 27 ; 2 Sam. v. 1 ; xix. 12, 13;
and elsewhere. The case is similar
with conjunction with the Lord, who is
the Father of all the faithful and the
blessed ; conjunction with Him is ef
fected by means of love and faith, by
which two are called one flesh. Thence
it is, that He said, He that eateth my
flesh and drinketh my blood, abideth in
Me and I in him. Who does not see
that bread and wine does not effect this,
but that it is effected by the good of love
which is meant by bread, and by the
truth of faith which is meant by wine,
which are the Lord's own, and from
Him alone they proceed and are com
municated ? All conjunction also is

4S4

Concerning the Holy Supper.

effected by love ; and love is not love
without confidence. Those who be
lieve that the bread is flesh, and the
wine blood, and cannot elevate the
thought further, may remain in that
belief, but no otherwise than that the
most holy thing, which effects conjunc-
'on with the Lord, is what is attributed
and appropriated to man as his, although
t continually remains the Lord's.
728. VIII. That the Holy Sup
per IS TO THOSE WHO COME TO IT
WORTHILY AS A SIGNING AND SEAL
THAT THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD.
That the holy supper is to those who
come to it worthily a signing and seal
that they are the sons of God, is be
cause, as was said above, the Lord is
then present, and introduces into heav
en those who are born of Him, that is,
the regenerate. That the holy sup
per does this, is because the Lord is then
present also as to his Human ; for it
was shown above, that the whole of the
Lord is present in the holy supper, and
the whole of his redemption ; for He
says of the bread, This is my body,
and of the wine, This is my blood ;
consequently, He admits them then into
his body ; and the church and heaven
constitute his body. When man is be
ing regenerated, the Lord is indeed
present, and by his divjne operation
prepares man for heaven ; but that he
may actually enter, man must actually
present himself to the Lord ; and
because the Lord actually presents
Himself to man, man must actually re
ceive Him, not, indeed, as He hung on
the cross, but as He is in his glorified
Human, in which He }s present ; and
the body of this is divine good, and its
blood is divine truth : these are given to
man, and by them he is regenerated,
and is in the Lord and the Lord in him ;
for, as was shown above, the eating which
is exhibited in the holy supper is a spirit
ual eating. From these things rightly per
ceived, it is evident, that the holy sup
per is a signing and seal that those who
come to it worthily are the sons of God.
729. But those who die in infancy
or childhood, and thus do not attain
such an age that they can worthily
come to the holy supper, are introduced

by the Lord by means of baptism ; for,
as it was shown in the chapter concern
ing baptism, baptism is an introduction
into the Christian church, and at the
same time an insertion among Christians
in the spiritual world ; and the church
and heaven there are one ; wherefore, for
those there, introduction into the church
is also into heaven, and these, because
they are educated under the auspices of
the Lord, are regenerated more and
more, and become his children ; for they
know no other father. But infants and
children, born out of the Christian
church, are introduced by other means,
than by baptism, into the heaven des
ignated for their religion, after the re
ception of faith in the Lord ; but they
are not mixed with those who are in the
Christian heaven. For there is not any
nation in all the world which may not
be saved, if they acknowledge a God
and live well ; for the Lord redeemed
them all, and man is born spiritual, by
which he has the faculty of receiving
the gift of redemption. Those who re
ceive the Lord, that is, have faith in
Him, and are not in evils of life, are
called sons of God, and born of God,
John i. 12, 13 ; xi. 52 ; and also sons
of the kingdom, Matt. xiii. 38 ; and
likewise heirs, xix. 29 ; xxv. 34. The
disciples of the Lord are also called
sons, ix. 15 ; and so are all the an
gels, Job i. 6 ; ii. 1.
730. It is with the holy supper as
.with a covenant, which, after the arti
cles are agreed upon, is ratified and
sealed up with a seal. That the blood
of the Lord is a covenant He himself
teaches ; for He said, when He took
the cup and gave, Drink ye all of it ;
this is my blood, that of the New Tes
tament, Matt, xxvii. 28; Mark xiv.
24 ; Luke xxii. 20. The New Testa
ment is the New Covenant ; wherefore,
the Word written by the prophets be- \ \
fore the coming of the Lord is called \ \
the Old Testament and Covenant : and
the Word written by the evangelists
and apostles, after his coming, the New
Testament or Covenant. That the
divine truth of the Word is meant by
blood, and likewise by the wine, in the
holy supper, may be seen above in ar-

Concerning the Holy Supper.

485

tide ii. n. 706, 708 ; and the Word is
the covenant itself, which the Lord has
made with man, and man with the Lord ;
for the Lord descended as the Word,
that is, as the Divine Truth. And be
cause this is his blood, therefore blood,
in the Israelitish church, which was rep-
lesentative ofthe Christian church, was
called the blood of the covenant,
Exod. xxiv. 7, 8; Zech. ix. 11; and
the Lord, the Covenant of the peo
ple, Isaiah xiii. 6 ; xlix. 8 ; Jer. xxxi.
31 to 34 ; Psalm cxi. 9. It is also
according to the order in the world,
that a covenant should be signed and
sealed in order that there may be any
certainty, and that that should follow
after deliberate acts. What is a com
mission or a will, unless if. be sealed?
What is the decision of a judge, with
out the sentence subscribed, that
the judgment may be established?
What is a high office in a kingdom,
without a diploma ? What is promo
tion to any office, without confirmation ?
What is the possession of a house with
out a purchase, or agreement with the
owner ? What is a progression to any
end, or running to any goal, and thus
for a prize, if there is not any end or
goal, where one will obtain the prize,
and unless the judge has in some man
ner made his wager sure ? But these
last things are added only for the sake
of illustration, that it may be perceived
even by the simple, that the holy sup
per is as it were a signing, a seal, a tick
et, and the witnessing of a commission,
even before the angels, that they are
the sons of God ; and moreover as a
key to the house in heaven where they
will dwell to eternity.

731. Once an angel was seen by
me, flying under the eastern heaven,
who held a trumpet in his hand and to
his mouth, and sounded towards the
north, towards the west, and towards the
south. He had on a robe which flowed
backwards, as he flew, and was girded
with a belt of carbuncles and sapphires,
as it were, flaming and shining. He
flew downwards, and gently alighted
on the earth, near the spot where I
was. As soon as he touched the earth,

erect on his feet, he went hither and
thither ; and then, seeing me, directed
his steps towards me. I was in the
spirit, and in it was standing on a hill
in the southern quarter ; and when he
was near, I spoke to him, and asked,
"What is the matter now? I heard
the sound of your trumpet, and saw your
descent through the air." The angel
answered, " I am sent to call together
the most celebrated for erudition, the
most acute in genius, and the most
eminent in reputation for wisdom, that
are from the kingdoms ofthe Christian
world on this earth ; that they may come
together upon this hill, where you are
staying, and disclose their minds, what
they in the world had thought, under
stood and tasted of Heavenly Joy and
of Eternal Happiness. The cause
of my being sent is this ; that some new
comers from the world, being admitted
into our heavenly society, which is in
the east, related that not a single one
in the whole Christian world knows
what heavenly joy is, and what eternal
happiness is, thus what heaven is. At
this, my brethren and companions
greatly wondered ; and they said to me,
'Descend, convoke and assemble the
wisest in the world of spirits, into
which all mortals are first gathered
together after their departure from the
natural world, in order that, from the
mouth of many, we may be assured
whether it is true, that Christians are
in such thick darkness and profound
ignorance concerning the future life.' "
And he said to me, " Wait a while, and
you will see companies of the wise
flowing hither ; the Lord will prepare
a house of meeting for them." I
waited, and behold, after half an hour,
I saw two troops from the north, two
from the west, and two from the south ;
and as they came, they were introduced
by the angel of the trumpet into the
house prepared, and there occupied
the places designated for them accord
ing to the quarters. There were six
troops or companies ; a seventh was
from the east, which, on account ofthe
light, was not seen by the rest. After
they had assembled, the angel opened
the cause of their being called together,
and requested that the companies in

486

Concerning the Holy Supper.

order would bring forth their wisdom
concerning Heavenly Joy and con
cerning Eternal Happiness. And
then each company formed itself into a
circle, their faces being turned to faces,
that they might recall the subject from the
ideas entertained in the former world,
and might now consider it, and, after
consideration and consultation, express
their sentiments.
732. After consultation, the First
Company, which was from the north,
said, " That heavenly joy and eternal
happiness were one with the very life
of heaven ; wherefore, every one who
enters heaven, as to life, enters into its
festivities, just as one who enters into
a wedding enters into its festivities.
Is not heaven before our eyes above us,
thus in place ? And are there not there,
and not elsewhere, enjoyments upon
enjoyments and pleasures upon pleas
ures ? Into these man is brought, as
to every perception of the mind, and
as to every sensation of the body, from
the fulness of the joys of that place,
when he is brought into heaven.
Wherefore, heavenly happiness, which
is also eternal, is nothing else than ad
mission into heaven, and admission is
of divine grace." When they had said
this, the other Company from the
north, from their wisdom, expressed this
opinion : " Heavenly joy and eternal
happiness are nothing else than the
most delightful intercourse with angels
and the sweetest conversations with
them, by which their faces are contin
ually kept expanded in gladness, and
the mouths of the whole company in
pleasant smiles from entertaining and
facetious discourse ; and what are
heavenly joys, but the variations of such
things to eternity? " The Third Com
pany, which was the first of the wise
from the western quarter, from the
thoughts of their affections, uttered
this : " What else is heavenly joy and
eternal happiness, than feasting with
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, upon whose
tables there will be rich and delicate
food, and generous and noble wines;
and after the feasts, sports and dances
of virgins and young men, dancing to
concerts of vocal and instrumental

music, the sweetest songs being sung
at intervals ; and finally, in the evening,
there will be shows of persons masked;
and after this feasts again, and thu3
every day to eternity ?" When they
had said this, the Fourth Company,
which was the second from the western
quarter, declared their sentiments, say
ing, " We have entertained many ideas
concerning heavenly joy and eternal
happiness, and we have examined va
rious joys, and compared them one with
another, and have concluded that heav
enly joys are paradisiacal joys. What
is heaven, but a paradise, which extends
from the east to the west, and from the
south to the north, having in it trees
of fruit and flowers of delight, in the
midst of which is the magnificent tree
of life, around which the blessed will
sit, eating fruits of delicate flavor, and
adorned with garlands of flowers of the
sweetest odor ? And as these fruits
and flowers, by the genial influences
of a perpetual spring, are produced and
reproduced every day, with infinite
variety ; and as the mind is continually
renovated by their perpetual growth
and bloom, and at the same time by
the vernal temperature ofthe air ; it can
not but daily imbibe and respire new
joys, and thence be brought back to
the bloom of life, and through this to
the primitive state, in which Adam
and his wife were created, and thus b?
sent back into their paradise, which
was transferred from earth to heaven."
The Fifth Company, which was the
first of the ingenious from the southern
quarter, expressed this opinion : "Heav
enly joys and eternal happiness are
nothing else than supereminent domin
ions and immense riches, and thence
more than royal magnificence, and the
most dazzling splendor. That the joys
of heaven, and the continual fruition
of these joys, which is eternal happiness,
are those things, we clearly saw from
those in the former world who possessed
them ; and also from this, that the
happy in heaven are to reign with the
Lord, and to be kings and princes, be
cause they are the sons of Him who is
King of kings, and Lord of lords ; and
that they are to sit upon thrones, and

Concerning the Holy Supper.

487

that the angels are to minister to them.
The magnificence of heaven we clearly
saw from this, that the New Jerusalem,
by which is described the glory of
heaven, is to have gates, each of which
will be one pearl, and streets of pure
gold, and a wall founded upon precious
stones; consequently, that every one
who is received into heaven, has a
palace of his own glittering with gold
and precious stones, and a dominion
which will pass in order from one to
another. And because we know, that
there are, in such things, innate joys
and inherent happiness, and that the
promises of God are irrefragable, we
could not deduce the most happy state
of heavenly life from any other source."
After this, the Sixth Company, which
was the second from the southern quar
tet^ lifted up their voice, and said,
" The joy of heaven and its eternal
happiness are nothing else than a per-
1 petual glorification of God, a never-
ceasing festival, and most blessed wor
ship, with songs and jubilees ; and thus
a constant elevation ofthe heart to God,
oth full confidence of his acceptance
of prayersSMid praises, on account of
the divine murrSijceiifcTof their blessed
ness." Some o.Jthe company added,
" That this gIorit«5ation is to be accom
panied with magnificent illuminations
and with most jffragrant incense, and
with processions of pomp, the high-
priest going before with a great trumpet,
the primates land officers of different
degrees following him, and after these,
men with malms, and women with
golden images in their hands."
733. The/SEVENTH Company, which,
on account/ of its light, was not seen by
the rest, was from the east of heaven :
the angels/ were of the same society
as the angel of the trumpet. They,
when they heard in heaven, that not a
singleJone in the Christian world knew
whanieavenly joy and eternal happi-
ne| were, said one to another, " Sure
ly lis cannot be true : it is impossible
thati Christians should be in such
thicft darkness, and in such stupor
of m\^d. Let us also go down and
hear whether it be true, and if it be so,
it is indeed a prodigy." Then those

angels said to the angel ot the trumpet,
" You know that every man who had de
sired heaven, and had thought any
thing certain concerning the joys there,
after death, is introduced into the joys
of his imagination ; and that, after they
have experienced what those joys are,
that they are according to the vain
ideas of their mind, and according to
the deliriums of their fantasy, they are
led out of them, and are instructed : this
is done to most of those in the world
of spirits, who, in the former life, medi
tated about heaven, and concluded any
thing respecting the joys there, even to
the desire of them." Having heard
this, the angel of the trumpet said to
the six companies called together from
the wise of the Christian world, " Fol
low me, and I will introduce you into
your joys, thus into heaven."
734. Having said this, the angel
went before, and was first attended by
the company of those who had per
suaded themselves that heavenly joys
were only the most pleasant intercourse
and the sweetest conversations : these
the angel introduced to companies in
the northern quarter, who in the former
world had entertained no other ideas
ofthe joys of heaven. There was there
a spacious house, in which such were
gathered together ; in the house there
were more than fifty apartments, distin
guished according to the various kinds
of conversation. In some apartments
they conversed about such things as
they had seen and heard in the public
squares and in the streets ; in others
they conversed about the various amia
ble qualities of the fair sex, with so
much pleasantry that the faces of all in
the company were expanded with smiles
of mirth ; in other apartments they
spoke of the news, concerning courts,
concerning ministries, concerning state
policy, concerning various things which
had emanated from privy councils,
together with reasonings and conjec
tures concerning the events ; in others
concerning trade ; in others concerning
subjects of literature ; in others about
such things as are of civil prudence
and moral life ; in others concerning
the affairs ofthe church and concerning

488

Concerning the Holy Supper.

sects; &c. It was given me to look
into that house, and I saw them run
ning about from one apartment to
another, seeking for some to sympathize
with their affection, and thence to par
ticipate of their joy. And in the com
panies I saw three kinds of persons,
some, as it were, panting to speak, some
desiring to ask questions, and some
eager to hear. The house had four
doors, one on each side ; and I observ
ed that many were leaving the com
pany and hastening to go out. I fol
lowed some to the east door, and saw
some sitting near it with sad faces, and
I went to them and asked why they sat
so sad ; and they replied, "The doors of
this house are kept shut for those who
would go out; and now it is the third
day since we entered, and we have
exhausted the life of our desire in com
pany and conversation, and we have
become so tired of continual talking
that we can scarcely bear to hear the
noise of their talk. Wherefore, from
weariness, we betook ourselves to this
door and knocked ; but the answer to
us is, ' That the doors of this house
are not opened for those who would go
out, but for those who would come in.
Stay and enjoy the joys of heaven.'
From which answers we have concluded
that we are to remain here to eternity.
Thence sadness seized our minds, and
now our breast begins to be contracted,
and anxiety to arise." Then the an
gel addressed them, and said, "This
state is the death of your joys, which
alone you believed to be heavenly ;
when yet they are only accessory to
heavenly joys." And they asked the
angel, " What, then, is heavenly joy ? "
And the angel answered in these few
words: "It is the delight of doing
something which is of use to one's self
and to others ; and the delight of use
derives its essence from love, and its
existence from wisdom. The delight
of use arising from love through wisdom,
is the life and soul of all heavenly joys.
There is in the heavens most pleasant
intercourse, which exhilarates the
minds of the angels, gladdens their
hearts, delights their breasts, and rec
reates heir bodies ; but these are for

them after they have performed uses in
their offices and in their employments.
From these there is a soul and life in
all their joys and entertainments; but
if you take away that soul or life, the
accessory joys gradually become no
joys ; but first they become indifferent,
then, as it were, worthless, and finally
sad and anxious." This being said,
the door was opened, and those who
sat there leaped out, and ran home,
each to his office and to his employment ;
and they were refreshed. , 
735. After this, the angel addressed
those who had formed to themselves
the idea concerning the joys of heaven,
and concerning eternal happiness, that
they would consist in feasting with
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and, after
the feasts, in games and shows, and
feasts again, and so to eternity. And
he said to them, " Follow me, and I will
introduce you into the felicities of your
joys." And he led them through a
grove into a plain covered over with
a floor, upon which were set tables,
fifteen on one side and fifteen on the
other : and they asked why there were
so many . tables. And the- -angel
answered, " The -first Jable is Abra
ham's, the second ]r"iac's, the third
Jacob's ; and next to r'iem, in a series,
are the tables of the ftwelve apostles :
on the other side are th e same number
of tables for their wives); the three first
tables are for Sarah, AB>ram's wife, for
Rebecca, Isaac's wife, andS for Leah and
Rachel, Jacob's wives, anid the other
twelve for the wives of the Vtwelve apos
tles." After a while, all tme tables ap
peared covered with dishefc, and the
spaces between them ornamented with
little pyramids filled with sauifces. The
guests stood around them in expectation
of seeing the presidents of tshe tables.
who, after a little while, weV-e seen
entering in the order of a profession
from Abram to the last ofthe apoWles;
and presently each one, coming to\his
table, placed himself on a couch at the
head of it ; and then they said to those
who were standing around, " Take
your places also with us ; " and the
men took their places with those fa
thers, and the women with their wives

Concerning the Holy Suppei

489

nd they ate and drank with joy and
rith veneration. After dinner, those
athers went out, and then games were
ntroduced, and dances of virgins and
oung men, and then shows ; after
phich they were again invited to feast-
ng, but with this statement, that the
irst day they should eat with Abram,
he next with Isaac, the third with
facob, the fourth with Peter, the fifth
vith James, the sixth with John, the
eventh with Paul, and with the rest in
trder, even to the fifteenth day, when
hey should again renew their festivities
n a similar order, only changing seats ;
ind thus to eternity. After this the
mgel called together the men of the
lompany, and said to them, " All those
vhom you saw at the tables were in a
ike imaginary thought concerning the
oys of heaven, and thence of eternal
lappiness, with you; and in order that
hey might see the vanity of their ideas,
ind be led away from them, such fes
tival scenes were appointed and per
mitted by the Lord. Those chiefs
vhom you saw at the heads of the
;ables were personated old men, most
)f them rustics who had beards, and
vere proud of their superior opulence,
ind fancied that they were those
indent fathers. But follow me into
;he ways that lead from this apartment."
A.nd they followed, and saw fifty here
md fifty there, who had filled their
stomachs with food even to the desire
)f vomiting ; and they ardently desired
o return to the proper duties of their
lomes, some to their offices, some to
heir trades, and some to their labors.
But many were retained by the keepers
)f the grove, and questioned concerning
he days of their feasting, and whether
hey had yet eaten at the tables with
Peter and with Paul : and if they went
Hit before, it would be to their shame,
>ecause it is indecent. But most of
iem answered, " We have exhausted
)'ir joys; food has become insipid to
is ; we have no relish for it ; our
tomach loathes it, and we cannot bear
o taste it ; we have spent several days
ind nights in that luxury, and we earn-
's-tlv bejr that we may be let out."
lid beini- let go, with a short breath
62

and quick step they ran home. After
this the angel called the men of the
company, and in the way he taught
them these things respecting heaven :
"In heaven, as well as in the world,
there are meats and drinks, there are
feasts and repasts : the great ones there
have tables, upon which are the richest
kinds of food, dainties and delicacies,
by which their minds are exhilarated
and recreated ; and there are also
games and shows; there is music, vocal
and instrumental ; and all those things
in the highest perfection. Such things
also are joys to them, but not happi
ness ; happiness must be in the joys,
and thence from the joys ; the happiness
in joys causes them to be joys ; it gives
them their relish, and prevents them
from becoming tasteless and loath
some ; and this happiness every one
has from the use which he performs in
his function. There is a certain latent
vein in the affection of the will of every
angel, which draws his mind to do
something ; the mind, by this, tranquil
lizes and satisfies itself; this satisfaction
and that tranquillity make a state of
mind receptible ofthe love of use from
the Lord ; from the reception of this is
heavenly happiness, which is the life
of those joys which have been before
mentioned. Heavenly food, in its
essence, is nothing else than love, wis
dom and use together ; that is,, use
through wisdom from love ; wherefore,
food for the body is given to every one
in heaven, according to the use which
he performs ; magnificent to those who
are in eminent uses : moderate, but of
exquisite relish, to those who are in uses
of a middle degree ; and mean to those
who are in mean uses ; but none to the
slothful." —
736. After this he called to him the
company of the wise, so called, who
had placed heavenly joys, and from
them eternal happiness, in supereminent
dominions and inexhaustible treasures,
and in more than royal magnificence
and splendor; because it is said in the
Word, that they were to be kings and
princes, and that they were to reign
with Christ for ever, and that they
were to be ministered to by angels ;

490

Concerning the Holy Supper.

beside many more things. The angel
said to them, " Follow me, and I will
introduce you into your joys." And
he led them into a portico constructed
of columns and pyramids; in the front
there was a porch, through which was
the entrance into the portico ; through
this he introduced them ; and behold
there were seen twenty there, and they
were waiting. And then suddenly
there came one who personated an
angel, and said to them, "The way to
heaven is through this portico. Stay a
little while, and prepare yourselves, be
cause the older of you are to be kings,
and the younger princes." This being
said, there appeared near each column
a throne, and upon each throne a robe
of silk, and upon each robe a sceptre
and a crown ; and near each pyramid
there appeared a seat raised three
cubits from the ground, and upon the
seat a chain of little links of gold, and
the badges ofthe order of knighthood,
tied together at the ends with diamond
rings. And then it was said with a
loud voice, " Go now, put on your gar
ments, sit down and wait." And forth
with the older ones ran to the thrones,
and the younger ones to the seats, and
put on their garments, and seated
themselves. But then there appeared,
as it were, a thick cloud ascending
from below, which being drawn to
those who sat upon the thrones and
seats, they began to swell in the face,
to be elevated in the breast, and to be
filled with confidence that they were
now kings and princes : that cloud was
an exhalation of fantasy, with which
they were inspired ; and suddenly there
flew to them young men, as it were, from
heaven, and they stood, two behind each
throne, and one behind each seat, to
minister. And then proclamation was
made to them by a herald, "Kings
and princes, wait yet a little while ;
your palaces in heaven are now being
prepared ; very soon the courtiers, with
the guards, will come and introduce
you." They waited and waited, until
their spirits drooped, and they became
weary with desire. After the space
of three hours, the heaven was opened
over their heads, and the angels looked

down, and, pitying them, said, ' Why
do you sit thus infatuated, and act parts
that do not belong to you ? They have
played tricks with you, and changed
you from men into idols, because you
had taken it into your hearts, that you
are to reign with Christ as kings and
princes, and that then the angels are
to minister to you. Have you forgotten
the words of the Lord, that in heaven
whosoever wishes to be great, let him
become a servant? Learn, then, what is
meant by being kings and princes, and
what by reigning with Christ ; that it
is to be wise and do uses ; for the king
dom of Christ, which is heaven, is a
kingdom of uses. For the Lord loves
all, and thence wills good to all, and
good is use ; and because the Lord
does good or uses mediately by angels,
and in the world by men, therefore, to
those who faithfully perform uses, He
gives the love of use and its reward,
which is internal blessedness ; and this
is eternal happiness. There are in the
heavens, as on earth, supereminent do
minions, and the richest treasures ; for
there are governments and forms of
governments, and thus there are greatei
and less powers and dignities ; and
those who are in the highest stations
have palaces and courts, which, in
magnificence and splendor, exceed the
palaces and courts of emperors and
kings on the earth ; and from the num
ber of their courtiers, ministers and
guards, and from the magnificent ves
tures of these, honor and glory surround
them. But those highest ones are
chosen from those whose hearts are
in the public welfare, and only the
senses of the body in the amplitude of
magnificence for the sake of obedience;
and because it is of the public welfare
that every one should be of some use
in the society, as in a common body,
and because all use is from the Lord,
and is done by angels and men as if
from them, it is manifest that this is to
reign with the Lord." These things
being heard from heaven, those who
had personated kings and princes de
scended from their thrones and seats,
and cast away the sceptres, crowns
and robes, and the thick cloud, in

Concerning the Holy Supper.

491

which was the aura of fantasy, receded
from them, and a bright cloud, in which
was the aura of wisdom, encompassed
them ; from which sanity returned to
their minds.
737. After this the angel returned
to the house of assembly of the wise
from the Christian world, and called to
him those who had induced upon them
selves a belief, that the joys of heaven
and eternal happiness were paradisiacal
delights. To these he said, " Follow
me, and I will introduce you into para
dise, your heaven, that you may com
mence the beatitudes of your eternal
happiness." And he introduced them
through a high gate, formed of inter
woven boughs and shoots of noble
trees. After they had entered, he led
them about, through winding ways, from
quarter to quarter. It was actually a
paradise, at the first entrance into heav
en, into which those are sent, who, in
the world, had believed that the whole
heaven was one paradise, because it is
called paradise, and who had impressed
on themselves the idea, that after death
there is a perfect rest from labors, and
that this rest would be nothing else
than inhaling the most exquisite de
lights, walking upon beds of roses,
regaling themselves with the most
delicate wines, and celebrating festive
repasts ; and that this life is not given,
except in a celestial paradise. Being
led by the angel, they saw a great
multitude both of old and young men,
and boys, and also of women and
girls, sitting three and three, and ten
and ten, upon beds of roses, wreathing
garlands to adorn the heads of the old
men, the arms of the young, and the
bosoms of the boys ; others were press
ing the juice out of grapes, cherries
and mulberries, into cups, and drinking
merrily ; others were inhaling with
their nostrils the fragrancies exhaled
from the flowers, fruits and odoriferous
leaves in all directions; others were
singing sweet songs, with which they
soothed the ears of those present;
others were sitting by fountains, and
directing the waters of the gushing
stream into various forms ; others were
walking, talking together, and scatter

ing wit and pleasantry ; others were
going into arbors, that they might lie
down upon couches; besides many
other paradisiacal pleasures. After
these things had been seen, the angel
led his companions hither and thither,
through winding paths, and at last to
some who were sitting in a most beau
tiful bed of roses, which was surrounded
with olive, orange and citron-trees, who,
nodding, held their hands under their
cheeks, mourning and weeping. The
companions of the angel spoke to them,
and said, "Why do you sit thus?" And
they answered, " It is now the seventh
day since we came into this paradise.
When we entered, our minds seemed
as if elevated into heaven, and let into
the inmost happiness of its joys ; but
after the space of three days, those
pleasures began to grow dull, to lose
their relish in our minds, and to become
imperceptible, and thus none : and
when our imaginary joys thus expired,
we feared the loss of all the enjoyment
of our life, and became doubtful about
eternal happiness, whether there be any
such thing. Afterwards we wandered
through streets and uninhabited places,
in search ofthe gate through which we
entered ; but we wandered round and
round, and inquired of whomsoever we
met ; some of whom said, that the gate
is not to be found, because this para
disiacal garden is a spacious labyrinth,
which is such, that whoever wishes to
go out of it, gets farther in : wherefore,
you cannot do otherwise than remain
here to eternity ; you are in the middle
of it, where all delights are in their
centre." And, moreover, they said to the
companions of the angel, " We have
now been sitting here for a day and a
half, and because we are without hope
of finding the way out, we have seated
ourselves upon this rose-bed, and we
see around us, in abundance, olives,
grapes, oranges and citrons ; but the
more we look at them, the more our
sight is wearied with seeing, our smell
with smelling, and our taste with tast
ing : this is the cause of the sadness,
mourning and weeping in which you
see us." On hearing these things, the
conducting angel said to them, " This

492

Concerning the Holy Supper.

paradisiacal labyrinth is truly an en
trance into heaven. I know the way
out of it, and will lead you out."
When he had said this, those who were
sitting arose, and embraced the angel,
and followed him together with his
company. And in the way the angel
taught them what heavenly joy is, and
eternal happiness thence, that they are
not external paradisiacal delights, unless
with these there are internal paradi
siacal delights. External paradisiacal
delights are only delights of the senses
of the body, but internal paradisiacal
delights are delights of the affections
of the soul : unless the latter be in the
former, there is no heavenly life, because
there is no soul in them : and every de
light, without its corresponding soul,
continually becomes more and more
languid and dull, and wearies the mind
more than labor. There are every
where in the heavens paradisiacal gar
dens, and from them also the angels
have joys, and as far as the delight of
the soul is in them, so far those joys
are joys to them. On hearing this,
they all asked, " What is the delight
of the soul, and whence is it?" The
angel answered, " The delight of the
soul is from love and wisdom from the
Lord ; and because love is effective,
and is effective by means of wisdom,
therefore the seat of both is in the
effect, and the effect is use. This
delight from the Lord flows into the
soul, and descends through the higher
and lower regions of the mind into all
the senses ofthe body, and fills itself in
them ; thence joy becomes joy, and it
becomes eternal from the eternal source
of it. You have seen the things of
paradise, and I assure you that there is
not any thing there, not even a little
leaf, that is not from the marriage of
love and wisdom in use : wherefore, if
man be in this marriage, he is in a heav
enly paradise, thus in heaven."
738. After this the conducting an
gel returned into the house to those who
had firmly persuaded themselves, that
heavenly joy and eternal happiness
are aperpetual glorification of God, and
a festival continuing to eternity, because
they had, in the world, believed that they

should then see God, and because the
life of heaven, from the worship of God,
is called a perpetual sabbath. To these
the angel said, " Follow me, and I will
introduce you into your joy." And he
introduced them into a little city, in the
middle of which there was a temple,
and all the houses were called sacred
chapels. In that city they saw a
multitude flowing from every corner oi
the surrounding country, and among
them a number of priests, who received
those who came, saluted them, and, tak
ing them by the hand, led them to the
gates of the temple, and thence into
some of the chapels around the temple,
and initiated them into the everlasting
worship of God ; saying that this city
was a place of entrance, into heaven,
and that the temple of-tlelvcity was an
entrance to the most spacious and mag
nificent temple^ that is in heaven,
where God is glorified by the angels
with prayers and praises to eternity.
The statutes here and there are, that
they should first enter the temple, and
remain there three days and three nights,
and that after this initiation they should
go into the houses of this city, which
are so many chapels consecrated by us,
and from chapel to chapel, and, in com
munion with those who are assembled
there, should pray, shout, and rehearse
what has been preached. You must
by all means beware, lest you should
think any thing in yourselves, and speak
any thing with your consociates, but
what is holy, pious and religious. After
this the angel introduced his compan
ions into the temple, which was filled
and crowded with many who had been
in great dignity in the world, and also
with many of the common people ; and
guards were stationed at the gates, that
no one might be allowed to go out, be
fore completing the stay of three days.
And the angel said, " To-day is the
second day since these entered ; observe
them, and you will see their glorification
of God." And they observed them,
and saw most of them asleep, and those
who were awake yawning and yawning,
and some of them, from a continual ele
vation of the thoughts to God, without
any relapse of them into the body, like

Concerning the Holy Supper.

493

faces severed from the body, for so they
appeared to themselves, and thence also
to others ; some roving with their eyes,
from a perpetual withdrawing of them :
in a word, all felt a compression of the
breast, and weariness of spirit from fa
tigue, and were turned away from the
pulpit, and crying, "Our ears are stun
ned; finish your discourses ; your voice
is no longer heard, and the sound of it
begins to be' intolerable." And then
they rose up, and ran in a body to the
gates, broke them open, and rushed
upon the guards, and drove them away.
On seeing this, the priests followed them,
and joined themselves- to their sides,
teaching and teaching, praying, sigh
ing and saying, " Celebrate the festival ;
glorify God ; sanctify yourselves : in this
entry of heaven we will initiate you
into the eternal glorification of God in
the most spacious and magnificent tem
ple, that is in heayen, and thus to the
enjovment. of eternal happiness. But
these tilings were not understood by
them, and were scarcely heard, on ac
count of the listlessness occasioned by
the suspension of their mind for the
space of two days, and its detention
from domestic and secular affairs. But
when they attempted to tear themselves
away from the priests, the priests took
hold of their arms, and also of their
garments, urging them to the chapels
where what had been preached was re
hearsed ; but in vain. And they cried,
" Let us alone ; we feel as if we should
faint away." At these words, lo, there
were seen four men in white garments,
and wearing mitres : one of them in
the world had been an archbishop, and
the other three had been bishops, and
had now become angels. These called
the priests together,and addressing them,
said, " We have seen you from heaven
with these sheep, how you feed them :
you feed them even to insanity. You
do not know what is meant by the glo
rification of God : it is meant, to pro
duce the fruits of love, that is, to do
faithfully, sincerely and diligently the
work of one's station ; for this is of the
We 0f God and ofthe love of the
neighbor, and this is the bond of society
and its good : by this God is glorified,

and then by w irship at stated times.
Have you not read these words of the
Lord ? In this is my Father glorified, that
ye bring forth much fruit, jxnd become
my disciples, John xv. 8. You priests
can be in the glorification of worship,
because this is your office, and thence
you have honor, glory and recompense ;
iut still you could not be, any more
than they, in that glorification, unless
honor, glory and recompense were to
gether with your office." Having said
these words, the bishops commanded
the keepers ofthe door to let all in, and
let all out ; for there are a great many
who cannot think of any other heaven
ly joy than the perpetual worship of
God, because they do not know any
thing concerning the state of heaven.
739. After this the angel, with his
companions, returned to the house of
assembly, from which the several com
panies of the wise had not yet depart
ed ; and there he called to him those
who believed that heavenly joy and
eternal happiness were only an admis
sion into heaven, and admission from
divine grace ; and that then they should
have joy, just as those do in the world,
who go into the palaces of kings on
days of festivity, or who go by invita
tion to a wedding. To these the angel
said, " Stay here a little while, and
I will sound the trumpet, and hither
will come those who are renowned for
wisdom in the spiritual things of the
church." After some hours, there came
nine men, each adorned with a laurel,
as the mark of his fame. These the
angel introduced into the house of as
sembly, in which all those before called
together were present. In their presence
the angel addressed the nine laurelled
ones, and said, " I know that, agreea
bly to your desire, and according to your
idea, it has been given you to ascend
into heaven, and that you have return
ed to this lower or subcelestial earth,
with a full knowledge of the state of
heaven. Tell us, therefore, how heaven
seemed to you." And they answered
in order; and the First said, "My
idea of heaven, from my earliest child
hood even to the end of my life in the
world, was, that it was a place of all

494

Concerning the Holy Supper.

blessings, enjoyments, delights, gratifi
cations and pleasures ; and that if I
were admitted into it, I should be en
compassed .with an atmosphere of such
felicities, and should drink them in
with a full breast, like a bridegroom,
when he celebrates his nuptials, and
when he enters the bride-chamber with
the bride. In this idea I ascended
into heaven, and passed the first guard,
and also the second ; but when I came
to the third, the captain of the guard
accosted me, and said, ' Who are you,
friend?' And I answered, 'Is not
heaven here ? According to my ardent
desire I have ascended hither. Admit
me, I beseech you.' And he admitted
me. And I saw angels in white gar
ments, and they came around me, and
examined rne, and murmured this' :
' Behold here a new guest who is not
clothed with the raiment of heaven.' I
heard these words, and thought, This ap
pears to me like the case of him of whom
the Lord said, that he came into the
wedding without a wedding garment.
And I said, ' Give me such garments; '
but they laughed. And then one ran
to me from the court, with the command,
' Strip him naked, cast him out, and
throw his clothes after him.' And so I
was cast out." The Second in order
said, "I believed, likewise, that, if I were
only admitted into heaven, which is
over my head, joys would flow around
me, and I should inhale them to eter
nity. I also obtained what I desired ;
but the angels, on seeing me, fled away,
and said one to another, 'What mon
ster is this? How came this bird of
night hither ? ' And I actually felt a
change from being a man, although I
was not changed : this was occasioned
by my inhaling the heavenly atmos
phere. But presently there ran to me
one from the court, with the command
that two servants should lead me out,
and conduct me back by the way of
ascent even to my house ; and when
1 was at home, I appeared to others, and
also to myself, as a man." The Third
said, " I always had an idea of heaven
from place, and not from love ; where
fore, when I came into this world, I
desiied heaven with great desire ; and

I saw some ascending, and I followed
them, and was admitted, but only for a
few steps : and when I wished to re
gale my mind according to my idea of
the joys and blessedness there, from the
light of heaven, which was white as
snow, the essence of which is said to
be wisdom, my mind was seized with
stupor, and thence my eyes with thick
darkness, and I began to be insane.
And presently, from the heat of heaven,
which corresponds to the brightness of
its light, the essence of which is said
to be love, my heart palpitated, I was
seized with anxiety, and tortured with|
inward pain, and I threw myself down,
flat upon the ground there. While 1
lay there, an attendant came from the1
court, with a command that they should
carry me gently away into my own
light, and into my own heat ; into
which when I came, my spirit and my
heart returned to me." The Fourth)
said, " That he also had beenin the idea
of place, and not in the idea of love, re
specting heaven. As soon as I came
into the spiritual world, I asked the
wise whether it were lawful to ascend
into heaven. They said it was lawful
for any one ; but that they must beware
lest they should be cast down. At this
I laughed, and ascended, believing, as
others do, that "all in the whole world
were receptible of the jovs there in
their fulness. But truly, when I was
within, I became almost lifeless, and,
from the pain and torment in my head
and in my body, I prostrated mysel;
upon the ground, and writhed like a
serpent put near the fire : and I crept
even to the brink of a precipice, and
cast myself down there ; and after
wards I was taken up by those stand
ing below, and carried into an inn,
where soundness returned to me." The
other Five also told wonderful things
respecting their ascents into heaven ;
and they compared the changes of the
states of their life with the state of
fishes, when they are raised out of water
into air, and with the state of birds in
ether. And they said that after those
hard lots, they desired heaven no more,
but only a life in connection with their
like wherever they are ; and that the)

Concerning the Holy Supper.

495

knew that, n> the world of spirits,
wiiere we are, all are before prepared,
the good for heaven, and the bad for
hell ; and that after they are prepared,
they see ways open for them to socie
ties of their like, with whom they are
to remain to eternity, and that they then
enter these ways with delight, because
they then are ways of their love. All
those who were first called together,
hearing these things, also confessed
that they neither had entertained any
other idea, of heaven than as of a place
where, with a full mouth, they should
drink in the circumfluent joys to eter
nity. After this the angel of the trum
pet said to them, " You see now that
the joys of heaven and eternal happi
ness are not of any particular place,
but that they are of the state of man's
life ; and the state of heavenly life is
from love and wisdom ; and because
use is the continent of those two, the
state of heavenly life is from the con
junction of these in use. It is the same
if it be said, charity, faith, and good
works, since charity is love, faith is
truth from which is wisdom, and good
work is use. Moreover, in our spirit
ual world, there are places as in the nat
ural world, otherwise there would be
no habitations and distinct abodes ; but
still, place there is not place, but an
appearance of place, according to the
state of love and wisdom, or of charity
and faith. Every one who becomes
an angel carries within himself his
own heaven, because the love of his
own heaven ; for man from creation is
the least effigy, image and type of the
great heaven ; the human form is noth
ing else. Wherefore every one comes
into the society of heaven, of which he
is the form, in a single effigy ; therefore,
when he enters into that society, he en
ters into a form corresponding to him
self, thus, as it were, from himself into
that self, and from that into that in
himself, and draws the life of that as
his own, and his own as the life of that.
Every society is as a whole body,
and the angels there are as similar
parts from which the whole body
coexists. Hence now it follows, tha^
those who are in evils, and thence in

falses, have formed in themselves the
effigy of hell, and this is tortured in
heaven from the influx and violence of
the activity of an opposite upon an op
posite ; for infernal love is opposite to
heavenly love, and thence the delights /
of those two loves clash with each other '
like enemies, and destroy each other
whenever they come together."
740. After this a voice was heard
from heaven to the angel of the trum
pet : " Select ten from all those who are
assembled, and introduce them to us.
We have heard from the Lord, that He
will prepare them, so that the light and
heat, or the love and wisdom, of our
heaven may not bring any harm upon
them for three days." And ten were
selected, and they followed the angel ;
and they ascended by a steep path on to
a certain hill, and from this on to a moun
tain, upon which was the heaven of
those angels, which before, at a distance,
had appeared to them like an expanse
in the clouds. And the gates were
opened for them, and after they had
passed the third one, the introducing
angel ran to the prince of that society
or heaven, and announced their arrival.
And the prince answered, " Take some
of my guard, and carry them back word
that their arrival is acceptable to me,
and introduce them into my antecourt,
and assign to each one his room with
his bed-chamber ; and take some of my
attendants and servants, who may min
ister to them and serve them at their
nod." And so it was done. But when
they were introduced by the angel, they
asked whether it was allowable to go
and see the prince. And the angel
answered, " It is now morning, and it
is not allowable before noon ; all are till
then in their offices and employments ;
but you have been invited to dinner,
and then you will sit at the table with
our prince. In the mean time I will intro
duce you into his palace, where you will
see magnificent and splendid things."
When they were brought to the palace,
they first viewed it from without : it
was large, built of porphyry, and had
a foundation of jasper; and hefore the
gate were six high columns of lapis laz
uli ; the roof was of plates of gold ; the

496

Concerning the Holy Supper.

windows high, of the most transparent
crystal; their frames also of gold. After
this they were introduced within into
the palace, and led around, from room
to room ; and they saw ornaments of in
effable beauty, under the roof, decorations
of inimitable sculpture. Near the walls
were set tables of silver overlaid with
gold, upon which were various utensils
made of precious stones and of entire
gems, in celestial forms, and many more
things which no eye on earth had ever
seen, and thence neither could any one
make himself believe that such things
are in heaven. While they were in
astonishment at seeing those magnifi
cent things, the angel said, " Do not
wonder : these things which you see
were not made and fabricated by any
angelic hand, but were built by the
Maker of the universe, and presented as
a gift to our prince ; wherefore, archi
tecture is here in its very art, and from
this are all the rules of this art in the
world." Further, the angel said, " You
may suppose that such things fascinate
our eyes and infatuate them, so that we
should believe them to be the joys of
our heaven ; but because our hearts are
not in them, they are only accessory to
the joys of our hearts : therefore, as far
as we contemplate them as accessory,
and as the workmanship of God, so far
we contemplate in them the divine
omnipotence and benignity."
741. After this the angei said to them,
" It is not yet noon ; come with me
into the garden of our prince, con
tiguous to this palace." And they
went, and at the entrance he said,
" Behold the most magnificent garden
in this heavenly society." But they
answered, " What do you say ? There
is no garden here. We see only one
tree, and on its branches and on its top,
as it were, fruits of gold, and, as it were,
leaves of silver, and the edges of them
adorned with emeralds; and under 'that
tree infants with their nurses." To
this the angel, with an inspired voice,
said, " This tree is in the midst of the
garden, and it is called by us the tree
of our heaven, and by some the tree of
life. But proceed and approach, and
your eyes will be opened, and you will

see the garden." And they did so, and
their eyes were opened, and they saw
trees full of delicious fruits, entwined
with vines full of leaves, the tops 01
which, with their fruit, bent towards the
tree of life in the midst. These trees
were set in a continued series, which
commenced and proceeded in endless
orbs or circles, as of a perpetual spiral ;
it was a perfect spiral of trees, in which
one species followed another continual
ly, according to the excellence of the
fruits. The beginning of the circum
gyration was at a considerable distance
from the tree in the midst, and the in
tervening space glistened with a beam
of light, from which the trees of the
circle shone with a splendor which
reached successively from the first to
the last. The first trees were the most
excellent of all, abounding with the
richest fruits, called trees of paradise,
never seen in any region of the natural
world, because they do not and cannot
grow there. After these followed trees
of oil, after these trees of wine, after
these trees of fragrance, and lastly, trees
of timber useful for building. Here
and there, in this spiral of trees, or in
this circle, there were seats formed of
the boughs of the trees behind brought
together and interwoven with each
other, and they were enriched and
adorned with their fruits. In that per
petual orb of trees, there were passages
which opened into flower-gardens and
grass-plots, distinguished into areas and
beds. The companions of the angel
seeing these things, exclaimed, "Behold
heaven in form ! Whithersoever we
turn our eyes, something of heaven and
paradise flows in, which is ineffable."
On hearing this, the angel rejoiced, and
said, " All the gardens of our heaven
are representative forms or types of
heavenly beatitudes in their origins ;
and because the influx of these beati
tudes elevated your minds, you exclaim
ed, Behold heaven inform ! But thosf
who do not receive that influx, look
upon these things of paradise only as
they look upon the things of a forest ;
and all those receive the influx who are
in the love of use, but those do not re
ceive it who are in the love of glory

Concerning the Holy Supper.

49 i

and not from use." Afterwards he ex
plained and taught what each of the
things in the garden represented and
signified. 742. While they were engaged in
these things, there came a messenger
from the prince, who invited them to
eat bread with him; and then, at the
same time, two attendants of the court
brought garments of fine linen, and
said, " Put on these, because no one
is admitted to the table of the prince,
tmless he is clothed in the garments of
heaven." And they prepared them
selves, and accompanied their angel,
and were introduced into an open gal
lery, the walk of the palace, and they
waited for the prince ; and there the
angel introduced them to an acquaint
ance with grandees and moderators,
who also were waiting for the prince.
And lo, in about an hour the doors
were opened, and through a wider one,
on the western side, they saw his
entrance in the order and pomp of a
procession. Before him went his fa
miliar counsellors, after these his privy
counsellors, and after these the princi
pal officers of the court; in the midst
of these was the prince, and after him
courtiers of various ranks, and lastly
the guards ; all together amounting to
a hundred and twenty. The angel,
standing before the ten new coiners,
who then appeared, from their dress, as
inhabitants of the place, came up with
them to the prince, and reverently pre
sented them. And the prince, without
stopping in the procession, said to them,
" Come with me to eat bread." And
they followed him into the dining room,
and saw a table magnificently set ; in the
middle of it a high pyramid of gold
with a hundred little dishes in triple
order upon its branches, upon which
were sweet cakes and condiments, with
other delicacies made of bread and
wine ; and through the middle of the
pyramid there issued, as it were, a
fountain overflowing with nectareous
wine, the stream of which, from the sum
mit ofthe pyramid, dispersed itself, and
filled the cups. At the sides of this
high pyramid were various celestial
forms of gold, upon which were dishes
63

and plates filled with food of every kind.
The celestial forms upon which tha
dishes and plates were set, were forms
of art from wisdom, which cannot be
produced by any art in the world, nor
described by any words. The dishes
and plates were of silver, having forms
sculptured upon them like their sup
ports : the cups were of transparent
gems. Such was the furniture of the
table. 743. The dress of the prince and his
ministers was this : The prince had
on a long robe of a purple color,
spangled with stars of a silver color
wrought with a needle. Under the
robe he wore a tunic of shining silk of
a blue color : this was open about the
breast, where was seen the front part
of a belt, with the ensign of his society.
The ensign was an eagle brooding over
her young in the top of a tree : this
was of shining gold set round with dia
monds. The counsellors were dressed
not very differently, but without that
ensign : instead of it they had sculp
tured sapphires hanging from the neck
by a golden chain. The courtiers were
dressed in gowns of a brown color, in
which were wrought flowers around
young eagles : the tunics under them
were of silk of an opaline color, as also
were their breeches and stockings.
Such was their dress.
744. The familiar counsellors, and
the privy counsellors, and the modera
tors, stood around the table, and by
order of the prince they folded their
hands together, and at the same time
whispered votive praise to the Lord,
and after this the prince beckoned to
them, and they seated themselves at
the table. And the prince said to the
ten strangers, " You also sit down with
me : there are your seats." And they
sat down ; and the courtiers who w»re
before sent by the prince to wait upon
them stood behind them. And then
the prince said to them, " Take each
of you a plate from its stand, and after
wards each a saucer from the pyramid."
And they did so ; and lo, instantly new
plates and saucers appeared set on in
the phjR of them ; and their cups werc-
fille 1 with wine from the fountain flow-

498

Concerning the Holy Supper.

ing from the great pyramid; and they
began to eat. When they had above half
done, the prince addressed the ten in
vited guests, and said, " I heard, that
in the earth, which is under this heaven,
you were called together to disclose
your thoughts concerning the joys of
heaven and the eternal happiness
thence, and that you expressed diverse
opinions, each according to the delights
of the senses of his body. But what
are the delights of the senses of the
body, without the delights of the soul?
It is the soul which fills them with de-
; light. The delights of the soul are in
themselves imperceptible beatitudes,
but they become more and more per
ceptible as they descend into the
thoughts of the mind, and from these
into the sensations ofthe body. In the
thoughts of the mind they are perceived
as happinesses, in the sensations of the
body as delights, and in the body itself
as pleasures : eternal happiness is from
the former and the latter together ; but
from the latter alone that happiness is
not eternal, but temporal, which comes
to an end and passes away, and some
times becomes unhappiness. You have
seen now that all your joys also are joys
of heaven, and more excellent than you
could ever have conceived ; but still
these do not inwardly affect our minds.
There are three things which as one
flow from the Lord into our souls ; these
three as one, or this trine, are love,
wisdom and use ; but love and wisdom
do not exist,except ideally, because only
in the affection and thought ofthe mind ;
but in use really, because at the same
time in the act and work of the body ;
ind where they exist really, there they
ilso subsist; and because love and
.visdom exist and subsist in use, it is
jse that affects us ; and use is faithfully,
sincerely and diligently to perform the
works of one's function. The love of
use, and thence an application to use,
keep the mind from becoming dissipat
ed, and from wandering about and im
bibing all the inordinate desires which
flow in from the body and from the
world through the senses, with allure
ments, by which the truths of religion
and the truths of morality, with their

goods, are scattered to all the winds;
but application ofthe mind to use hold£
and "binds them together, and disposes
the mind into a form receptive of wis
dom from those truths, and then it
exterminates the fooleries and mockeries
of falsities and vanities. But you will
hear more about these things from the
wise ones of our society, whom I will
send to you in the afternoon." Having
said this, the prince arose, and the guests
also with him; and he said, "Peace,"
and commanded the angel, their leader}
to conduct them back to their rooms,
and show them all the honors of civility,
and also to call menofpolitenessand affa
bility to entertain them with conversa
tion about the various joys of this society.
745. When they returned, it so was
done ; and those who were called from
the city to entertain them with conver
sation about the various joys of the
society, came, and after the usual
salutations, they conversed with them,
as they walked, very pleasantly. But
the angel, their leader, said, " These
ten men were invited into this heaven
that they might see its joys, and thence
receive a new idea concerning eternal
happiness : tell, therefore, some of its
joys, which affect the senses of the
body : afterwards the wise are to come,
who will tell some things which render
those joys pleasant and happy." On
hearing this, those who were called
from the city recounted these things :
(1.) There are here days of festivity
appointed by the prince, that the mind
may be relaxed from the fatigue which
the desire of emulation had induced
upon some. On these days there are
concerts of music and songs in the
public places ; and out of the city games
and shows. Then orchestras are raised
in the public places, surrounded with
lattices formed of thick vines, from
which hang clusters of grapes ; within
which, on three elevations, sit mu
sicians with stringed instruments, and
with wind instruments, of tones high
and low, soft and loud ; and at the
sides arc men singers and women sing
ers, and they entertain the citizens
with the most delightful songs and
anthems, choruses and solos, varied by

Concerning the Holy Supper.

499

intervals, as to the kinds. These
things continue there, on those days of
festivity, from morning to noon, and
after this till evening. (2.) Moreover,
every morning there are heard, from the
houses around the forum, the sweetest
songs of virgins and girls, with which
the whole city resounds. There is an
affection of spiritual love, which is sung
every morning, that is, is sounded by
modifications or modulations of a musi
cal voice, and that affection is perceived
in the singing as if it were itself: it
flows into the souls of the hearers, and
excites them to a correspondence.
Such is heavenly singing. The female
singers say that the sound of their sing
ing, as it were, inspires and animates
itself from within, and delightfully
exalts itself according to its reception
by the hearers. This being ended,
the windows of the houses of the forum,
and at the same time of the houses of
the streets, are shut, and also the doors ;
and the whole city is still, nor is any
noise any where heard, nor do any loi
terers appear : all then go about the
duties of their offices. (3.) At noon
the doors are opened, and in the after
noon the windows also, in some places,
and sports of boys and girls are seen
in the streets, their nurses and masters
regulating them, sitting in the porches
of the houses. (4.) At the sides of
the city, in the outermost parts of it,
there are various games of boys and
young men ; there are games of running,
there are games of ball, there are games
with the ball called racket ; there are
contests among the boys to find who
are most expert in speaking, acting
and perceiving, and for those who are
most expert some leaves of laurel are
given as a reward ; besides many other
things, which call forth into exercise
the latent talents ofthe boys. (5.) More
over, out of the city there are exhibi
tions of comedians upon theatres, rep
resenting the various proprieties and
virtues of moral life, among whom
there are also actors for the sake of
relations." And one of the ten asked,
" Why for the sake of relations 1" And
they answered, " No virtue, with its
proprieties and graces, can be set forth

to the life, except by relatives from the
greatest to the least of them. The
actors represent the least of them even
till they become none; but it is or
dained by law, that they should exhibit
nothing of the opposite, which is called
dishonorable and indecorous, except
figuratively, and, as it were, remotely :
the reason that it is so ordained, is
because nothing that is honorable and
good, in any virtue, ever passes, by
successive progressions, into what is
dishonorable and evil, but to the least
degrees of it, even till it perishes ; and
when it perishes the opposite com
mences. Wherefore heaven, where all
things are honorable and good, has
nothing in common with hell, where
all things are dishonorable and evil."
746. While they were speaking, a
servant came and told them that eight
wise ones, by the order of the prince,
had come, and wished to enter. On
hearing which, the angel went and re
ceived them, and introduced them ; and
presently the wise ones, after the usual
and proper civilities, first spoke with
them concerning the beginnings and
increments of wisdom, with which they
intermixed various things respecting its
progress, and that wisdom with the
angels never ceases and comes to an
end, but grows and increases to eternity.
On hearing this, the angel of the com
pany said to them, " Our prince at the
table spoke with them about the seat
of wisdom, that it is in use. Do you
also, if you please, speak with them
about that." And they said, " Man,
when first created, was imbued with
wisdom and its love, not for the sake
of himself, but for the sake of the com
munication of it with others from him
self. Thence it is inscribed upon the
wisdom of the wise, that no one should
be wise and live for himself alone, but
for others at the same time : thence is
society, which otherwise would not be
To live for others, is to perform uses :
uses are the bonds of society, which
are as many as there are good uses,
and uses are infinite in number. There
are spiritual uses, which are of love to
God and love towards the neighbor ;
there are moral and civ iSes, which

500

Concerning the Holy Supper.

are of the love of the society and state
in which a man is, and ofthe associates
and citizens with whom he is ; there
are natural uses, which are of the love
of the world and its necessities ; and
there are bodily uses, which are of the
love of self-preservation for the sake
of higher uses. All these uses are
inscribed upon man, and they follow in
order one after another ; and when they
are together, one is in another. Those
who are in the first uses, which are
spiritual, are also in the following, and
they are wise ; but those who are not
in the first, and yet in the second, and
thence in the following, are not so wise,
but only from external morality and
civility, appear as if they were ; those
who' are not in the first and second.
but in the third and fourth, are not
at all wise, for they are satans, for
they love only the world, and themselves
for the sake of the world ; but those
who are only in the fourth, are the
least wise of all, for they are devils,
because they live for themselves alone,
and if for others, it is only for the sake
of themselves. Moreover, every love
has its delight, for love lives by this,
and the delight of the love of uses is
heavenly delight, which enters the de
lights following in order, and, according
to the order of the succession, exalts
them and makes them eternal. After
this they enumerated the heavenly de
lights proceeding from the love of use,
and said that they were myriads of
myriads, and that those who are in
heaven enter into them. And thus,
by discourses of wisdom concerning the
love of use, they passed the day with
them even till evening.
But towards evening, a footman,
clothed in linen, came to the ten stran
gers, the companions ofthe angel, and
invited them to a wedding to be cele
brated the next day ; and the strangers
were very glad that they were also to
see a wedding in heaven. After this
they were led to one of the familiar
counsellors, and supped with him;
and after supper they returned, and
retired separately, each one into his
bed-chamber, and slept till morning.
And then, when they awoke, they

heard the singing of virgins and girls,
from the houses around the forum, of
which above. Then was sung the affec
tion of conjugial love ; by the sweetness
of which, being deeply affected and
moved, they perceived a blessed pleas
antness infused into their joys, which
elevated them and renewed them.
When it was time, the angel said,
" Prepare yourselves, and put on the
garments of heaven, which our prince
has sent to you." And they put them
on, and lo, the garments shone as
from a flammeous light; and they
asked the angel, "Whence is this?"
He answered, "Because you are going
to a wedding : with us the garments
then shine and become wedding gar
ments." 747. After this the angel led them
to the house of the wedding, and the
porter opened the door ; and presently
they were received withinS-the thresh
old, and saluted by an angel sent
from the bridegroom, arjfl introduced,
and led to the seats appointed for them;
and soon they were invited into a room
opposite to the bride-chamber, where
they saw, in the middle, arable, on which
was placed a magnificent candlestick,
with seven branches and sconcesofgold ;
and upon the walls hung lamps of silver,
from which, when lighted, the atmos
phere appeared as if gilded. And they
saw at the sides of the candlestick two
tables, upon which loaves of bread were
placed in triple order ; and at the four
corners, tables on which were crystal
cups. While they were surveying
those things, lo, a door was opened
from a room next to the bride-chamber,
and they saw six virgins coming out,
and after them the bridegroom and the
bride, holding each other by the hand,
and leading each other to a seat which
was placed opposite to the candlestick,
on which they seated themselves, the
bridegroom on the left hand and the
bride on his right, and the six virgins
stood by the seat near the bride. The
bridegroom had on a robe of glittering
purple and a tunic of shining fine linen,
with an ephod, upon which was a plate
of gold set around with diamonds, and
on the plate was engraven a young

Concerning the Holy Supper.

501

eagle, the nuptial ensign of that society
of heaven, and a mitre covered the
bridegroom's head. But the bride had
on a scarlet mantle, and under it an
embroidered gown reaching from her
neck to her feet, and under her breast
a golden girdle, and upon her head a
crown of gold with rubies set in it.
When they had thus seated themselves,
the bridegroom turned himself to the
bride, and put on her finger a golden
ring ; and he took out a pair of brace
lets and a collar of pearls, and tied the
bracelets on her wrists, and the collar
around her neck, and said, " Accept
these pledges." And when she accepted
them, he kissed her, and said, " Now you
are mine; " and he called her his wife.
This being done, the guests exclaimed,
" A blessing be upon you." Each one
exclaimed this by himself, and after
wards all of them together ; one who
was sent from the prince also exclaimed
in his stead ; and at that moment
the room opposite to the bride-chamber
was filled with that aromatic smoke,
which was a sign of blessing from heav
en. And the servants took the loaves
of bread from the two tables near the
candlestick, and the cups, now filled with
wine, from the tables at the corners of
the room, and gave to each of the guests
his loaf and his cup, and they ate and
drank. After this, the husband and his
wife rose up, the six virgins, with silver
lamps now lighted in their hands, fol
lowing them to the threshold ; and the
married pair entered the bride-chamber,
and the door was shut.
748. Afterwards the angel, who was
the leader, spoke to the guests concern
ing his ten companions ; that he had
by command introduced them, and
shown them the magnificent things in
the palace ofthe prince, and the wonders
there, and that they had dined at the
table with him, and that afterwards
they had conversed with our wise ones ;
and he asked, " Maythey also have some
conversation with you? " And they came
up and spoke with them. And one of
the wise men that attended the wed
ding said, " Do you understand what
those things signify, which you have
seen ? " They said, that they did not very

well. And then they asked hjm why
the bridegroom, now a husband, was in
such a dress. He answered that the
bridegroom, now a husband, represented
the Lord, and the bride, now a wife,
represented the church ; because a wed
ding in heaven represents the marriage
of the Lord with the church. Thence
it is, that there was a mitre on his head,
and he had on a robe, a tunic and an
ephod, like Aaron ; and that there vvas
a crown on the head of the bride, now
a wife, and she had on a gown like a
queen ; but to-morrow they will be dress
ed differently, because this representa
tion lasts only to-day. They asked
again, " Since he represented the Lord,
and she the church, why did she sit at
his right hand ?" The wise one an
swered, " Because there are two things
which make the marriage of the Lord
and the church, love and wisdom ; and
the Lord is love, and the church is
wisdom, and wisdom is at the right
hand of love ; for the man of the church
is wise as of himself, .and as he be
comes wise, he receives love from the
Lord. The right hand also signifies
power, and love has power by means of
wisdom. But, as was said, after the
wedding, the representation is changed ;
for then the husband represents wis
dom, and the wife the love of his wis
dom ; but this love is not the prior love,
but it is a secondary love, which the
wife has from the Lord, through the wis
dom of the husband. The love of the
Lord, which is the prior love, is the love
of becoming wise, with the husband ;
wherefore, after the wedding, both to
gether, the husband and his wife, rep
resent the church." They asked again,
" Why did not you men stand by the
side of the bridegroom, now the hus
band, as the six virgins stood by the
side of the bride, now the wife ?" The
wise one answered, " The reason is,
because we to-day are numbered among
the virgins, and the number six signifies
all and complete." But they said,
" What is this?" He answered, " Vir
gins signify the church, and the church
is of both sexes ; wherefore we also, as
to the church, are virgins. That it is
so, is evident from these words in the

502

Concerning the Holy Supper.

Revelation : These are they who have
not been defiled with women, for they
are Virgins ; and they follow the Lamb
whithersoever He goeth, xiv. 4. And
because virgins signify the church, there
fore the Lord likened it to ten Virgins
invited to a wedding, Matt. xxv. 1, &,c.
And because the church is signified by
Israel, Zion and Jerusalem, therefore
it is so often said in the Word, the
Virgin and Daughter of Israel, of
Zion and of Jerusalem. The Lord
also describes his marriage with the
church, in these words in David : The
queen at thy right hand, in the best
gold of Ophir; her clothing is of wrought
gold. She shall be brought to the King in
raiment of needle-work; the Virgins
her companions shall come after her into
the king's palace, Psalm xiv. 9 to 16."
Afterwards they said, " Is it not proper
that a priest should be present and min
ister in these things ? " The wise one
answered, " This is proper on earth,
but not in the heavens, on account of
the representatipn of the Lord himself
and the church : this they do not know
on earth. But still, with us a priest min
isters at betrothings, and hears, receives,
confirms and consecrates the consent :
consent is the essential of marriage, and
the other things which follow are its
formalities." 749. After this, the conducting angel
came to the six virgins, and told
them also about his companions, and
requested that they would favor them
with their company. And they came
up, but when they were near, they sud
denly went back, and entered the wo
men's apartment, where were also the
virgins their companions. On seeing
this, the conducting angel followed
them, and asked why they went back
so suddenly, without speaking with
them. And they answered, " We could
not approach." And he said, "Why
is this?" And they answered, " We
do not know ; but we perceived some
thing which repelled and led us back :
they must excuse us." And the angel
returned to his companions, and told
their answer, and added, " I guess
that your love of the sex is not chaste.
In heaven, we love virgins for their

beauty and the elegance of their man
ners ; and we love them intensely, but
chastely." At this his companions
laughed, and said, " You guess
rightly. Who is able to see such
beauties near, and not desire some
thing?" 750. After this social entertainment,
all who had been invited to the wedding
departed, and also those ten men with
their angel : it was late in the evening,
and they retired to rest. At the dawn
of day, they heard a proclamation, To
day is the Sabbath; and they arose,
and asked the angel what that was
for. He answered, " That it was for
the worship of God, which returns at
stated times, and is proclaimed by the
priests. It is performed in our temples,
and lasts about two hours. Wherefore,
if you like, come with me, and I will
introduce you." And they prepared
themselves, and accompanied the angel,
and entered ; and behold, the temple
was large, capable of holding about
three thousands. It was of a semicir
cular form : the benches or seats were
likewise curved, according to the
form of the temple. The pulpit was
before them, placed back a little from
the centre ; the door behind the pulpit,
on the left hand. The ten strangers
entered with the angel, their guide,
and the angel showed them the seats
where they should sit, saying to them,
" Every one that enters the temple
knows his place : this he knows from
something within, nor can he sit any
where else ; if he does, he hears
nothing -and perceives nothing, and
also he disturbs order, which being
disturbed, the priest is not inspired."
751. After they had assembled, the
priest ascended the pulpit, and preached
a sermon full of the spirit of wisdom.
The discourse was concerning the
holiness of the Sacred Scripture, and
concerning the conjunction of the Lord
with both worlds, the spiritual and the
natural, by means of it. In the illus
tration in which he was, he fully proved
that that Holy Book was dictated by
Jehovah the Lord, and that thence He
is in it, so that He is the wisdom there ;
but that the wisdom which is Himsell

Concerning the Holy Supper.

503

therein, lies concealed under the sense
of the letter, and is not opened except
to those who are in the truths of doc
trine, and at the same time in the goods
of life ; and thus in the Lord, and the
Lord in them. To the discourse he
subjoined a prayer, and descended.
As the hearers were going out, the
angel requested the priest to speak
some words of peace to his ten com
panions. And he came to them, and
they conversed together for half an
hour ; and he spoke of the Divine
Trinity, that it is in Jesus Christ, in
whom all the fulness of the Godhead
dwelleth bodily, according to the dec
laration of the apostle Paul ; and after
wards of the union of charity and faith ;
but he said, of the union of charity
and truth, because faith is truth.

752. After expressing their thanks,
they went home ; and there the angel
said to them, " This is the third day
since your ascent into the society of
this heaven, and you were prepared by
the Lord to stay here three days ; where
fore, it is time for us to be separated :
take off, therefore, the garments sent
to you by the prince, and put on your
own." And when they were in them,
they were inspired with a desire of
withdrawing ; and they withdrew and de
scended, the angel accompanying them
as far as to the place of assembly ; and
there they rendered thanks to the Lord
that He had deigned to bless them
with knowledge, and thence with intelli
gence, concerning heavenly joys, and
concerning eternal happiness.

504 The Consummation ofthe Age, the Coming ofthe Lord,

CHAPTER XIV.

CONCERNING THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE; CONCERNING
THE COMING OF THE LORD; AND CONCERNING
THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH.

753. I. That the Consummation
of the Age is the last Time or
End of the Church.
On this earth there have been seve
ral chuiches, and all in the course of time
have been consummated; and after
their consummation, new ones have ex
isted ; and thus even to the present time.
The consummation of the church takes
place when no divine truth remains, ex
cept what is falsified or rejected ; and
when there is no genuine truth, no gen
uine good can be given, since all the
quality of good is formed by truths ;
for good is the essence of truth, and
truth is the form of good ; and without
a form quality is not given. Good and
truth can no more be separated, than
the will and the understanding, or, what
is the same thing, than the affection of
love and the thought thence : where
fore, when the truth in the church is
consummated, the good there is con
summated also; and when this is done,
then the church has an end, that is,
there is a consummation of it.
754. The church is consummated
by various things, especially by such
as make the false appear as true ; and
when that appears true, then the good,
which in itself is good, and is called
spiritual good, is not any more given :
the good which is then believed to be
good, is only the natural good, which
moral life produces. The causes
that truth, and together with it good,
are consummated, are principally the
two natural loves, which are dia
metrically opposite to the two spiritu
al loves, which are called the love
of self, and the love of the world. The
love of self, when it is predominant, is

opposed to love to God ; and the love of
the world, when it is predominant, is op
posed to love towards the neigh bor. The
love of self is, to wish well to one's self
alone, and to no other except for the
sake of self; likewise the love of the
world ; and those loves, when they
are indulged, spread themselves like a
mortification through the body, and
successively consume the whole of it.
That such love has invaded churches,
is manifestly evident from Babylon
and the description of it, Gen. xi. 1 to
9 ; Isaiah xiii. xiv. xlvii. ; Jer. 1. ; and
in Daniel ii. 31 to 47 ; iii. 1 to 7, and
the following verses ; v. vi. 8, to the end ;
vii. 1 to 14 ; and in Rev. xvii. and
xviii., from the beginning to the end ot
each ; which at length has exalted it
self to such a degree, that it has not
only transferred to itself the divine
power of the Lord, but also it labors
with the utmost zeal to bring together
into itself all the riches of the world.
That similar loves would burst forth
from many of the rulers of the churches
out of Babylon, unless their power were
limited, and thus restrained, may be
concluded from indications and appear
ances not so vain. What else, then,
would be the consequence, than that
such a man would regard himself as a
god, and the world as heaven ; and that
he would pervert all the truth of the
church ? For truth itself, which in it
self is truth, cannot be known and ac
knowledged by the merely natural man,
nor can it be given to him by God, be-,
cause it falls into what is inverted,
and becomes false. Besides these
two loves, there are still several causes
ofthe consummation of good and truth.

and the New Heaven and the Neio Church.

505

and thence of the consummation of the
church; but these causes are secondary
and subordinate to those two.
755. That the consummation of the
age is the last time of the church, is
evident from the passages in the Word,
where it is named, as from these : i"
have heard from Jehovah a consumma
tion and decision upon all the land,
Isaiah xxviii. 22. A consummation is
determined, righteousness is overflowed,
for the Lord Jehovih of hosts is making
a consummation and decision in the
whole land, x. 22, 23. In the fire of
the zeal of Jehovah, the whole land
shall be devoured, because He will make
a speedy consummation with all the
inhabitants of the land, Zeph. i. 18.
By land, in these passages, is signified
the church, because the land of Canaan
is meant, where the church was. That
the church is signified by land, may be
seen confirmed from many passages
from the Word, in the Apocalypse
Revealed, n. 285, 902. At length,
upon the bird of abominations, there
shall be desolation, and even to con
summation and decision it shall drop
upon the devastation, Dan. ix. 27.
That these things were said by Daniel
cpncerning the end of the present
Christian church, may be seen Matt.
xxiv. 15. The whole land shall be a
waste; yet I will not make a con
summation, Jer. iv. 27. The iniquity
of the Amorites is not yet consum
mated, Gen. xv. 16. Jehovah said, I
will go down and see whether they have
made a consummation, according to
the cry which has come to Me, xviii. 21 ;
concerning Sodom. The last time of
the present Christian church is also
meant by the Lord, by the consumma
tion of the age, in these passages : The
disciples asked Jesus, What will be the
sign of thy coming, and of the con
summation OF THE age ? Matt. xxiv. 3.
In the time of the harvest, I will say to
the reapers, Gather first the tares, to
be burned; gather the wheat into the
barns : thus it shall be in the consum
mation of the age, Matt. xiii. 40. In
the consummation of the age, the
angels will go forth and separate the
evil from the midst of the just, xiii. 49.
64

Jesus said to the disciples, Lo, I am
with you even to the consummation of
the age, xxviii. 20. It is to be known,
that vastation, desolation and decision
signify the same as consummation; but
desolation, the consummation of truth,
vastation, the consummation of good,
and decision, the full consummation of
both ; and that the fulness of time, in
which the Lord came into the world,
and in which He is to come, is also a
consummation. 756. The consummation of the age
may be illustrated by various things in
the natural world ; for in it each and
everything that there is upon the earth,
becomes old, and is consumed ; but
by alternate changes, which are called
the circles of things. Times, in gen
eral, and in particular, run through
these circles. In general, the year
passes from spring to summer, and
through this to autumn, and terminates
in winter, and from this returns to
spring ; but this is a circle of heat.
In particular, the day passes from
morning to noon, and through this to
evening, and terminates in night, and
from this returns to morning ; but this
is a circle of light. Every man also
runs through the circle of nature ; he
begins life from infancy, from which he
goes on to youth and manhood, and from
this to old age, and dies ; just so every
bird of the air, and every beast of the
earth. Every tree also begins from the
germ, proceeds to the full stature, and
successively decays until it falls. The
case is similar with every shrub, and
with every twig, yea, with every leaf
and flower, and also with the ground
itself, which in time becomes sterile ;
as also with all stagnant water, which
successively becomes putrid. All these
are alternate consummations, which are
natural and temporary, but still periodi
cal ; for when one thing has passed
from its beginning to its end, another
similar one springs up ; thus every thing
is born, and decays, and is again born,
in order that creation may be continued.
That the case is similar with the church,
is because man is the church, and in
general constitutes it ; and one genera
tion follows another, and there is a va-

506 The Consummation ofthe Age, the Coming ofthe Lord,

riety of all minds, and iniquity, being
once rooted, as to the inclination to
it, is transmitted to posterity, and it
is not extirpated, except by regenera
tion, which is effected by the Lord
alone. 757. II. That at this Day is the
last Time of the Christian Church,
which is foretold and described
by the Lord in the Evangelists,
and in the revelation.
That the consummation of the age
signifies the last time of the church,
was shown in the preceding article ;
thence it is manifest what is meant by
the consummation of the age, concern
ing which the Lord spoke in the Evan
gelists, Matt. xxiv. ; Mark xiii. ; Luke
xxi. ; for it is read, As Jesus sat upon
the mount of Olives, the disciples came
to Him privately, saying, What is the
sign qf thy coming, and of the consum
mation of the age ? Matt. xxiv. 3. And
then the Lord began to foretell and
describe the consummation, such as it
is to be successively, even to his coming:
and that then He is to come in the
clouds of heaven with virtue and glory,
and to gather together his elect; beside
many other things, verses 30, 31,
which did not come to pass at the
destruction of Jerusalem. These things
the Lord described there in prophetic
language, in which every single word
has its weight : what each one there in
volves has been explained in the Ar
cana Coslestia, n. 3353 to 3356,
3486 to 3489, 3650 to 3655, 3751 to
3757, 3898 to 3901, 4057 to 4060,
4229 to 4231, 4332 to 4335, 4422 to
4424. 758. That all those things which the
Lord spoke with the disciples, were
said concerning the last time of the
Christian church, is very manifest from
the Revelation, where the like things
are foretold concerning the consumma
tion of the age, and concerning his
coming ; which all are particularly ex
plained in the Apocalypse Revealed,
published in the year 1766. Now, be
cause those things which the Lord said
concerning the consummation of the
age, and concerning his coming, before
the disciples, coincide with those which

He afterwards revealed in the Reve
lation by John, concerning the same
things, it is clearly manifest, that He
meant no other consummation than
that of the present Christian church.
Besides, it is also prophesied in Daniel
concerning the end of this church ;
wherefore the Lord says, When ye see
the abomination of desolation foretold
by the prophet Daniel, standing in the
holy place ; whoso readeth, let him ob
serve it well, Matt. xxiv. 15 ; Dan. ix.
27 ; in like manner also in the other
prophets. That there is at this day
such abomination of desolation in the
Christian church, will be still more man
ifest from the Appendix ; in which it
will be seen, that there is not one gen
uine truth left in the church, and also
that unless a new church be raised up
in the place of the present, no flesh
could be saved, according to the words
of the Lord in Matt. xxiv. 22. That
the Christian church, such as it is at
this day, is consummated and vastated
to such a degree, cannot be seen by
those on earth, who have confirmed
themselves in its falses : the reason is,
because a confirmation of the false is a
denial of the true ; wherefore, i't as it
were veils the understanding, and there
by prevents the entrance of any thing
else, which might pull up the cords and
stakes, with which it has built and
formed its system, as a strong tent.
Add to this, that the natural rational
can confirm whatsoever it pleases, thus
the false as well as the true, and both,
when they are confirmed, appeir in
similar light ; and it is not known
whether the light be fatuous, such as
is given in a dream, or whether it be
true light, such as is given in the day ;
but it is quite otherwise with the spirit
ual rational, in which those are who
look to the Lord, and from Him are in
the love of truth.
759. It is from this, that every church,
built up by those who see by confirma
tions, appears as if it alone were in
the light, and that all the rest, which
dissent, are in darkness ; for those who
see by confirmations are not unlike
owls, which see light in the shade ol
night, and in the day time, the sun

and the New Heaven and the New Church.

507

and its rays, as thick darkness. Such
has been, and such is every church
which is in falses, when it has once
been founded by leaders appearing to
themselves as lynxes, who have formed
to themselves a morning light from
their own intelligence, and an evening
light from the Word. Did not the
Jewish church, when it was entirely
vastated, which was when our Lord
came into the world, proclaim by its
scribes and lawyers, that because it had
the Word, it alone was in heavenly light ?
when yet they crucified the Messiah, or
Christ, who was the Word itself, and
the all in all of it ! And what else is
proclaimed by the church, which in
the prophets and in the Revelation is
meant by Babylon, than that she is the
queen and mother of all churches, and
that the rest, which recede, are spurious
offspring, which are to be excommuni
cated ; and this, although she has thrust
down the Lord the Savior from the
throne and altar, and placed herself
thereon ? Does not every church, even
to the most heretical, when it has once
been received, fill all countries and cities
with the cry, that it alone is orthodox
and ecumenical, and that with it is the
gospel, which the angel flying in the
midst of heaven announced? Rev. xiv.
6. And who does not hear the echo
of their voice from the common people,
that it is so ? Did the whole synod of
Dort see predestination otherwise than
as a star falling from heaven upon their
heads, and kiss that dogma, as the
Philistines did the idol of Dagon, in the
temple of Ebenezer at Ashdod, and as
the Greeks did the Palladium in the
temple of Minerva ? For they called
it the Palladium of religion ; not know
ing that a falling star is a meteor from
fatuous light, which, when it falls on
the brain, can confirm every falsity,
which is done by fallacies, so that it is
believed to be true light, and decreed
to be a fixed star, and at length sworn
to be the star of stars. Who speaks
more confidently of the certainty of his
fantasy than an atheistic naturalist ?
Does he not laugh most heartily at the
divine things of God, the celestial things
»f heaven, and the spiritual things of

the church? What lunatic does not
believe his folly to be wisdom, and
wisdom to be folly ? Who, by
the sight of the eye, distinguishes
the fatuous light of rotten wood from
the light of the moon ? Who that
loathes balsamic odors, as those who
are affected with the morbus uterinus,
does not repel them from his nostrils,
and prefer to them stinking odors ? &.c.
These things are adduced for the sake
of illustration, to show that it is not
known by natural light alone that the
church is consummated, that is, that it
is in mere falses, before truth shines
forth from heaven in its own light ; be
cause the false does not see the true,
but the true sees the false ; and every
man is such, that he can see and com
prehend the truth when he hears it ;
but one who is confirmed in falses, can
not bring it into the understanding so
that it may remain, since it does not
find any room, and if by chance it en
ters, the troop of falsities there gathered
together, casts it out as heterogeneous.
760. III. This last Time of the
Christian Church is the very Night
in which former Churches have
come to their End.
That on this earth, since its creation,
there have been four churches, in gen
eral, one of which has succeeded
another, may be evident from the Word,
both historical and prophetical ; espe
cially in Daniel, where those four
churches are described by the statue
of Nebuchadnezzar seen in a dream,
Dan. ii., and afterwards by the four
beasts coming up out of the sea, vii.
The first church, which is to be called
the most ancient, existed before the
flood, the consummation or end of
which is described by the flood.
Another church, which is to be called
the ancient, was in Asia, and partly in
Africa, which was consummated and
destroyed by idolatries. The third
church was the Israelitish, begun at
the promulgation ofthe decalogue upon
mount Sinai, and continued by the
Word written by Moses and the proph
ets, and consummated or ended by
the profanation ofthe Word ; the fulness
of which was at the time when the

508 The Consummation ofthe Age, the Coming ofthe Lord,

Lord came into the world ; wherefore,
Him who was the Word they crucified.
The fourth church is the Christian, in
stituted by the Lord, through the evange
lists and the apostles. Of this there have
been two epochs; one from the time
of the Lord to the council of Nice, and
the other from that council to the pres
ent day. But this, in its progress, has
been divided into three parts, the
Greek, the Roman Catholic, and the
Reformed ; but still all these are called
Christian. Besides, within each general
church, there have been several particu
lar ones, which, although they have
receded, have still retained the name
from the general one, as the heresies
in the Christian.
761. That the last time ofthe Chris
tian church is the very night in which
former churches have come to their
end, is evident from the Lord's predic
tion concerning it in the evangelists,
and in Daniel. In the evangelists
from these words : That they should see
the abomination of desolation ; and that
there should be great affliction, such as
was not from the beginning of the
world until now, nor shall be ; and that,
unless those days should be shortened,
no flesh could be saved; and finally,
that the sun shall be darkened, and
the moon shall not give her light, and
the stars shall fall from heaven, Matt.
xxiv. 15, 21, 22, 29. That time is
called night also in other places in the
evangelists, as in Luke : In that night
there shall be two in one bed ; one shall
be taken, but the other shall be left,
xvii. 34 ; and in John : I must work
the works cf Him who sent Me; the
night is coming when no one will be
able to work, ix. 4. Since all light
departs at midnight, and the Lord is
the true Light, John i. 4, and the fol
lowing verses ; viii. 12 ; xii. 35, 36,
46, therefore He said to his disciples,
when He ascended into heaven, I am
with you even to the consummation of
the age, Matt, xxviii. 20 ; and then
He departs from them to a new church.
That this last time ofthe church is the
very night in which the former churches
have come to their end, is evident also
in Daniel,from these words : At length,

upon the bird of abominations shall be
desolation, and even to the consummation
and decision it shall drop upon the dev
astation, ix. 27. That this was fore
told concerning the end of the Chris
tian church, is clearly manifest from
the words of the Lord, Matt. xxiv. 18,
and from these in Daniel, concerning
the fourth kingdom, or concerning the
fourth church, represented by Nebu
chadnezzar's image : Whereas thou
sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they
shall mix themselves together with the
seed of man, but they shall not cohere
one with another, as iron docs not co
here with clay, ii. 43. The seed of man
is the truth of the Word. And also
from these concerning the fourth
church, represented by the fourth beast
coming up out ofthe sea : I was seeing
in the visions of the night, and behold,
a fourth beast terrible and dreadful;
it shall devour all the land, and trample
upon it, and lay it waste, vii. 7,
23 ; by which is meant, that it would
consummate every truth of the church,
and that then there will be night,
because the truth ofthe church is light.
Many similar things are predicted of
this church, in the Revelation, partic
ularly in the sixteenth chapter, where
mention is made of the vials ofthe anger
of God poured out upon the earth, by
which are signified the falsities which
will then overflow and destroy the
church ; in like manner in many
places in the prophets, as in these:
Shall not the day of Jehovah be dark
ness, and not light ? thick darkness, and
no brightness ? Amos v. 18, 20 ; Zeph.
i. 15 ; and also, In that day, Jehovah
ivill look down upon the land, and be
hold darkness, and the light shall become
dark in its ruins, Isaiah v. 30 ; viii. 22.
The day of Jehovah is the day of the
Lord's coming.
762. That four churches, since the
creation ofthe world, should have exist
ed on this earth, is according to divine
order, which is, that there should be a
beginning, and an end of it, before a
new beginning arises. Thence it is,
that every day begins from morning,
and advances, and ends in night, and
after this it begins anew ; and also tha

and the New Heaven and the New Church.

509

every year begins from spring, and pro
ceeds through summer to autumn, and
ends in winter, and after this it begins
again. It is that these things may take
place, that the sun rises in the east, and
thence proceeds through the south to
the west, and sets in the north, whence
it rises again. It is similar with
churches : the first of them, which was
the most ancient, was as the morning,
the spring and the east ; the second, or
the ancient, as the day, the summer
and the south ; the third, as the even
ing, the autumn and the west ; and the
fourth, as the night, the winter and the
north. From these progressions ac
cording to order, the wise ancients con
cluded the four ages of the world ; the
first of which they called golden, the
second silver, the third copper, and the
fourth iron ; with which metals also
the churches themselves were repre
sented in the image seen by Nebuchad
nezzar. Besides, the church appears
before the Lord as one man ; and this
greatest man must pass through his
several ages, like an individual man ;
namely, from infancy to youth, and
through this to manhood, and at length
to old age, and then, when he dies, he
will rise again. The Lord says, Unless
a grain of ivheal, falling into the ground,
die, it remaineth; but if it die, it bear-
eth much fruit, John xii. 24.
763. It is according to order, that the
first should proceed to its last, in gen
eral and in particular, in order that a
variety of all things may exist, and by
varieties every quality ; for the quality
is perfected by differences relative to
things more or less opposite. Who
cannot see that truth receives its quality
by means of the false being given, and
good by means of evil being given ;
just as light receives its quality by
means of darkness being given, and
heat by means of cold being given ?
What would color be, if only white
were given, and not black ? The quality
of the intermediate colors, from any
other source, is but imperfect. What
is sense without relation? And what
is relation, but to things opposite ? Is
not the sight of the eye darkened by
white alone, and enlivened by a color

which inwardly derives something frorr
black, such as the color of green? Is
not the ear deafened by one tone con
tinually striking its organs, and excited
by modulation which is varied by
relations? What is the beautiful
without relation to the ugly ? Where
fore, that the beauty of a virgin may
be exhibited to the life, in some
pictures an ugly image is placed
at the side. What is the pleasant and
prosperous without relation to the un
pleasant and unprosperous ? Who does
not become delirious by the constant
contemplation of one idea, unless a
variety of such things as tend to the
opposite diversify it ? It is similar in
the spiritual things of the church, the
opposites of which refer themselves to
the evil and the false, which yet are
not from God, but from man, who has
free agency, which he can turn to
good use or to bad use ; comparatively,
as it is with darkness and cold, these
are not from the sun, but from the earth,
which, by its circumvolutions, succes
sively withdraws itself and turns itself,
and yet, without the turning and with
drawing of it, there would be no day
nor year, and thence not any thing, nor
any man upon the earth. I have heard
that the churches which are in different
goods and truths, provided their goods
refer themselves to love to the Lord,
and their truths to faith in the Lord,
are like so many jewels in the crown
of a king.
764. IV. That after this Night
THERE FOLLOWS A MoRNING, AND THAT
this is the Coming of the Lord.
Since the successive states of the
church, in general and in particular,
are described in the Word by the four
seasons of the year, which are spring,
summer, autumn and winter, and by
the four times of the day, which are
morning, noon, evening and night, and
because the present church in Christen
dom is the night, it follows, that the
morning is at hand, that is, the first of
a new church. That the successive
states of the church are described in
the Word by the four states of the light
of the day, is evident from these pas
sages there : Until the evening and

510 The Consummation of the Age, the Coming of the Lord,

the morning, two thousand three hun
dred, then the holy shall be justified ;
the vision of the evening and the
morning is truth, Dan. viii. 14, 16.
He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman,
watchman, what of the night ? The
watchman said, The morning cometh,
and also the night, Isaiah xxi. 11, 12.
The end is come, the morning is
come upon thee, O inhabitant of the
land; behold, the day is coming, the
morning is gone forth, Ezek. vii. 6,
7, 10. Jehovah, in the morning, in the
morning, will give his judgment to the
light, neither will He fail, Zeph. iii.
5. God is in the midst of her, God
will help her, when she looks for the
morning, Psalm xlvi. 6. I waited for
Jehovah, my soul waiteth for the Lord,
more than those who watch for the
morning, who watch for the morning;
because there is with Him plenteous re
demption, and He will redeem Israel,
cxxx. 5 to 8. In these passages, the
last time of the church is meant by
evening and night, and its first time by
morning. The Lord himself also is
called Morning in these passages : The
God, of Israel said, the Rock of Israel
spoke to me ; He is as the light of the
MORNING, a MORNING without clouds,
2 Sam. xxiii. 3, 4. I am the Root and
the Offspring of David, the bright and
the Morning Star. Rev. xxii. 16.
From the womb of the morning thou
hast the dew of thy youth, Psalm ex.
3. These passages are concerning the
Lord. Since the Lord is the Morning,
therefore, also, He rose from the sepul
chre early in the morning, being about
to institute a new church, Mark xvi.
2, 9. That the coming of the Lord is
to be expected, is manifestly evident
from the prediction of it by the Lord
in Matthew : As Jesus sat upon the
mount of Olives, the disciples came to
Him, saying, Tell us what will be the
sign of thy coming, and of the consum
mation of the age, xxiv. 3. After the
affliction of those days, the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give
her light, and the stars ivill fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens
will be shaken ; and then shall appear
the sign of the Son of Man; and

they will see the Son of Man coming
IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN, WITH
virtue and glory, xxiv. 29, 30 ; Mark
xiii. 26 ; Luke xxi. 27. As the days of
Noah were, so shall also the coming of
the Son of Man be. Therefore, be ye
also ready, because, in an hour that ye
think not, the Son of Man will
come, Matt. xxiv. 37, 39, 44, 46. In
Luke: When the Son of Man cometh,
will He find faith upon the earth ? xviii.
8. In John : Jesus said concerning
John, If I will that he remain till I
come, xxi. 22, 23. In the Acts of the
Apostles : When they saw Jesus taken
up into heaven, two men stood by them,
in white apparel, and said, Jesus, who
was taken up from you, will so
COME, EVEN AS YE HAVE SEEN HlM
GOING INTO HEAVEN, i. 9, 10, 11. In
the Revelation : The Lord God of the
holy prophets hath sent his angel to
show his servants the things which must
be done. Behold, I come ; blessed is
he who keepeth the commandments of
this book. And behold I come, and
my reward is with Me, that I may give
to every one according to his work,
xxii. 6, 7, 12. And again ; I Jesus have
sent my angel to testify to you these
things in the churches. I am the Root
and the Offspring of David, the bright
and the Morning Star. And the spirit
and the bride say, come ; and let him
that heareth say, come ; and let him
that is thirsty come ; and whosoever
will, lei him take the water of life freely ,
xxii. 16, 17. And again ; He that tes-
tifieih these things saith, Yea, I come,
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all, Amen, xxii. 20, 21.
766. The Lord is present with every
man, and urges and insists that He may
be received ; and when man receives
Him, which is done when he acknowl
edges Him for his God, Creator, Re
deemer and Savior, it is his first coming,
which is called the dawn. From this
time, man, as to the understanding, be
gins to be enlightened in spiritual
things, and to progress in wisdom
more and more interior ; and as he
receives that from the Lord, so he
proceeds through the morning on to the

and the New Heaven and the New Church.

511

day, and this day continues with him
into old age, even to death ; and after
this, he comes into heaven to the
Lord himself, and there, although he
died an old man, he is restored to the
morning of his life, and continues the
beginnings of wisdom, implanted in the
natural world, to eternity.
767. A man who is in faith in the
Lord, and in charity towards the neigh
bor, is a church in particular: the
church in general is composed of those
similar. This is wonderful, that every
angel beholds the Lord before him, in
whatsoever direction his body and face
are turned ; for the Lord is the sun of
the angelic heaven, and it is this which
appears before their eyes, when they
are in spiritual meditation. The case
is similar with a man in the world, in
whom the church is, as to the sight of
his spirit ; but because this is veiled
over by the natural sight, which the
other senses flatter, the objects of
which are such things as are of the
body and the world, this state of his
spirit is unknown. This aspect of
the Lord, in whatsoever direction they
are, derives its origin from this, that
all truth, from which wisdom and faith
are, and all good, by which love and
charity are, are from the Lord, and
that they are the Lord's with him ;
and thence every truth of wisdom is a
mirror in which the Lord is seen, and
every good of love is an image of the
Lord ; thence is this wonderful appear
ance. But an evil spirit perpetually
turns himself away from the Lord, and
continually looks to his own love ; and
this, too, in whatsoever direction his face
and body are turned. The cause is
the same, but the case is reversed ; for
all evil is, in a certain form, an image
of his reigning love, and the false
thence exhibits that image', as in a mir
ror. That there is also some such
thing implanted in nature, may be con
cluded from certain plants springing
up among the grass, in that they rise
above the things with which they are
surrounded, that they may look at the
sun; and also that some, from the
rising to the setting of the sun, turn
themselves towards him, that thus they

may ripen under his auspices ; nor do
I doubt but that there is a like tendency
and effort in every twig and bough of
every tree ; but because they have no
elastic power of bending and turning
about, the act stops. That all whirl
pools of water and quicksands of the
ocean are spontaneously carried around,
according to the common progress of
the sun, is obvious to the attentive ob
server. Why not man, who was created
after the image of God, unless by
means of his free agency he turned that
tendency and effort, implanted by the
Creator, into another direction ? This
also may be likened to a bride, in that
she continually carries something of
the image of the bridegroom in the
sight of her spirit, and sees him in his
gifts as in mirrors, and longs for his
coming ; and when he comes, she re
ceives him with joy, in which the love
of her breast exults.
768. V. That the Coming of the
Lord is not his Coming to destroy
the visible Heaven and the habit
able Earth, and to create a New
Heaven and a New Earth, as many
hitherto, from not understanding
the Spiritual Sense of the Word,
have supposed.
The opinion at this day prevailing
in the churches is, that the Lord, when
He shall come to the last judgment,
will appear in the clouds of heaven,
with angels and the sound of trumpets,
and will gather together all who dwell
upon the earth, and also those who are
deceased, and will separate the evil
from the good, as a shepherd separates
the goats from the sheep ; and that then
He will cast the evil or the goats into
hell, and raise up the good or the
sheep into heaven ; and that then also
He. will create a new visible heaven
and a new habitable earth, and upon
this send down a city, which will be
called the New Jerusalem, the structure
of which will be according to the de
scription in Revelation xxi. ; namely,
of jasper and gold, and the foundations
of its wall of every precious stone, and
its height, breadth and length equal,
each of twelve thousand furlongs; and
that all the elect, both those who are

512 The Consummation ofthe Age, the Coming ofthe Lord,

living, and those that have died since
the beginning of the world, will be
gathered together into this city ; and
that they will then return into their
bodies, and enjoy eternal bliss in that
magnificent city, as in their heaven.
This opinion concerning the coming
of the Lord, and concerning the last
judgment, is at this day reigning in
Christian churches.
769. Concerning the state of souls
after death, these things, in general and
in particular, are at this day believed ;
that human souls after death are spirits,
of which they cherish an idea as of a
breath of wind ; and that, because they
are such, they are reserved until the
day of the last judgment, either in the
middle of the earth, where their place is,
or in the Limbo ofthe fathers. But in
these things they differ : some suppose
that they are ethereal or aerial forms,
and that thus they are like ghosts and
spectres, and that some of them dwell
in the air, some in the woods, and some
in the waters ; but some suppose that
the souls of the deceased are transferred
to the planets or to the stars, and there
abodes are given to them ; and some
that, after thousands of years, they re
turn into bodies. But most suppose that
they are reserved to the time when all
the firmament, together with the terra
queous globe, will be destroyed, which
will be effected by fire, either bursting
forth from the centre of the earth, or
cast down from heaven, like a universal
lightning ; and that then the sepulchres
will be opened, and the souls which had
been reserved, clothed again with their
bodies, and transferred into that holy
city Jerusalem, and thus, upon another
earth, they will dwell together in purified
bodies, some below there, and some
above, because the height of the city is
to be twelve thousand furlongs, as its
length and breadth, Rev. xxi. 16.
770. When any of the clergy or
laity are asked whether they firmly be
lieve all those things, as that the an
tediluvians, together with Adam and
Eve, and the postdiluvians, together
with Noah and his sons, and also Abra
ham, Isaac and Jacob, together with all
the prophets and apostles, as well as the

souls of other men, are still reserved m
the middle of the earth, or are flying
about in the ether or air ; and also
whether they believe that souls will be
clothed again with their bodies, and be
come united with them, which yet are
carcasses eaten up by worms, mice and
fishes, and those of the Egyptians, as
mummies, eaten up by men, and some
merely skeletons burnt up by the sun,
and reduced to powder ; and likewise
whether they believe that the stars of
heaven will then fall upon the earth,
which yet is smaller than one of them ;
are not such things paradoxes, which
reason itself dissipates, as it does things
that are contradictory ? But to these
things some answer nothing ; some, that
those are matters of faith, under obe
dience to which we keep the under
standing ; some, that not only these
things, but many more that are above
reason, are of the divine omnipotence ;
and when they name faith and omnipo
tence, reason is banished, and then
sound reason either disappears and be
comes as nothing, or becomes like a
spectre, and is called insanity. They
add, " Are not those things according
to the Word ? Who will not think and
speak from that 1"
771. That the Word in the letter is
written by appearances and correspon
dences, and that, therefore, there is in
every part of it a spiritual sense, in
which the truth is in its light, and the
sense of the letter in the shade, was
shown in the chapter concerning the
Sacred Scripture. Lest, therefore, the
man of the New Church, like the man
of the old church, should wander in the
shade, in which the sense of the letter
of the Word is, especially concerning
heaven and hell, and concerning his
life after death, and here concerning
the coming of the Lord, it has pleased
the Lord to open the sight of my spirit,
and thus to let me into the spiritual
world, and not only to give me to speak
with spirits and angels, and with rela
tions and friends, but with kings and
princes, who have departed from the
natural world, but also to see the stu
pendous things of heaven, and the mis
erable things of hell ; and thus that

and the New Heaven and the Neiv Church.

513

man does not live in some unknown place
ofthe aarth, nor fly about blind and dumb
in the air, or in empty space ; but that he
lives as man in a substantial body, in a
much more perfect state, if he comes
among the blessed, than before, when
he lived in the material body. There
fore, lest man should become more
deeply grounded in the opinion con
cerning the destruction of the visible
heaven and the habitable earth, and
thus concerning the spiritual world, from
ignorance, which is the source of nat
uralism, and then, at the same time, athe
ism, which, at this day, among the learn
ed, has begun to take root in the interior
rational mind, should, like a mortifica
tion in the flesh, spread itself around
more widely, even into his externa]
mind, from which he speaks, it has been
enjoined upon me by the Lord, to pro
mulgate some of the things seen and
heard, both concerning Heaven and
Hell, and concerning the Last Judg
ment, and also to explain the Apoca
lypse, where the coming of the Lord,
and the former heaven, and the new
heaven, and the holy Jerusalem, are
treated of; from which, when read and
understood, any one may see what is
meant there by the coming ofthe Lord,
and by the new heaven, and by the
New Jerusalem.
772. VI. That this Coming of the
Lord, which is the Second, is in Or
der that the Evil may be separated
from the Good, and that those
may be saved who have believed
and do believe in hlm ; and that a
New Angelic Heaven may be form
ed FROM THEM, AND A New ChURCH
on Earth ; and that without it
no Flesh could be saved, Matt.
xxiv. 22.
That this second coming of the Lord
is not to destroy the visible heaven and
the habitable earth, has been shown in
the preceding article. That it is not
to destroy any thing, but to build up,
consequently not to condemn, but to
save those who have believed in Him
since his first coming, and who will
hereafter believe, is evident from these
words of the Lord : God sent not his
Son into the world to judge the world,
65

but that theworldmight be savedthrough
Him. He that believeth in Him is not
judged, but he that believeth not is al
ready judged, because he hath not be
lieved in the name of the only begotten
Son of God, John iii. 17. And in
another place ; If any one hear my words,
and yet believe not, I judge him not ; for
I came not to judge the world, but to
save the world. He that despiseth Me,
and receiveth not my words, hath that
which judgeth him ; the Word which 1
have spoken, that will judge him, xii.
47, 48. That the last judgment took
place in the spiritual world in the year
1757, was shown in a little work con
cerning the Last Judgment, published
at London, in the year 1758; and fur
ther, in a Continuation concerning
it, published at Amsterdam, 1763 ;
which I testify, because I saw it with
my eyes in full wakefulness.
773. That the coming of the Lord is
to form a new heaven of those who
have believed in Him, and to institute
a new church of those who hereafter
believe in Him, is because those two
things are the ends of his coming.
The very end of the creation of the
universe was no other, than that an
angelic heaven might be formed from
men, in which all who believe in God
are to live in eternal blessedness ; for
the Divine Love, which is in God, and
essentially is God, cannot intend any
thing else, and the Divine Wisdom,
which also is in God, and is God, can
not produce any thing else. Since the
creation of the universe had for its
end an angelic heaven from the human
race, and at the same time a church on
earth, — for through this man will pass
into heaven, — and since the salvation ol
men, which is effected among men who
are born in the world, is thus a contin
uation of. creation, — therefore it is said
everywhere in the Word, to create; and
by it is meant to form for heaven ; as
in these passages: Create in me a
clean heart, O God, and renew a firm
spirit in the midst of me, Psalm li. 1 0.
Thou openest thy hand, they are filled
with good ; Thou sendest forth thy
spirit, they are created, civ. 28, 30.
The people that shall be created shall

514 The Consummation ofthe Age, the Coming ofthe Lord,

praise Jali, cii. 18. Thus said Jehovah
thy Creator, Jacob, thy Former,
Israel; I have redeemed thee, I have
called thee by my name. Every one
called by my name, for my glory I have
created him, Isaiah xiiii. 1, 7. In
the day that thou wast created, they
were prepared. Thou wast perfect in
thy ways in the day that thou wast
created, until perverseness was found
in thee, Ezek. xxviii. 13, 15. These
are concerning the king of Tyre : That
they may see, know, attend and under
stand, that the hand, of Jehovah hath
done this, and the Holy One of Israel
hath created it, xii. 20. Hence it is
evident what is meant by creating, in
the following passages : Jehovah, who
createth the heavens, strelchcth out the
earth, giveth soul to the people upon it,
and spirit to those who walk in it, xiii.
5 ; xiv. 12, 18. Behold, I create a
NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH ; I'C-
joice for ever in that which I create.
Behold, I am about to create Jeru
salem an exultation, lxv. 17, 18.
774. The presence of the Lord is
perpetual with every man, both evil and
good, for without his presence no man
lives ; but his coming is only with those
who receive Him, who are those who
believe in Him and do his command
ments. The perpetual presence of the
Lord causes man to become rational,
and enables him to become spiritual :
this is done by the light proceeding
from the Lord, as a sun in the spiritual
world, which man receives with the un
derstanding ; and that light is truth, by
which he has rationality. But the
coming of the Lord is with those who
conjoin heat to that light, that is, love
to truth ; for the heat proceeding from
that same sun is love to God and to
wards the neighbor. The presence
only of the Lord, and the illustration
of the understanding thence, may be
compared with the presence of solar
light in the world ; unless this be con
joined with heat, all things become des
olate upon earth ; but the coming of
the Lord may be compared with the
coming of heat, which takes place in
the time of spring ; and because then
heat conjoins itself to light, the earth

is softened, the seeds spring up and
bear fruit. Such is the parallelism
between spiritual things, in which the
spirit of man is, and natural things, in
which his body is.
775. It is the same with the man of
the church, in the concrete, or in the
compound, as it is with an individual
man, or in particular. Man, in the con
crete, or compound, is a church among
many; and man in an individual or par
ticular capacity, is a church in each
one among those many. It is accord
ing to divine order that there should be
generals and particulars, and that both
should be together in every thing, and
that particulars should not otherwise
exist and subsist ; as there would not
be any particulars inwardly in man, un
less there were generals, by which they
are encompassed. The particulars in
man are thevisceraandthepartsofthem,
and the generals are the coverings,
which are not only around the whole
man, but also around each ofthe viscera,
and around each part of them. The
case is similar in every beast, bird and
worm ; and likewise in every tree, shrub
and seed ; nor could sound be given
from strings or by the breath, unless
there were something most general,
from which each part of the modula
tion derived its general, that it might
exist. It is similar also with every
sense of the body, as with seeing, hear
ing, smelling, tasting and touching;
and likewise it is similar with all the
internal senses, which are of the mind.
These things are adduced for the sake
of illustration, that it may be known
that there are also in the church gener
als and particulars, and likewise things
most general ; and that it is thence, that
four churches have preceded in order,
from which progression the most gen
eral thing of the church arose, and suc
cessively, the generals and particulars
of every one. In man also there are
two most general things, from which all
his generals and each of his particulars
derive their existence. Those two
most general things in his body are
the heart and lungs, and in his spirit
the will and understanding ; on these
and those all things of his life, both in

and the New Heaven and the New Church.

515

general and in particular, depend, which
without them would fall to pieces and
die. It would be similar with the
whole angelic heaven, and with the
whole human race, yea, with the whole
created world, unless all things in gen
eral, and each in particular, depended
on God, his love and wisdom.
776. VII. That this second Com
ing of the Lord is not in Person,
but that it is in the Word, which
is from Him, and is Himself.
It is read in many places, that the
Lord is to come in the clouds of heaven,
as Matt. xvii. 5 ; xxiv. 30 ; xxvi. 64 ;
Mark xiv. 61, 62; Luke ix. 34, 35;
xxi. 27 ; Rev. i. 7; xiv. 14; Dan. vii.
13. But hitherto no one has known
what was meant by the clouds of
heaven : they have believed that He
would appear in them in person. But
that, by the clouds of heaven, is meant
the Word in the sense of the letter, and
by glory and virtue, in which also He
is then to come, Matt. xxiv. 30, is
meant the spiritual sense of the Word,
has been hitherto concealed, because
no one has ever yet even conjectured,
that there is in the Word any spiritual
sense, such as it is in itself. Now,
because the spiritual sense of the Word
has been opened to me by the Lord,
and it has been given to me to be
together with angels and spirits in
their world, as one of them, it has been
discovered, that by the clouds of heaven
is meant the Word in the natural
oense, and by glory, the Word in the
spiritual sense, and by virtue, the
power of the Lord by means of the
Word. That the clouds of heaven
signify that, may be seen from these
passages in the Word : Not like the
God of Jeshurun, riding in heaven,
and in magnificence upon the clouds,
Deut. xxxiii. 26, 27. Sing unto God,
praise. His name, extol Him that
rideth upon the clouds, Psalm lxviii. 4.
Jehovah riding upon a swift cloud,
Isaiah xix. 1. To ride signifies to in
struct in divine truths from the Word ;
for a horse signifies the understanding
of the Word : see Apocalypse Re
vealed, n. 298. Who does not see
that God does not ride upon the clouds ?

Again ; God rode upon cherubs, and
made his pavilion the clouds of the
heavens, Psalm xviii. 10 to 13. Cher
ubs also signify the Word : see Apoca
lypse Revealed, n. 239, 672. Jeho
vah bindeth the waters in his clouds ; He
spreadeth out his cloud over his throne,
Job xxvi. 8, 9. Give strength to Je
hovah, strength upon the clouds, lxviii,
34. Jehovah hath created upon every
habitation of Zion a cloud by day, for
upon all the glory there shall be a cov
ering, Isaiah iv. 5. The Word, in
the sense of the letter, also was repre
sented by the cloud in which Jehovah
descended upon mount Sinai, when
He promulgated the law : the things
ofthe law which were then promulgated
were the first fruits ofthe Word. For
confirmation these things also are to be
added. There are clouds in the spiritual
world as well as in the natural world,
but from another origin. In the spir
itual world there are sometimes bright
clouds above the angelic heavens, but
dark clouds over the hells : the bright
clouds over the angelic heavens signify
obscurity there, from the literal sense
of the Word ; but when those clouds
are dispersed, they signify that they are
in its clear light from the spiritual sense ;
but the dark clouds over the hells sig
nify the falsification and profanation of
¦the Word. The origin of this signifi
cation of clouds in the spiritual world,
is, because the light which proceeds
from the Lord as a sun there, signifies
divine truth ; wherefore He is called
the Light, John i. 9; xii. 35. Thence
it is that the Word itself, which is kept
in the recesses of the temples there,
appears encompassed with a bright
light, and the obscurity of it is induced
by clouds.
777. That the Lord is the Word, is
evident from these words in John :
In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and God was
the Word; and the Word became flesh,
i. 1, 14. That the Word there is the
divine truth, is because Christians have
divine truth from no other source than
from the Word, which is a fountain
from which all the churches named
from Christ draw living waters in their

516 The Consummation ofthe Age, the Coming of the Lord,

fulness, although as in a cloud in which
its natural sense is, but in glory and
virtue, in which its spiritual and celes
tial sense is. That there are^ three
senses in the Word, — natural, spiritual
and celestial, — one within another, was
shown in the chapter concerning the
Sacred Scripture, and in the chapter
concerning the Decalogue or Cate
chism. Thence it is manifest, that by
the Word, in John, is meant the Divine
Truth. John also testifies the same in
his first epistle : We know that the
Son of God hath come and given us
understanding that we may know the
True, and we are in the True, in his
Son Jesus Christ, v. 20. And there
fore the Lord so often said, Verily
[Amen] J say unto you; for amen in
the Hebrew language is truth ; and
that He is the Amen, may be seen Rev.
iii. 14 ; and the Truth, John xiv. 6.
When, also, the learned of this age are
asked what they understand by the
Word in John i. 1, they say, that
they understand the Word in its super-
eminence ; and what else is the Word
in its supereminence, than divine truth ?
Hence it is manifest, that the Lord is
also now to appear in the Word. The
reason that He is not to appear in
person, is because, since his ascension
into heaven, He is in the glorified Hu
man ; and in this He cannot appear to
any man, unless He first open the eyes
of his spirit ; and these cannot be
opened in any one who is in evils, and
thence in falses ; thus not in any of
the goats which he sets at the left hand.
Wherefore, when He manifested Him
self to the disciples, he first opened
their eyes ; for it is read, And their
eyes were opened, and they knew Him ;
but He became invisible to them, Luke
xxiv. 31. The case was similar with
the women at the sepulchre after the
resurrection ; wherefore they at that
time also saw angels sitting in the
sepulchre and speaking with them,
whom no man can see with the material
eye. That neither did the apostles,
before the Lord's resurrection, see the
Lord in the glorified Human, with the
eyes of the body, but in the spirit
(which appears, after awaking, as if it

were in sleep), is evident from his
transfiguration before Peter, James
and John, in that their eyes were
heavy with sleep, Luke ix. 32. Where
fore, it is a vain thing to believe that
the Lord is to appear in the clouds of
heaven in person ; but He is to appear
in the Word, which is from Him, thus
is Himself. 778. Every man is his own love and
his own intelligence, and whatever pro
ceeds from him derives its essence from
those two essentials or properties of his
life ; wherefore the angels know a man,
what he is essentially, from a short in
tercourse with him, his love from the
sound of his voice, and his intelligence
from his speech : the reason is, because
there are two universals of the life of
every man, the will and the under
standing ; and the will is the recepta
cle and habitation of his love, and the
understanding is the receptacle and
habitation of his intelligence ; where
fore all the things that proceed from
man, whether it be action or speech,
make the man and are the man him
self. In like manner, but in a super-
eminent degree, the Lord is Divine
Love and Divine Wisdom, or, what is
the same, Divine Good and Divine
Truth ; for his will is of the divine
love, and the divine love is of his will,
and his understanding is the divine
wisdom, and the divine wisdom is his
understanding ; the human form is the
continent of them ; hence it may be.
conceived how the Lord is the Word.
But, on the other hand, he who is
against the Word, that is, against the
divine truth there, consequently against
the Lord and his church, is his own
evil and his own false, both as to the
mind and as to its effects from the
body, which refer themselves to actions
and words.
779. VIII. That this second
Coming of the Lord is effected by
means of a Man, before whom He ,
has manifested Himself, and whom
He has filled with his Spirit, to
teach the Doctrines of the New
Church through the Word from
Him. Since the Lord cannot manifest

and the New Heaven and the New Church.

517

Himself in person, as has been shown
Sst above, and yet He has foretold that
e would come and establish a New
Church, which is the New Jerusalem,
it follows, that He is to do it by means
of a man, who is able not only to re
ceive the doctrines of this church with
his understanding, but also to publish
them by the press. That the Lord has
manifested Himself before me, his
servant, and sent me on this office, and
that, after this, He opened the sight or
my spirit, and thus let me into the
spiritual world, and gave me to see the
heavens and the hells, and also to speak
with angels and spirits, and this now
continually for many years, I testify in
truth ; and also that, from the first day
of that call, I have not received any
thing which pertains to the doctrines
of that church from any angel, but
from the Lord alone, while I read the
Word. 780. To the end that the Lord might
be constantly present, he has disclosed
to me the spiritual sense of his Word,
in which divine truth is in its light, and
in this He is continually present ; for
his presence in the Word is only by
means of the spiritual sense : through
the light of this He passes into the
shade in which the sense of the letter
is; comparatively as it happens with
the light ofthe sun in the day-time, by
the interposition of a cloud. That the
sense of the letter of the Word is as a
cloud, and the spiritual sense glory,
and the Lord himself the sun from
which the light proceeds, and that thus
the Lord is the Word, has been demon
strated above. That the glory in which
He is to come, Matt. xxiv. 30, signifies
divine truth in its light, in which the
spiritual sense of the Word is, appears
clearly from these passages : The
voice of one crying in the desert, Pre
pare a way for Jehovah ; the glory of
Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh
shall see, Isaiah xl. 3, 5. Be thou en
lightened, because thy light hath come,
and the glory of Jehovah hath risen
upon thee, ix. 1 to the end. I will give
Thee for a covenant lo the people, for
the light of the nations ; and my
glory I will not give, to another.

xiii. 6,8; xlviii. 11. Thy light shall
break forth as the morning ; the glory
of Jehovah shall gather thee up, lviii.
8. All the earth shall be filled with
the glory of Jehovah, Num. xiv. 8 ;
Isaiah vi. 1, 2, 3; lxvi. 18. In the
beginning was the Word; in Him was
life, and the life was the light of men.
He was the true light. And the Word
became flesh, and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, John i. 1,4, 9, 14.
The heavens shall tell the glory of
God, Psalm xix. 1. The glory of God
shall enlighten the New Jerusalem, and
the Lamb shall be its light, and the na
tions which are saved shall walk in his
light, Rev. xxi. 23, 24, 25; besides
in many other places. That glory sig
nifies divine truth in its fulness, is be
cause every thing magnificent in heav
en is from the light which proceeds
from the Lord, and the light proceed
ing from Him, as a sun there, in its
essence is divine truth.
781. IX. That this is meant, in
the Revelation, by the New Heav
en and New Earth, and the New
Jerusalem descending thence.
It is read in the Revelation, I saw
a new heaven and a new earth, because
the former heaven and the former earth
had passed away. And I John saw
the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming
down from God out of heaven, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband, xxi.
1, 2. The like also is read in Isaiah ;
Behold, I create a new heaven and a new
earth ; rejoice and exult for ever ; and
behold, I am to create Jerusalem an ex
ultation and her people a joy, lxv. 17,
18. It has been shown above, in this
chapter, that the Lord is at this day
forming a new heaven of the Chris
tians who acknowledged in the world,
and were able to acknowledge aftei
their departure out of the world, that
He is the God of heaven and earth,
according to his vords in Matt.
xxviii. 18.
782. That a New Church is meant
by the New Jerusalem coming down
from God out of heaven, Rev. xxi, is
because Jerusalem was the metropolis
in the land of Canaan ; and there was

518 The Consummation ofthe Age, the Coming ofthe Lord,

the temple, the altar, there sacrifices
were offered, and thus divine worship
itself performed, to which every male
in the land was commanded to come
three times in a year ; and also because
the Lord was in Jerusalem, and taught
in his temple, and afterwards glorified
his Human there ;. thence it is, that
by Jerusalem is signified the church.
That the church is meant by Jerusalem,
is very evident from the prophecies in
the Old Testament concerning a new
church to be instituted by the Lord, in
that it is there called Jerusalem. The
passages themselves will only be ad
duced, from which every one endued
with interior reason may see that the
church is there meant by it. Let these
passages only be adduced thence : Be
hold, I create a new heave n and a
new earth; the former shall not be
remembered. Behold, I am to create
Jerusalem an exultation, and her peo
ple a joy, that I may exult over Jeru
salem, and rejoice over my people.
Then the wolf and the lamb shall feed
together; they shall not do evil in all
the mountain of my holiness, Isaiah lxv.
17, 19, 25. For Zion's sake I will
not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's
sake I will not rest, until the righteous
ness thereof go forth as brightness, and
the salvation thereof as a lamp that
burneth. Then the nations shall see
thy righteousness, and all kings thy
glory; and thou shalt be called by a
new name, which the mouth of Jehovah
shall utter. And thou shalt be a crown
of glory and a royal diadem in the
hand of thy God; Jehovah shall delight
in thee, and thy land shall be married.
Behold, thy salvation shall come ; be
hold, His reward, is with Him. And
they shall call them the holy people,
the redeemed of Jehovah ; and, thou
shalt be called a city sought for, not
forsaken, Ixii. 1 to 4, 11, 12. Aicake,
awake, put on thy strength, O Zion;
put on the garments of thy beauty, O
Jerusalem, the city of holiness ; be
cause henceforth there shall no more
come into thee the unrircumcised and
the unclean. Shake thyself from the
dust, arise, sit down, O Jerusalem.
The people shall know my name in that

day, for it is I that speak, behold, I
Jehovah hath comforted his people, He
hath redeemed Jerusalem, Iii. 1, 2, 6,
9. Shout, O daughter of Zion, rejoice
with all thy heart, O daughter of Je
rusalem ; the King of Israel is in the
midst of thee ; fear not evil any more. He
will rejoice over thee with joy. He will
rest in his love, He will exult over thee
with shouting. I will give you for a
name and for a praise to all tha people
of the earth, Zeph. iii. 14 to 17, 20.
Thus said Jehovah, thy Redeemer,
saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be
inhabited, Isaiah xliv. 24, 26. Thus
said Jehovah, I will return to Zion,
and will dioell in the midst of Je
rusalem ; whence Jerusalem shall
be called the city of truth, and the
mountain of Jehovah of hosts the
mountain of holiness, Zech. viii. 3, 20
to 23. Then yf shall know that I Je
hovah am thy God, dwelling in Zion,
the mountain of holiness ; and Jerusa
lem shall be holiness. And it shall come
to pass in that day, the mountains shall
drop new wine, and the hills shall flow
with milk ; and Jerusalem shall remain
from generation to generation, Joel iv.
17 to 21. In that day, the branch of
Jehovah shall be for beauty and glory ;
and it shall be, that he that is left in
Zion, and, he that remaincth in Jeru
salem, shall be called holy, every one
that is written for life in Jerusalem,
Isaiah iv. 2, 3. In the end of the days,
the mountain of the house of Jehovah
shall be established on the top of the
mountains ; for out of Zion shall go
forth doctrine, and the Word of Jeho
vah out of Jerusalem, Micah iv. 1, 2.
At that time they shall call Jerusalem
the throne of Jehovah, and all the na
tions shall be gathered together, on ac
count of the name of Jehovah, to Jeru
salem ; neither shall they go any more
after the confirmation of their evil
heart, Jer. iii. 17. Look upon Zion,
the city of our stated feast ; let your
eyes see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a
tabernacle which shall not be taken
down ; the stakes of it shall not be re
moved for ever, and the cords of it shall
not be broken, Isaiah xxxiii. 20; be*
sides other places also, as Tsaiah xxiv .

and the New Heaven and the New Church.

519

33; xxxvii. 32; lxvi. 10 to 14; Zech.
xii. 3, 6 to 10 ; xiv. 8, 11, 12,21 ; Mai.
iii. 4 ; Psalm cxxii. 1 to 7 ; cxxxvii.
5, 6, 7. That by Jerusalem there is
meant the church which was to be in
stituted by the Lord, and not the
Jerusalem inhabited by the Jews, is
manifest from every part of its descrip
tion in the passages adduced ; as that
Jehovah God would create a new heav
en and a new earth, and also Jerusalem
at the same time ; and that this would
be a crown of glory and a royal diadem ;
that it was to be called holiness, the
city 'of truth, the throne of Jehovah, a
quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall
not be taken down ; that there the
wolf and the lamb shall feed together;
and it is said, that there the mountains
shall drop new wine, and the hills shall
flow with milk, and it shall remain
from generation to generation ; beside
many other things ; also concerning
the people there, that they should be
holy, every one written for life ; that
they should be called the redeemed of
Jehovah. Moreover, in all those pas
sages, the coming of the Lord is treated
of, especially his second coming, when
Jerusalem will be such as it is there
described ; for before, she was not
married, that is, made the bride and
wife of the Lamb, as it is said of the
New Jerusalem in the Revelation. The
former or present church is meant by
Jerusalem in Daniel, and the com
mencement of it is there described by
these words : Know and perceiveffrom
the going forth of the word for re
storing and building Jerusalem, even to
the Prince Messiah, shall be seven
weeks ; afterwards, in sixty and two
weeks, the street and the trench shall be
restored and built, but in troublesome
times, ix. 25. But the end of it is de
scribed there by these words : At length,
upon the bird of abominations shall be
desolation, and even to the consumma
tion and decision it shall drop upon the
devastation, ix. 27. These last are
the things that are meant by these
words of the Lord in Matthew : When ye
shall see the abomination of desolation,
, foretold by the prophet Daniel, stand
ing in the holy place, let him that

readcth observe it well, xxiv. 15. That
by Jerusalem, in the passages above
adduced, was not meant the Jerusalem
inhabited by the Jews, may be evident
from the passages in the Word, where
it is said of this, that it was entirely
ruined, and that it was to be destroyed ;
as Jer. v. 1 ; vi. 6, 7 ; vii. 17, 18, &c. ;
viii. 6, 7, 8, &c. ; ix. 10, 11, 13, <fcc. ;
xiii. 9, 10, 14 ; xiv. 16 ; Lam. i. 8, 9,
17 ; Ezek. iv. 1 to the end ; v. 9 to
the end ; xii. 18, 19 ; xv. 6, 7, 8 ; xvi.
1 to 63 ; xxiii. 1 to 40 ; Matt, xxiii.
37, 38; Luke xix. 41 to 44; xxi. 20,
21, 22; xxiii. 28, 29,30; besides in
many other places ; also where it is
called Sodom, Isaiah iii. 9 ; Jer. xxiii.
14 ; Ezek. xvi. 46, 48, and in other*
places. 783. That the church is the Lord's,
and that from a spiritual marriage,
which is that of the good and the true,
the Lord is called Bridegroom and
Husband, and the church the bride
and wife, is known to Christians from
the Word, particularly from these pas
sages. John says concerning the Lord,
He who hath the Bride is the Bride
groom ; but the friend of the Bride
groom, who standeth and heareth Him,
rejoiceth on account of the Bride
groom's voice, John iii. 29. Jesus
said, While the Bridegroom is with
them, the sons of the wedding cannot
fast, Matt. ix. 15 ; Mark ii. 19,20 ; Luke
v. 35. I saw the holy city, New Je
rusalem, coming down from God out of
heaven, prepared as a Bride adorned
for her Husband, Rev. xxi. 2. The
angel said to John, Come, and I will
show thee the Bride, the Lamb's
Wife ; and from the mountain he
showed him the holy city Jerusalem,
xxi. 9, 10. The time of the Lamb's
WEDDING HATH COME, and HIS WlFE
hath prepared herself. Blessed are
those who are called to the wedding
supper of the Lamb, xix. 7, 9. I am
the Root and the Offspring of David,
the bright and the Morning Star : The
Spirit and the Bride say, Come;
and let him that is thirsty come; and
whosoever will, let him take of the water
of life freely, Rev. xxii. 16, 17.
784. It is according to divine order.

520 The Consummation of the Age, the Coming of the Lord,

that a new heaven should be formed
before a New Church on earth ; for
the church is internal and external,
and the internal church makes one
with the church in heaven, thus with
heaven ; and the internal is to be formed
before the external, and afterwards the
external by the internal : that it is so,
is known among the clergy in the
world. As this new heaven, which
makes the internal of man, increases,
so far the New Jerusalem, that is, the
New Church, comes down from that
heaven ; wherefore, this cannot be done
in a moment, but it is done as the
falses of the former church are re
moved ; for what is new cannot enter
where falses have been ingenerated,
unless these are eradicated, which will
be done among the clergy, and thus
among the laity ; for the Lord said,
No one puttcih new wine into old bottles,
else the bottles break, and the wine
runneth out; but they put new wine
into new bottles, and both are preserved
together, Matt. ix. 17; Mark ii. 22;
Luke v. 37, 38. That these things
cannot be done, except at the consum
mation of the age, by which is meant
the end of the church, is evident from
these words of the Lord : Jesus said,
The kingdom ofthe heavens is like a
man that sowed good seed in his field;
but while men slept, his enemy came
and sowed tares and went away. But
when the blade had sprung up, then the
tares also appeared. The servants
came and said to him, Wilt thou that
we go and gather up the tares ? But
he said to them, No; lest perhaps, in
gathering the tares, ye should root up
the wheat with them. Let them both
grow together till the harvest, and in
the time of the harvest, I will say to
the reapers, Gather first the tares, wid
bind them up in bundles for burning ;
but gather the wheat into my barn.
The harvest is the consummation of the
age ; as tares are gathered and burned
in the fire, so shall it be in the consum
mation of the age, Matt. xiii. 24 to
30, 39, 40. By wheat there are meant
the truths and goods of the New
Church, and by tares, the falses and
evils of the former. That by the con

summation of the age is meant the
end of the church, may be seen in the
first article of this chapter.
785. That there is in every thing an
internal and an external, and that the
external depends on the internal, as
the body on the soul, is evident from
every single thing in the world, when
rightly viewed. With man this is
manifest : his whole body is from his
mind, and thence, in every thing that
proceeds from man, there is an internal
and an external ; in every action of
man there is the will of the mind, and
in every expression there is the under
standing of the mind; in like manner
in each of his senses. In every bird
and beast, yea, in every insect and
worm, there is an internal and an ex
ternal ; and also in every tree, plant
and twig ; yea, in every stone and
particle of dust. Some instances
are sufficient to illustrate this, concern
ing the silkworm, the bee and the dust.
The internal of the silkworm is that
from which, its external is induced to
make silk, and afterwards to fly away
as a butterfly. The internal of the
bee is that from which its external is
induced to suck honey out of flowers,
and to build cells in wonderful forms.
The internal of the small dust of the
ground, from which its external is in
clined, is its tendency to make seeds
vegetate : it exhales from its little bosom
something which insinuates itself into
the inmost parts of the seed, and pro
duces this; and that internal follows its
vegetation even to the new seed. The
case is similar in thenpposites, in which
also there is an internal and an ex
ternal, as in a spider; the internal of
which, from which its external is in
clined, is the faculty, and thence the
inclination, to weave a curious web, in
the middle of which it lies in wait for
the flies which fly into it, which it eats.
The like is in every other noxious
worm, and in every serpent, and also
in every wild beast of the forest ; like
wise in every wicked, cunning and
deceitful man.
786. X. That this New Church is
the Crown of all the Churches that
have hitherto been in the world

and the New Heaven and the New Church.

521

It has been shown above, that there
have been four churches, in general,
since the beginning, in this earth ; one
before the flood, another after the flood,
a third called the Israelitish church,
and a fourth the Christian ; and be
cause all churches depend on the
knowledge and acknowledgment of
one God, with whom the man of the
church can be conjoined, and all the
four churches have not been in that
truth, it follows that a church is to
succeed those four, which will know
and acknowledge one God. The di
vine love of God had nothing else for
an end, when He created the world,
than that He might conjoin man to
Himself, and Himself to min, and thus
dwell with man. That the former
churches were not in the truth, is,
because the most ancient church, which
was before the flood, worshipped an
invisible God, with whom there can be
no conjunction. The ancient church,
which was after the flood, did in like
manner. The Israelitish church wor
shipped Jehovah, who in Himself is an
invisible God, Exod. xxxiii. 18 to 23;
but under a human form, which Jeho
vah God put on by means of an angel,
in which He appeared to Moses, Abra
ham, Sarah, Hagar, Gideon, Joshua,
and sometimes to the prophets ; which
human form was representative of the
Lord who was to come ; and because
this was representative, therefore also
each and every thing in their church
was made representative. That the
sacrifices and the rest of their worship
lepresented the Lord, who was to come,
and that they were abrogated when
he came, is known. But the fourth
church, which was called the Christian,
did, indeed, acknowledge one God with
the mouth, but in three persons, each
of whom singly or by himself was God,
and thus a trinity divided, and not
united in one person ; thence the idea
of three Gods was fixed in the mind,
although in the lips there was a con
fession of one. And, moreover, the
doctors of the church, from their
doctrine itself, which they composed
aftei the council of Nice, teach, that
men must believe in God the Father,
66

God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost,
all invisible, because existing in a simi
lar divine essence before the world
was ; and yet, as was said above, there
can be no conjunction with an invisible
God ; not as yet knowing that the one
God, who is invisible, came into the
world and assumed the Human, not
only that He might redeem men, but
also that He might become visible, and
thus capable of being conjoined ; for
it is read, The Word was with God,
and the Word was God ; and the
Word became flesh, John i. 1, 14;
and in Isaiah, A Child is born to us ;
a Son is given to us, whose name shall
be called God, Hero, the Father of
eternity, ix. 6; and in the prophets
many times, that Jehovah himself was
to come into the world, and to be the
Redeemer ; which also He became in
the Human which He assumed.
787. That this church is the crown
of all the churches that have hitherto
been in the world, is, because it will
worship one visible God, in whom is
the invisible God, as the soul is in the
body. That thus and no otherwise there
can be conjunction of God with man,
is because man is natural, and thence
thinks naturally ; and the conjunction
must be in his thought, and thus in the
affection of his love, and this is effected
when man thinks of God as Man.
Conjunction with an invisible God is
like conjunction of the sight of the eye
with the expanse of the universe, of
which it sees no end ; and also like
sight in the middle of the ocean, which
falls into the air and into the sea, and
perishes ; but conjunction with a visible
God is like the sight of a man, in the
air or on the sea, spreading out his hands
and inviting to his arms; for all con
junction of God with man must also be
a reciprocal one of man with God, and
this other reciprocal cannot be given,
except with a visible God. That God
was not visible before He assumed the
Human, the Lord himself also teaches
in John : Ye have not heard the voice of
the Father, at any time, nor seen his
shape, v. 37 ; and in Moses : No one
can see God and live, Exod. xxxiii. 20,
But that He is seen through his Human,

The Consummation of the Age, the. Coming of the Lord,

in John : No one hath seen God at
any time ; the only begotten Son, who is
in the bosom of the Father, He hath
brought Him forth to view, i. 18 ; and
again : Jesus said, I am the Way, the
Truth and the Life ; no one cometh to
the Father, except through Me. He
that knoweth Me, knoweth the Father,
and He that seeth Me, seeth the Father,
xiv. 6, 7, 9. That there is conjunc
tion with the invisible God through
Him who is visible, thus through the
Lord, He teaches in these passages :
Jesus said, Abide in Me and I in you ;
he that abideth in Me and I in him, the
same bearcih much fruit, John xv. 4,
5. In that day ye shall know that I
am in the Father, and ye in Me, and I
in you, xiv. 20. I have given to them
the glory which Thou gavest to Me,
that they may be one, as we are one.
I in them and Thou in Me ; that the love
with which Thou hast loved Me, may
be in them, and I in them, xvii. 21, 22,
23, 26 ; and also vi. 56. Moreover,
that He and the Father are one, and
that any one must believe in Him in
order to have eternal life. That sal
vation depends on conjunction with
God, has been abundantly shown
above. 783. That this church is to succeed
the churches which have existed since
the beginning of the world, and that
it is to endure for ages of ages, and
that thus it is to be the crown of all
the churches that have been before,
was prophesied by Daniel ; first, when
he told and explained to Nebuchad
nezzar his dream concerning the four
kingdoms, by which are meant the
four churches, represented by the statue
seen by him ; saying, In the days of
these, the God of heaven shall cause lo
arise a kingdom, which shall not perish
for aires ; and it shall consume all those
kingdoms, but it shall stand for ages,
Dan. ii. 44 ; and that this should be
done by the stone, which became a great
rock, filling the whole earth, 35. By
a rock in the Word is meant the Lord
as to divine truth. And the same
prophet elsewhere says ; I teas seeing
in the visions of the night, and behold,
with the clouds of heaven, as it were, the

Son of Man ; to Him was given domi»
ion, and glory, and a kingdom; and all
people, nations and tongues shall worship
Him. His dominion is the dominion
of an age which will not pass aioay,
and his kingdom one which 10M not
perish, vii. 13, 14. And this he
says after he had seen the four beasts
coming up out of the sea, verse 3 ;
by which also the four former churches
were represented. That these things
were prophesied by Daniel concerning
this time, is evident from his words, xii.
4, and also from the words of the Lord,
Matt. xxiv. 15, 30. The like is said in
the Revelation : The seventh angel
sounded; then there came great voices
from heaven, saying, The kingdoms qf
the world are become the kingdom of
our Lord and of his Christ, and, He
shall reign for ages of ages, xi. 15.
789. Besides, the rest of the proph
ets have, in many places, predicted
concerning this church, what it is to
be ; from which these few will be ad
duced. In Zechariah : There shall be
one day which shall be known to Jeho
vah, not day nor night, because about
the time of evening there shall be light.
In that day, living waters shall go forth
out of Jerusalem ; and Jehovah shall
be King over all the earth. In that
day, Jehovah shall be one, and his
name one, xiv. 7, 8, 9. In Joel : It
shall come to pass in that day, that the
mountains shall drop new wine, and the
hills shall flow with milk, and Jerusa
lem shall remain to generation and gen
eration, iv. 17 to 21. In Jeremiah :
At that time they shall call Jerusalem
the throne of Jehovah, and all the gen
tiles shall be gathered together, on ac
count of the name of Jehovah, to Jeru
salem ; neither shall they go any more
after the confirmation of their evil heart,
iii. 17 ; Rev. xxi. 24, 26. In Isaiah :
Let thy eye? see Jerusalem a quiet hab
itation, a tabernacle which shall not be
taken down ; its stakes shall never be
removed, and its cords shall not be bro
ken, xxxiii. 20. In these passages, by
Jerusalem is meant the holy New Jeru
salem, described in Rev. xxi., by which
is meant the New Church. Again in
Isaiah : There shall go forth a End

and the New Heaven and the New Church.

523

out of the stem of Jesse, and righteous
ness shall be the girdle of his loins, and
truth the girdle of his thighs. Where
fore the wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard with the kid, and the
calf and the young lion and the falling
together, and a little child shall had
them. And the cow and the bear shall
feed, and the young ones shall lie down
together ; and the sucking child shall
play on the hole of the viper, and the
weaned child shall put his hand over
the den qf the basilisk. They shall
not do evil, nor corrupt themselves, in
all the mountain of my holiness ; for
the earth shall be full of the knowledge
qf Jehovah. It shall come to pass in
that day, the nations shall seek the
Root of Jesse, which standeth for an
ensign of the people, and his rest shall
be glorious, xi. 1, 5 to 10. That such
things have not as yet existed in the
churches, and especially in the last, is
known. In Jeremiah : Behold the
days are coming, in which I will make
a new covenant. And this shall be the
covenant: I will give my law in the
midst of them, and will write it on their
heart; and I will be to them a God, and
they shall be to Me a people ; they all
shall know Me, from the least of them
even to the greatest of them, xxxi. 31
to 34; Rev. xxi. 3. That these things
have not been given hitherto in the
churches, is also known : the reason
was, because they did not approach a
visible God, whom all shall* know, and
because He is the Word, or the law,
which He will put in the midst of them,
and write it on their heart. In Isaiah :
For Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
until the righteousness thereof go forth
as brightness, and the salvation thereof
as a lamp that burnetii. And thou shalt
be called by a new name, which the
mouth of Jehovah shall utter. And thou
shalt be a crown of glory and a dia
dem of royalty in the hand of thy God.
Jehovah will delight in thee, and thy
land shall be married. Behold, thy
Salvation shall come; behold, his reward
ii with Him ; and they shall can them

the people of holiness, the redeemed
of Jehovah ; and thou shalt be called a
city sought, and not deserted.
790. What this church is to be, is
described at large in the Revelation,
where it is treated of the end of the
former church, and the rise of the New.
This New Church is described by the
New Jerusalem, and by its magnificent
things, and that it is to be the bride
and wife of the Lamb, xix. 7 ; xxi. 2, 9.
Besides, I will take from the Revela
tion only these words. When the New
Jerusalem was seen to descend from
heaven, it is said, Behold the tabernacle
of God is with men, and He will dwell
with them, and they shall be his people,
and He will be with them their God.
And the nations that are saved shall
walk in his light, and there shall not
be night there. I Jesus have sent my
angel to testify to you these things in
the churches. I am the Root and the
Offspring of David, the bright and
the morning Star. The Spirit and
the Bride say, Come ; and let him that
heareth say, Come; and let him that
is thirsty come ; and whosoever will,
let him take the water of life freely.
Yea, come, Lord Jesus, Amen, xxi.
3,4,25; xxii. 16, 17,20.

791. A Memorandum. After this
work was finished, the Lord called
together his twelve disciples, who fol
lowed Him in the world ; and the next
day He sent them all out into the
whole spiritual world, to preach the
Gospel, . that the Lord God Jesus
Christ reigns, whose reign will be
for ages of ages, according to the
prediction by Daniel, vii. 13, 14; and
in Rev. xi. 15 : and that they are
blessed who come to the wedding-supper
of the Lamb, xix. 9. This was done
on the 19th day of June, in the year
1770. This was meant by these words
of the Lord : He will send his angels,
and they shall gather together his elect
from one end of the heavens even to the,
other, Matt. xxiv. 31.

SUPPLEMENT.

CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.

The spiritual world has been treated
of in a particular work concerning
Heaven and Hell, in which many
things of that world are described ; and
because every man, after death comes
into that world, the state of men there
is also described. Who does not
know, or may not know, that man lives
after death ; both because he is born a
man, created an image of God, and
because the Lord teaches it in his
Word ? But what life he is to live, has
been hitherto unknown. It has been
believed, that then he would be a soul,
of which they entertained no other
idea than as of ether or air, thus that
it is breath or spirit, such as man
breathes out of his mouth when he
dies, in which , nevertheless, his vitality
resides ; but that it is without sight
such as is of the eye, without hearing
such as is of the ear, and without
speech such as is of the mouth ; when
yet man after death is equally a man,
and such a man, that he does not
know but that he is still in the former
world. He walks, runs and sits, as in
the former world ; he lies down, sleeps
and wakes up, as in the former world ;
he eats and drinks, as in the former
world ; he enjoys conjugial delight, as
in the former world ; in a word, he is
a man as to all and every particular.
Whence it is manifest, that death is
not an extinction, but a continuation
of life, and that it is only a transition.
793. That man is equally a man
after death, although he does not then
appear to the eyes ofthe material body,
may be evident from the angels seen
by Abraham, Hagar, Gideon, Daniel,
and some of the prophets ; from the
angels seen in the Lord's sepulchre,
and afterwards many times by John,
concerning whom in the Revelation ;

and especially from the Lord him
self, who showed that he was a man
by the touch and by eating ; and
yet he became invisible to their eyes.
Who can be so delirious as not to ac
knowledge, that, although He was in
visible, He was still equally a Man ?
The reason why they saw Him, was,
because then the eyes of their spirit
were opened ; and when these are
opened, the things which are in the
spiritual world appear as clearly as
those which are in the natural world.
The difference between a man in the
natural world and a man in the spirit
ual world is, that the latter is clothed
with a substantial body, but the former
with a material body, in which inward
ly is his substantial body ; and a sub
stantial man sees a substantial man as
clearly as a material man sees a ma
terial man ; but a substantial man
cannot see a material man, nor a ma
terial man a substantial man, on ac
count of the difference between ma
terial and substantial, which is such as
may be described, but not in a few'
words. 794. From the things seen for so
many years I can relate the following :
That there are lands in the spiritual
world as well as in the natural world,
and that there are also plains and val
leys, and mountains and hills, and like
wise fountains and rivers; that there
are paradises, gardens, groves and
woods; that there are cities, and in
them palaces and houses; and also
that there are writings and books,
that there are employments and trad
ings ; and that there are gold, silver
and precious stones; in a word, that
there are all things whatsoever, that art,
in the natural world ; but those in heav
en are immensely more perfect. But

Concerning Luther.

525

the difference is, that all things that
are seen in the spiritual world, are
created in a moment by the Lord, as
houses, paradises, food and other things ;
and that they are created for corre
spondence with the interiors of the
angels and spirits, which are their
affections and thoughts thence ; but
that all things that are seen in the
natural world exist and grow from
seed. 795. Since it is so, and I have
daily spoken there with' the nations
and people of this world, thus not only
with those who are in Europe, but also
with those who are in Asia and in
Africa, thus with those who are of
various religions, I shall add, as a con
clusion to this work, a short description
of the state of some of them. It is to
be observed, that the state of every
nation and people in general, as well
as of each individual in particular, in
the spiritual world, is according to the
acknowledgment of God and the
worship of Him ; and that all who in
heart acknowledge a God, and after
this time, those who acknowledge the
Lord Jesus Christ to be God, the Re
deemer and Savior, are in heaven ;
and that those who do not acknowledge
Him, are under heaven, and are there
instructed ; and that those who receive,
are raised up into heaven, and that
those who do not receive, are cast down
into helL Among these also those
come, who, like the Soeinians, ap
proached only God the Father; and
who, like the Arians, denied the divinity
of the Lord's Human ; for the Lord
said, I am the Way, the Truth, and
the Life ; no one cometh to the
Father, except through Me ; and
to Philip, who wished to see the Father,
that he that seeth and knoweth
Me, seeth and knoweth the Fa
ther, John xiv. 6, &c

796. Concerning Luther, Me-
lanchthon and Calvin, in the Spir
itual World.
With these three leaders, who were
the reformers of the Christian church,
I have often conversed, and have

thence been instructed what was the
state of their life, from the beginning
even to this day. With respect to
Luther, from the first time, when he
came into the spiritual world, he was
a most strenuous asserter and defender
of his dogmas ; and his zeal for them
increased, as the multitude increased,
that approved and favored, from the
earth. A house was given to him
there, such as he had had in the life
of the body at Eisleben, and there, in
the middle, he erected a seat, a little
elevated, on which he sat, and through
an open door he admitted hearers, and
disposed them in ranks. He put those
in the seat nearest to him who were
most favorable to his dogmas, and be
hind them he placed those who were
less favorable ; and then he spoke
right on ; and, occasionally, permitted
questions to be asked, so that, when
he had finished what he had to say, he
might begin again from some new
topic. From this general favor he at
length acquired the power of persua
sion, which, in the spiritual world, is of
such efficacy, that no one is able to
resist it, or to speak against what is
said. But, because this was a species
of the incantation in use among the
ancients, he was seriously forbidden to
speak from that persuasion any more ;
and afterwards he taught, as before,
from the memory and the understand
ing. Such persuasion, which is a
species of incantation, springs from the
love of self, from which, at length, it
becomes such, that when any one con
tradicts, it not only attacks the thing
in question, but also the person him
self. This was the state of his life
until the last judgment, which took
place in the spiritual world in the year
1757. The year after, he was trans
ferred from his first house to another,
and then, at the same time, into another
state ; and because he heard that I,
who am in the natural world, spoke
with those who are in the spiritual
world, he, among several others, came
to me ; and after some questions and
answers, he perceived, that there is at
this day an end of the former church,
and the beginning of the new one,

526

Concerning Melanchthon.

concerning which Daniel prophesied,
and which the Lord himself foretold in
the evangelists; and that this New
Church is meant by the New Jerusalem
in the Revelation, and by the everlast
ing gospel, which the angel flying in
the midst of heaven preached to those
who dwell upon the earth, xiv. 6.
Then he became very indignant and
stormed ; but as he perceived that the
New Heaven, which was made and is
being made by those who acknowledge
the Lord alone for the God of heaven
and earth, according to His words,
Matt, xxviii. 18 ; and as he observed
the congregations assembled before
him to be daily decreasing, his storming
ceased ; and then he came nearer to
me, and began to speak more familiarly
with me. And after he was convinced,
that he had taken his principal dogma
concerning justification by faith alone,
not from the Word, but from his own
intelligence, he suffered himself to be
instructed concerning the Lord, con
cerning charity, concerning true faith,
concerning free agency, and further
concerning redemption ; and this solely
from the Word. At length, after con
viction, he began to favor, and then to
confirm himself more and more in the
truths of which the New Church is
built up. At this time he was with
me daily ; and then, as often as he
recollected those truths, he began to
laugh at his former dogmas, as being
diametrically opposite to the Word.
And I heard him say, " Do not wonder
that I seized upon faith alone, as justi
fying, and excluded charity from its
spiritual essence, and also took away
from men all free agency in spiritual
things, besides many other things,
which depend on faith alone, when
once received, as hooks on a chain ;
since my end was, to be torn away
from the Roman Catholics, which end
I could not otherwise reach and ob
tain. Wherefore, I do not wonder that
I erred, but I do wonder that one de
lirious man should be able to make so
many delirious (and at his side, he
looked upon some dogmatical writers,
celebrated in their time, faithful fol
lowers of his doctrine), that they did

not see the oppositions in the Sacred
Scripture, when yet they are very
manifest." It was said to me, by the ex
ploring angels, that that champion was
in a state of conversion before many
others, who had confirmed themselves
in justification by faith alone, since, in
his childhood, before he began to make
a reformation, he was imbued with the
doctrine of the preeminence of charity ;
for which reason also, both in his
writings and preaching, he taught so
excellently concerning charity ; whence
it came to pass, that the faith of justi
fication, with him, was implanted in his
external natural man, but not rooted in
his internal spiritual man. But the
case is otherwise with those, who, in
their childhood, confirm themselves
against the spirituality of charity ; which
also is done of itself, when justification
by faith alone is established by con
firmations. I have spoken with the
prince of Saxony, with whom Luther
had been in the world., He told me
that he often reproved him ; particularly,
because he separated charity from
faith, and declared this and not that to
be saving ; when yet the Sacred Scrip
ture not only joins together those two
universal means of salvation, but also
Paul prefers charity to faith, in saying,
That there are three things, faith, hope
and charity, and that the greatest of
these is charity, 1 Cor xiii. 1 3 ; but
that Luther as often replied, that he
could not do otherwise, on account of
the Roman Catholics. This prince is
among the happy.
797. With respect to Melanchthon,
it has been given me to know many
things concerning his condition, what it
was when he first came into the spiritual
world, and what it was afterwards, not
only from the angels, but also from
himself; for I have spoken with him
several times, but not so often and so
intimately as with Luther. The reason
that I have not spoken so often and so
intimately, was, because he could not
approach me so well, since he applied
his attention only to justification by
faith alone, but not to charity ; and 1
was surrounded by angelic spirits, who
are in charity, and ili'„-y prevented his

Concerning Melanchthon.

527

coming to me. I heard, that as soon
as he entered the spiritual world, a
house was prepared for him, similar to
the house in which he lived in the
world. This also is the case with most
of the new comers ; whence they do
not know but that they are still in the
natural world, and that the time elapsed
since death has been only as a sleep.
In his chamber, also, there were many
similar things, a similar table, a similar
desk with drawers, and also a similar
library. Wherefore, as soon as he
came thither, as if he had just awaked
from sleep, he seated himself at the
table, and continued to write, and then
concerning justification by faith alone,
and so for several days ; and nothing at
all concerning charity. This being
perceived by the angels, he was asked
by messengers, why he did not write
also concerning charity. He replied,
that there was nothing of the church
in charity, for if that should be received
as an essential attribute of the church,
man would also claim to himself the
merit of justification and thence of
salvation, and thus also faith would
be deprived of its spiritual essence.
When the angels who were over his
head perceived this, and the angels who
were associated with him, when he was
out of his house, heard it, they with
drew ; for angels are associated with
every new comer, in the beginning.
Some weeks after this, the things which
were of use to him in his chamber,
began to be obscured, and finally to
vanish away ; and at length, to such a
degree, that nothing remained there ex
cept the table, paper and ink ; and, more
over, his chamber, as to its walls, ap
peared to be plastered with lime, and
the floor to be covered over with a yel
low material like brick, and he himself
to be in a coarser garment. When he
wondered at this, and asked those around
him why it was, he received answer, —
" Because he had removed charity from
the church, which yet is the heart of
it." But because he so often contra
dicted and continued to write concern
ing faith, as the only essential of the
church, and means of salvation, and to
remove charity more and more, sud

denly he seemed to himself under
ground, in a certain work-house, where
similar ones were, and when he wished
to go out thence, he was retained ; and
it was told him that no other lot awaits
those who have turned charity and
good works out of the doors of the
church. But since he was one of the
reformers of the church, at the com
mand of the Lord he was taken out
thence, and sent back to his former
chamber, where were only a table, pa
per and ink ; but still, from the ideas
confirmed' in him, he soiled the paper
with the like error ; wherefore, he could
not be kept from being alternately let
down to his captive companions, and
alternately released ; and when he was
released, he appeared clad in a hairy
garment, because faith without charity
is cold. He told me himself, that there
was another chamber adjoining his, on
the back side of the house, in which
there were three tables, at which three
similar to him sat, who also had cast
out charity into exile ; and that some
times a fourth table also appeared there,
upon which monstrous things, in various
forms, were seen, by which, however,
they were not deterred. He said that
he conversed with them, and was by
them daily more and more confirmed.
But after some time, being struck with
fear, he began to write something con
cerning charity ; but what he wrote on
the paper one day, he did not see the
next ; for this is the case with every
one there, when he puts any thing upon
paper from the external man only, and
not at the same time from the internal,
thus from compulsion and not from
freedom, it is obliterated of itself. But
after the new heaven began to be
established by the Lord, from the light
from this heaven he began to think,
that perhaps he might be in error;
wherefore, from anxiety on account o,
his condition, he felt some interior
ideas impressed on him concerning
charity, in which state he consulted
the Word ; and then his eyes were
opened, and he saw that the whole of
it was full of love to God and love
towards the neighbor ; thus that it
was, as the Lord says, that on those

528

Concerning Calvin.

two commandments hang the law and
the prophets, that is, the whole Word.
From this time he was transferred in
teriorly into the south, towards the west,
and thus into another house, from
which he spoke with me, saying, that
now his writing concerning charity did
not vanish as before, but that the next
day it appeared obscurely. This I
wondered at, that when he walks, his
steps are heard, like those who go with
iron shoes on a stone pavement. To
which it is to be added, that when any
new comers from the world enter his
chamber, for the sake of seeing him
and speaking with him, he would call
one of the magical spirits, who were
able to induce various beautiful appear
ances, who then adorned his chamber
with decorations and tapestry embroi
dered with roses, and also, as it were,
with a library in the middle : but as
soon as they departed, those appear
ances vanished, and the former plaster
ing of lime and emptiness returned ;
but this when he was in his former
state. 798. Concerning Calvin, I have
heard the following things : I. That
when he first came into the spiritual
world, he believed no otherwise than
that he was still in the world where he
was born ; and although he heard from
the angels, who were associated with
him at his first entrance, that he was
now in tjieir world, and not in his for
mer world, he said, "I have the same
body, the same hands and the like
senses." But the angels instructed him
that he was now in a substantial body,
and that before he was not only in the
same, but also in a material body,
which invested the substantial ; and
that the material body had been cast
off, while the substantial remained,
from which man is man. This at first
he understood ; but the next day he re
turned into his former faith, that he
was still in the world, where he was
born : the reason was, because he was
a sensual man, believing nothing but
what he derived from the objects of the
senses of the body. Thence it was,
that he concluded all the dogmas of his
faith from his own intelligence, and not

from the Word. Whenever he quoted
the Word, he did it for the sake of the
common people, that they might favor
him with their assent. II. That after
this first period, having left the angels,
he wandered about and inquired where
those were, who, in ancient times, be
lieved in Predestination ; and it was
said to him, that they were removed
from hence, and shut up and concealed ;
and that there was no way open to
them, except on the back side, under
ground ; but that the disciples of Godos-
chalchus still go about freely, and
sometimes are gathered together in a
place, which, in spiritual language, is
called Pyris. And because he desired
their company, he was conducted to
the assembly, where some of them
were standing ; and when he came
among them, he was in the delight of
his heart, and contracted an interior
friendship with them. III. But after
the followers of Godoschalchus were
led away to their brethren in the cav
ern, he became weary ; wherefore he
sought here and there for an asylum,
and at length was received into a cer
tain society, where were merely simple
ones, and among them also religious
ones : and when he observed that they
did not know, nor were able to com
prehend anything about predestination,
he betook himself to one corner of
the society, and there lay concealed
for a considerable time ; neither did
he open his mouth concerning any
thing of the church : this was provided,
that he might recede from his error
concerning predestination, and that the
companies of those, who, after the synod
of Dort, adhered to that destestable
heresy, might be filled up, who all were
successively sent into the cavern to
their companions. IV. At last, when
it was asked by the modern predesti-
narians, where Calvin was, and, on
searching for him, he was found in the
extreme confines of a certain society,
which consisted of simple ones, he
was then called forth thence, and
led to a certain governor, who had
swallowed similar dregs. He therefore
received him into his house, and kept
him, and this until the new heaven be-

Concerning Calvin.

529

gan to be instituted by the Lord ; and
then, because the governor, his keeper,
was cast out, together with all his com
pany, Calvin betook himself to a cer
tain house occupied by harlots, and
there remained for some time. V. And
because he then enjoyed the liberty of
wandering about, and also of coming
nearer to the lodgings where I was, it was
given me to speak with him ; and first
concerning the new heaven, which at
this day is being formed of those who
acknowledge the Lord alone for the
God of heaven and earth, according to
his words in Matt, xxviii. 18 ; and that
these believe that He and the Father
are one, John x. 30 ; and that He is
in the Father and the Father in Him ;
and that he that seeth and knoweth
Him, seeth and knoweth the Father,
xiv. 6 to 11 ; and that thus there is one
God in the church, as in heaven. On
hearing these things said by me, he
was at first silent, as usual ; but after a
half an hour, he broke silence, and said,
" Was not Christ a man, the son of
Mary, who was married to Joseph ?
How can a man be adored as God ?"
And I said, " Is not Jesus Christ, our
Redeemer and Savior, God and Man?"
To which he replied, " He is God and
Man ; but still divinity is not his, but
the Father's." And I asked, " Where,
then, is Christ ?" He said, " He is in
the lowest parts of heaven ; " which he
confirmed, by his humiliation before
the Father, and by his suffering Him
self to be crucified. To these he add
ed jests against the worship of Him,
which then rushed into his memory
from the world, which in the sum were,
that the worship of Him was nothing
else than idolatry ; and he wished to
add abominable things concerning that
worship, but the angels who were with
me closed his lips. But I, from the
zeal of converting him, said that the
Lord our Savior is not only God and
Man, but also that in Him, God is Man
and Man God ; and this I confirmed
from Paul, that in Him dwelleth all
the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
Colos. ii. 9 ; and from John, that He
is the true God and eternal Life, 1
Epist. v. 20, 21 ; and also from these
67

words of the Lord himself: That it is
the will of the Father, that every one
that believeth in the Son should have
eternal life ; and that he that believeth
not shall not see life, but the anger qf
God abideth on him, John iii. 36 ; vi.
40 ; and moreover, that the confession
of faith, which is called the Athanasian,
dictates that in Christ, God and Man
are not two, but one ; and that they are
in one person, like the soul and body
in man. On hearing these things, he
replied, " What are all these things,
which you have brought forward from
the Word, but empty sounds? Is not
the Word the book of all heresies ?
And thus it is like a vane upon the top
of houses and ships, which is carried
about hither and thither according to
the wind. It is Predestination
alone which establishes all things of
religion : this is the habitation of all
things of religion, and the tabernacle
of the congregation ; and the faith, by
which justification and salvation are
effected, is the sacred recess and sanc
tuary there. Has any man free agency
in spiritual things ? Are not all things
of salvation gratuitous ? Wherefore,
the arguments against these things,
and thus against predestination, I hear
and perceive no otherwise, than as eruc
tations from the stomach, and as bori-
bogmos; and because it is so, I have
thought with myself, that a temple,
where they teach about any thing else,
and from the Word, and the congrega
tion then assembled, is like a mena
gerie, in which sheep and wolves are
put together, but the wolves are muz
zled by the laws of civil justice, lest
they should fall upon the sheep (by the
sheep I mean the predestinate) and
that the preachings there are then only
as sobbings from the breast. But I
will give my confession, which is this ;
There is a God, and He is omnipotent ;
and there is no salvation for any others
than those who are elected and predes
tinated by God the Father, and every
one else is doomed to his lot, that is, to
his fate." On hearing these words, in
great heat I rejoined, " You talk
impiously ; begone, you evil spirit.
Do you not know, because you are in

530

Concerning the Dutch.

the spiritual world, that 'there is a heav
en and that there is a hell, and that
predestination involves that some were
assigned to heaven, and some to hell?
Can you thus form to yourself any
other idea of God, than as of a tyrant,
who admits his clients into the city,
and casts out the rest into a place of ex
ecution ? Wherefore, be ashamed of
yourself." Afterwards I read to him
what is written in the dogmatical book
of the Evangelical, called Formula
Concordia, concerning the errone
ous doctrine of the Calvinists, con
cerning the Worship of the Lord, and
concerning Predestination. Concern
ing the Worship of the Lord, these
things : That it is damnable idolatry,
if the trust and faith of the heart be
placed in Christ, not only as to his
divine, but also as to his human nature,
and the honor of adoration be directed
to both. And concerning Predesti
nation, these : That Christ did not die
for all men, but only for the elect.
That God created the greatest part of
men for eternal, damnation, and is un
willing that the greatest part should be
converted and live. That the elect and
regenerate cannot lose faith and the
Holy Spirit, although they should com
mit great crimes and sins of every kind.
But that those who are not elected are
necessarily damned, and cannot attain to
salvation, although they should be bap
tized a thousand times, and come to the
eucharist every day, and besides lead
as holy and blameless lives as ever can
be done, p. 837, 838, of the Leipsic
edition, published in the year 1756.
After reading the above, I asked him
whether the things which are written
in that book were from his doctrine or
not ; and he replied, that they were ;
but that he did not remember whether
those very words flowed from his pen,
although they did from his mouth. On
hearing this, all the servants of the
Lord retired from him ; and he hastily
betook himself to the way leading to a
3ave, where those were who had con
firmed in themselves the execrable dog
ma of. predestination. Afterwards, I
spoke with some of those who were
imprisoned in that cave, and asked

about their condition. And they said
that they were forced to labor for
victuals, and that they all were ene
mies one to another ; and that every
one sought a cause of doing evil to
another ; and that they also did evil,
whenever they found any slight cause,
and that this was the delight of their
life. Besides, see what is written con
cerning Predestination, and the Pre-
destinarians, above, n. 485 to 488.
799. I have conversed with many
others, as well the followers of those
three as with heretics ; and it was
given me to conclude concerning them
all, that as many of them as had lived
a life of charity, and especially those
who loved truth, because it is truth, in
the spiritual world suffer themselves to
be instructed, and receive the doctri
nals of the New Church ; but, on the
other hand, those who have confirmed
themselves in the falses of religion,
and also those who have lived a bad
life, do not suffer themselves to be in
structed ; and that these remove them
selves by degrees from the new heaven,
and join themselves together with their
like, who are in hell, where they con
firm themselves more and more against
the worship of the Lord, and are so
obstinate against it, that they cannot
bear to hear the name of Jesus. But
the case is opposite in heaven, where
all unanimously acknowledge the Lord
for the God of heaven.

800. Concerning the Dutch in
the Spiritual World,
In the work concerning Heaven
and Hell, it is related that Christians,
with whom the Word is read, and
there is a knowledge and acknowledg
ment of the Lord the Redeemer and
Savior, are in the middle of the na
tions and people of the whole spiritual
world ; because the greatest spiritual
light is with them, and the light is prop
agated thence, as from a centre, in all
directions, even to the farthest circum
ference, according to what was shown
in the chapter concerning the Sacred
Scripture, above, n. 267 to 272. In
this middle, occupied by Christians, the

Concerning the Hutch.

531

Reformed have places allotted to them,
according to their reception of spiritual
light from the Lord ; and because the
Dutch possess that light more deeply
and fully inserted in their natural light,
and are thence more receptible than
others of such things as are of reason,
therefore they have obtained habita
tions in that middle occupied by Chris
tians, in the east and south ; in the
east, from the faculty of receiving
spiritual heat, and in the south, from
the faculty of receiving spiritual light.
That the quarters in the spiritual world
are not like the quarters in the natural
world, and that habitations according
to quarters are habitations according to
the reception of faith and love, and
that those are in the east, who excel iii
love, and those in the south, who excel
in intelligence, may be seen in the
work concerning Heaven and Hell,
n. 141 to 153.
801. The reason why the Dutch are
in those quarters of the middle space
occupied by Christians, is also because
trading is their final love, and money is
a mediate subservient love, and that
love is spiritual ; but when money
is the final love, and trading is the
mediate subservient love, as it is with
the Jews, that love is natural and is
derived from avarice. That the love
of trading, when it is the final love, is
spiritual, is from its use, in that it is con
ducive to the general good, with which
the particular good of the individual
indeed coheres, and this appears before
that, because the man thinks from his
natural man. But still, when trading
is the end, it is also that love, and every
one is regarded in heaven according to
his final love ; for the final love is as
the ruler of a kingdom, or as the mas
ter of a house, and the other loves are
as its subjects and servants ; and also
the final love resides in the highest and
inmost regions of the mind, and the
mediate loves are below and out of it,
and they serve it at its nod. The
Dutch are before others in this spiritual
love; but the Jews are in an inverted
love, wherefore their love of trading is
merely natural, in which there is noth

ing latent from the general good, but
only from the particular.
802. The Dutch are fixed in the
principles of their religion more firmly
than others, neither are they moved
away from them; and if they are con
vinced, that this or that is not accord
ing to the truth, still they do not affirm,
but turn themselves back and remain
unmoved : thus also they remove them
selves from the interior intuition of truth,
for they keep their rational under obe
dience. Since they are such, therefore,
after death, when they come into the
spiritual world, they are prepared in a
peculiar manner for receiving the
spiritual things of heaven, which are
divine truths. They are not taught,
because they do not receive, but heav
en is described to them, what it is, and
then it is given them to ascend thither
and see it ; and then whatever agrees
with their genius is infused into them :
thus, being sent down, they return to
their own with a full desire of heaven.
If they do not then receive this truth,
that God is one in person and essence,
and that the Lord, the Redeemer and
Savior, is that God, and that the
Divine Trinity is in Him ; and also
this truth, that faith and charity, in
knowledge and discourse, do not effect.
any thing, without the life of them, and
that they are given by the Lord, when,
after examination, men perform actual
repentance — if they turn themselves
away from those truths, when they are
taught, and still think of God, that
there are three as to persons, and of
religion, only that it is, they are re
duced to a state of wretchedness, and
their trade is taken away from them,
until they see themselves reduced to ex
tremities; and then they are brought
to those, who, because they are in di
vine truths, abound in all things, and
with whom trade flourishes ; and there
the thought is insinuated into then-
from heaven, .whence it is that they arc
so, and at the same time a reflection
upon their faith and upon their life,
that they shun evils as sins ; they als<;
inquire a little, and perceive an agree
ment with their own tnought and ro-

532

Concerning the Dutch.

flection, and this is done by turns. At
length, they think of themselves, that,
in order to get out of their state of
wretchedness, they must believe in like
manner, and live in like manner ; and
then, as they receive that faith, and
live that life of charity, there is given
to them opulence and happiness of
life. In this manner those, who, in the
world, led any life of charity, are amend
ed by themselves, and prepared for
heaven. These afterwards become
more constant than others, so that they
may be called constancies ; nor do they
suffer themselves to be led away by
any reasoning, fallacy, obscurity in
duced by sophistry, or by preposterous
vision from confirmations alone ; for they
become more clear-sighted than be
fore. 803. The doctors who instruct in
their schools study very zealously the
mysteries ofthe present faith, especially
those who are called Cocceians ; and
because the dogma of predestination in
evitably results from those mysteries,
and this too was established by the
synod of Dort, it also is inseminated and
implanted, as seed taken from the fruit
of any tree is planted in a field.
Thence it is, that the laity talk much
among themselves about predestina
tion, but in different ways : some em
brace it with both hands, some only
take it with one hand and laugh at it,
and some cast it away as a snake ; for
they are ignorant of the mysteries of
faith, from which that viper was hatch
ed. The reason that they are ignorant
of these mysteries is because they are
intent on their business, and the mys
teries of that faith indeed touch their
understanding, but do not penetrate
into it ; wherefore, die dogma of pre
destination, with the laity, and also with
the clergy, is like an image in the hu
man form, placed upon a rock in the
sea, with a great shell in its hand,
which shines from gold ; at the sight of
ivhich some captains, as they sail by,
let down the sail of the mast, for the
ak<-' of honoring and venerating it ;
?onie :nly wink at it with their eyes,
met sal -te it ; ana &ome hiss at it, as

something ridiculous. It is also like
an unknown bird from India placed
upon a high tower, which some affirm
to be a turtle, some conjecture to be a
cock, and some with an oath exclaim,
Certainly it is an owl.
804. The Dutch are easily distin
guished from others, in the spiritual
world, because they appear in garments
like those which they wore in the nat
ural world, with the distinction, that
those appear in finer ones, who have
received faith and spiritual life. The
reason why they are clothed in the like
garments, is, because they remain
constantly in the principles of their
religion ; and all in the spiritual world
are clothed according to them ; where
fore, those there who are in divine
truths have white garments and of
fine linen.
805. The cities in which the- Dutch
live are guarded in a singular manner:
all the streets in them are covered with
roofs, and there are gates in the streets,
so that they may not be seen from the
rocks and hills round about : this is
done on account of their inherent pru
dence in concealing their designs, and
not divulging their intentions ; for
such things, in the spiritual world, are
drawn forth by inspection. When any
one comes for the purpose of exploring
their state, and is about to go out, he
is led to the gates of the streets, which
are shut, and thus is led back and led
to others, and this even to the highest
degree of vexation, and then he is let
out : this is done that he may not return.
Wives, who affect dominion over their
husbands, live at one side of the city,
and do not meet their husbands, except
when they are invited, which is done
in a civil manner; and then they also
lead them to houses, where consorts
live without exercising dominion over
each other, and show them how clean
and elegant their houses are, and what
enjoyment of life they have, and that
they have these things from mutual
and conjugal love. Those wives who
attend to these things, and are affected
by them, cease to exercise dominion,
and live together with their husbands ;

Concerning the English.

533

and then they have a habitation as
signed to them nearer to the middle,
and are called angels : the reason is, '
because truly conjugal love is heavenly
love, which is without dominion.

806. Concerning the English in
the Spiritual World.
There are two states of thought
with man, external and internal :
man in the external is in the nat
ural world, in the internal he is in
the spiritual world. These states
make one with the good, but not one
with the evil. What man is, as to his
internal, seldom appears in the world,
since from infancy he has learned to
be moral and rational, and loves to
appear so; but in the spiritual world
it clearly appears what he is, for then
man is a spirit, and the spirit is the
internal man. Now, because it has
been given me to be in that world, and
there to see what is the quality of the
internal men from one kingdom and
from another, I ought, because it is
important, to make it manifest.
807. With respect to the English
nation, the best of them are in the
centre of all Christians, because they
have interior intellectual light : this
does not appear to any one in the
natural world, but it appears conspic
uously in the spiritual world : this light
they derive from the liberty of speaking
and writing, and thereby of thinking :
with others, who are not in such liberty,
that light, not having any outlet, is
obstructed. That light, indeed, is not
active of itself, but it is made active by
others, especially by men of reputation
and authority : as soon as any thing is
said by them, that light shines forth.
For this reason they have moderators
appointed over them, in the spiritual
world, and priests are given to them of
high reputation and eminent talents,
in whose opinions, from this their nat
ural disposition, they acquiesce.
808. There is a similitude of minds
among them, in consequence of which
they contract a familiarity with friends,
who are from their nation, and seldom
with others- they also render mutual

assistance ; and they love sincerity.
They are lovers of their country, and
zealous for its glory ; and they regard
foreigners, as one looking through a
telescope, from the top of his palace,
regards those who dwell or wander
about out of the city. The political
affairs of their kingdom occupy their
minds and possess their hearts, some
times to such a degree as to withdraw
their spirits from studies of sublimer
judgment, by which superior intelli
gence is acquired : these studies, in
deed, are zealously prosecuted by those
among the young, who attend to such
things in the public seminaries ; but
they pass away like phenomena. But
still, by those political affairs, their ra
tionality is made lively, and sparkles
with light, of which they form beautiful
images ; as a crystal prism, turned
towards the sun, forms rainbows, and
tinges a plane object with brilliant
colors. 809. There are two great cities, like
London, into which most of the English
come after death : it has been given
me to see the former city, and also to
walk over it. The middle of that city
is where the merchants meet in Lon
don, which is called the Exchange :
there the moderators dwell. Above
that middle is the east, below it is the
west, on the right side is the south, on
the left side is the north. In the
eastern quarter those dwell who have
preeminently led a life of charity : there
are magnificent palaces. In the south
ern quarter the wise dwell, with
whom there are many splendid things.
In the northern quarter those dwell
who have preeminently loved the lib
erty of speaking and writing. In
the western quarter those dwell who
boast of justification by faith alone.
On the right there, in this quarter, is
the entrance into this city, and also a
way out of it : those who live ill are
sent out there. The ministers who
are in the west, and teach that faith
alone, dare not enter the city throuo-h
the great streets, but through narrow
alleys, since no other inhabitants are
tolerated in the city itself, than those
who are in the faith of charity. I have

534

Concerning the Germans.

heard them complaining ofthe preach
ers from the west, that they compose
their sermons with such art and elo
quence, and introduce into them the
strange doctrine of justification by faith,
that they do not know whether good
ought to be done or not. They preach
faith as intrinsic good, and separate
this from the good of charity, which
they call meritorious, and thus not
acceptable to God. But when those
who dwell in the eastern and southern
quarters ofthe city hear such sermons,
they go out of the temples ; and the
preachers afterwards are deprived of
the priestly office.
810. I heard afterwards several
reasons why those preachers are de
prived of the priestly office. They
said that the principal one was, that
they do not make their sermons from
the Word, and thus from the Spirit of
God, but from their rational light, and
thus from their own spirit. They take
texts, indeed, from the Word, as pre
ludes ; but these they only touch with
their lips, and leave them as things
not savory, and then choose something
savory from their own intelligence,
which they roll in the mouth, and turn
upon the tongue, as rich dainties, and
thus teach. They said, that thence
there was no more spirituality in their
harangues than there is in the songs
of nightingales; and that their alle
gorical ornaments were like false hair
beautifully trimmed and whitened with
barley flour, upon a bald head. The
mystical things of their sermons, con
cerning justification by faith alone,
they compared to the quails from the
sea cast upon the camp of the sons of
Israel, of which several thousands of
the people died, Num. xi. ; but theolo
gical doctrine concerning charity and
faith together, they compared to the
manna from heaven. Once I heard
their ministers conversing together
about faith alone, and I saw a certain
image formed by them, which repre
sented their faith alone : this appeared
in their light, which was that of fan
tasy, like a great giant : but when the
light from heaven was let in, it appear
ed above like a monster, and below

like a serpent ; on seeing which, they
retreated, and it was thrown by the by
standers into a pond.
811. The other great city, also called
London, is not in the middle of the
Christian region, but at a distance from
it, to the north : into that those come,
after death, who are inwardly evil.
In the middle of it, there is an open
communication with hell, by which
also they are occasionally swallowed up.
812. From those who are from Eng
land, in the spiritual world, it has
been perceived that they have a two
fold theology, one from the doctrine of
their faith, and the other from the
doctrine of charity. That from the
doctrine of faith is held by those who
are initiated into the priesthood, and
that from the doctrine of charity, by
many of the laity, especially those who
reside in Scotland and in its confines.
With these the Solifidians are afraid
to enter the lists, since they fight both
from the Word and from reason. This
doctrine of charity is held forth in the
exhortation, read in the temples every
sabbath day, to those who attend the
sacrament of the supper ; in which it
is openly said, that if they are not in
charity, and do not shun evils as sins,
they cast themselves into eternal dam
nation ; and that otherwise, if they
come to the holy communion, the devil
will enter into them, as he entered into
Judas.

813. Concerning the Germans in
the Spiritual World.
It is known that the inhabitants
of every kingdom divided into several
provinces, are not of a like genius ;
and that they differ from each other,
particularly, as the inhabitants of the
several climates of the globe differ,
generally ; but that still a common
genius reigns among those who are
under one king, and thence under one
statute law. With respect to Germany,
it is divided into more governments
than the kingdoms around it. There
is an empire there, under the general
authority of which they all are ; but
still the prince of each government

Concerning the Germans.

535

enjoys despotic right, in his particular
government ; for there are there great
er and smaller dukedoms, and each
duke is as a monarch in his own duke
dom. And, moreover, religion there is
divided ; in some dukedoms they are
evangelical, so called ; in some they
are reformed; and in some they are
papists. Since there is such a diversity
of governments, and also of religions,
it is more difficult to describe the Ger
mans, as to their minds, inclinations
and lives, from things seen in the
spiritual world, than the nations and
people elsewhere ; but because a com
mon genius reigns every where among
people ofthe same language, that, from
ideas collected together, may in some
degree be seen and described.
814. Since the Germans are under a
despotic government, in each particu
lar dukedom, therefore they are not in
the liberty of speaking and writing, as
the Dutch and Britons are ; and wben
the liberty of speaking and writing is
restrained, the liberty of thinking, that
is, of viewing things in their amplitude,
is also at the same time held under
restraint. For it is as the cistern of a
fountain encompassed around, from
which the water therein is elevated even
to the orifice of the stream, whence the
stream itself no longer jets; thought is
like the stream, and speech thence is
like the cistern. In a word, influx
adapts itself to efflux ; and so does the
understanding from ahove to the degree
of the liberty of speaking and acting
out the thoughts. Wherefore, that no
ble nation attends little to the things of
judgment, but to the things of memory ;
which is the reason why they are de
voted particularly to literary history,
and in their books trust to the men of
reputation and authority among them,
and quote the opinions of these in
abundance, and subscribe to some one.
This their state is represented in the
spiritual world by a man who carries
books under his arms ; and when any
one contends about any matter of judg
ment, he says, " I will give you an
answer;" and immediately he takes out
some book under his arm, and reads.
815. From this their state proceed

many consequences, and among them
this ; that they keep the spiritual things
of the church inscribed on the memo
ry, and seldom elevate them into the
higher understanding, but only let
them into the lower understanding,
from which they reason concerning
them : thus they do altogether differ
ently from free nations : these, as to the
spiritual things of the church, which
are called theological, are like eagles
which raise themselves up to whatever
height they please ; but the nations
which are not free are like swans in
a river. And free nations are also
like the larger stags with high horns,
which run through plains, groves and
woods with full license ; but nations
which are not free are like stags kept
in parks, that they may be for the use
of the prince. Further, people oi
freedom are like flying horses, called
by the ancients Pegasuses, which fly
not only over seas, but also over hills
which are called Parnassian, and like
wise over the seats of the muses be
neath them ; but people who are not
made free, are like horses of noblp
breed beautifully caparisoned in the
stables of kings. Similar to these are
the differences of judgments in the
mystical things of theology. The
clergy there, when they are pupils,
write down maxims from the mouth of
the teachers in the public seminaries,
and keep them as tokens of their eru
dition ; and when they are inaugurated
into the priestly office, or are appointed
lecturers in the public schools, they
derive their canonical discourses, the
latter from the chair, and the former
from the pulpit, as much as possible
from the maxims of which we have
just now spoken. Their priests who do
not teach from orthodoxy, generally
preach the Holy Spirit and his wonder
ful operations and excitations of holiness
in the heart ; but those who teach from
the modern orthodoxy concerning faith,
appear to the angels as if they were
distinguished with a wreath formed of
leaves of the beech-tree ; but those
who, from the Word, teach concerning
charity and its works, appear as if they
were adorned with a wreath formed ol

536

Concerning the Papists.

the odoriferous leaves of the laurel.
The evangelical there, in their con
tentions with the reformed about
truths, appear as if they tore their
clothes, because clothes signify truths.
816. I asked where the people of
Hamburg are found in the spiritual
world ; and it was said, that they no
where appear collected into one society,
and still less into any one state, but
that they are dispersed and intermixed
with the Germans, in various quarters ;
and wheu the reason was asked, it was
said to be this, that their minds are con
tinually looking abroad, and, as it were,
travelling out. of their city, and very
little within it ; for as the state of a
man's mind is, in the natural world, such
is its state in the spiritual world ; for
the mind of man is his spirit, or the
posthumous man that lives after his
departure out of the material body.

817. Concerning the Papists in
the Spiritual World.
The papists, in the spiritual world.
appear around and beneath the Prot
estants, and they are distinguished by
bounds, which they are forbidden to
pass : but still the monks, by clandes
tine arts, procure for themselves a com
munication, and also send out emissaries
through unknown paths, that they may
seduce ; but they are searched out, and
after they have been punished, they are
either sent back to their companions,
or cast down.
818. Since the last judgment, whicli
took place in the spiritual world, in the
year 1757, the state of all, and thus
also of them, is so changed, that it is
not lawful for thein to gather themselves
together into companies as before ; but
for every love, both good and evil, there
are appointed ways, which those who
come from the world, immediately
enter, and go to the societies corre
sponding to their loves : thus the evil are
conveyed to societies which are in hell,
and the good to societies which are in
heaven : thus precaution is taken, that
they may not form to themselves artifi
cial heavens as before. Such societies,
in the world of spirits, which is in the
middle between heaven and hell, are

manifold, for there are as many as there
are different kinds and sorts of the
affections of the love of good and evil ;
and iii the mean time, before they are
either elevated into heaven or cast
down into hell, they are in spiritual
conjunction with men of the world,
because that they, also, are in the middle
between heaven and helh
819. The papists have a certain
council-house, in the southern quarter,
towards the east, in which their pre
lates meet together and consult about
the various matters of their religion,
especially how the common people may
be kept in blind obedience, and how
their own dominion may be extended ;
but no one is admitted into it, who, in
the world, had been a pope, because
something like divine authority is fixed
in his mind, in consequence of his hav
ing arrogated to himself the power o*
the Lord in the world. Neither is any
cardinal permitted to enter into that
council-house, and this on account of
supereminence : these, however, collect
themselves together in a large conclave
under them, and after staying there
some days, they are removed, but ii
was not given me to know whither.
There is also another place of meeting
in the southern quarter, towards the
west : the business there is to let the
credulous common people into heaven.
There they form around themselves
several societies, which are in various
external delights : in some there are
dances, in some concerts of music, in
some processions, in some theatres
and theatrical exhibitions ; in some
there are those, who, by fantasies, in
duce various species of magnificence ; in
some they only tell fortunes and crack
jokes; in some they hold friendly con
versation together, in one place about
religious affairs, in another about civil
affairs, and in another about wanton
sports, &.C. Into some one of these
societies they introduce the credulous,
according to the peculiar pleasure of
each one, calling it heaven ; but after
they have been there one or two days,
they all grow weary and depart, because
those delights are external and not in
ternal : thus also many are led away

Concerning the Papists.

531

from the frivolous things of faith con
cerning the power of introducing into
heaven. As it respects their worship,
in particular, it is almost like their
worship in the world : it consists in
like manner in masses, which are not
said in the common language of spirits,
but composed of high-sounding words,
inspiring external sanctity and trem
bling, which they do not at all under
stand. 820. All who come into the spiritual
world from the earth, are kept in the
confession of faith and in the religion
of their country, in the beginning ; thus
also are the papists ; wherefore, they
always have some representative pope
set over them, whom also they adore in
a similar manner as in the world. Sel
dom any pope in the world, after his
departure thence, is set over them ; but
still he who discharged the office of
pope thirty or forty years ago, was
appointed over them, because he had
cherished in his heart the idea that the
Word was more holy than it is believed
to be, and that the Lord was to be
worshipped. It was given me to speak
with him ; and he said, that he adored
the Lord alope, because He is God,
who has all power in heaven and in
earth, according to his words, Matt.
xxviii. 18 ; and that invocations of the
saints are mockeries ; and also that in
the world he intended to restore that
church, but that he could not, for rea
sons which he mentioned. I saw him,
when that great northern city, in which
the papists and the reformed were
together, was destroyed, in the day of
the last judgment, carried out in a
litter and conveyed to a place of safety.
At the sides of the great society, in
which he acts as pope, there are schools
established, to which those go who are
in doubt or difficulty respecting religion ;
and there there are converted monks,
who teach them concerning God the
Savior Christ, and also concerning the
holiness of the Word ; and the monks
leave it to their option to turn away
their minds from the sanctifications
introducsd into the Roman Catholic
church. Those who receive are intro
duced into a large society, where those
68

are who have receded from the wor
ship of the pope and saints; and when
they come into it, they are like those
who have been awaked out of a deep
sleep ; and like those who come from
the dreariness of winter to the pleasant
ness of spring ; and like one sailing,
when he touches the port; and then
they are invited by those who are there
to feasts, and noble wine is given them
to drink out of crystal cups. And I
heard that the angels from heaven send
down to the host a plate, upon which
there is manna, in like form, and ot
like taste, as that sent down upon the
camp of the sons of Israel in the
desert; which plate is carried around
to the guests, and to every one is given
the liberty of tasting it.
821. All those of the Roman Catho
lic religion, who, when they find them
selves to be alive after death, and in
the former world had thought more
about God than about the pope, and
had done works of charity from a simple
heart, after they have been instructed
that the Lord himself, the Savior ofthe
world, reigns here, are easily led away
from the superstitious things of that
religion. To these the transition from
popery to Christianity is as easy as it is
to enter into a temple through open
doors ; and as it is to pass by the sen
tinels in the courts into the palace,
when the king commands ; and as it is
to lift up the countenance and look
up to heaven, when voices are heard
thence. But, on the other hand, it is
as difficult to withdraw those from the
superstitious things of that religion,
who, in the course of their life in the
world, seldom if ever thought about
God, and loved that worship only on
account of its festivities, as it is to
enter into a temple, when the doors
are shut ; and as it is to pass by the
sentinels in the courts into the palace,
when the king forbids ; and as it is for
a snake in the grass to lift up its eyes
to heaven. It is wonderful, that none
of those who come from the Roman
Catholic religion into the spiritual
world, see heaven there, where the
angels are : there is, as it were, a dark
cloud over them, which terminates

538

Concerning the Popish Saints.

their vision ; but as soon as any con
verted one comes to those who are
converted, heaven is opened, and some
times they see angels there in white
garments, to whom also they are ele
vated, after having completed the time
of preparation.

822. Concerning the Popish
Saints in the Spiritual World.
It is known that man has innate
or hereditary evil from parents, but it
is Known to few in what that dwells,
in its fulness : it dwells in the love of
possessing the goods of all others, and
in the love of ruling ; for this latter
love is such, that as far as the reins are
given to it, so far it bursts forth, until
it burns with the desire of ruling over
all, and at length wishes to be invoked
and worshipped as a god. This love is
the serpent, which deceived Eve and
Adam; for it said to the woman, God
doth know in the day that ye eat of the
fruit of that tree, your eyes will be
opened, and then ye will be as God,
Gen. iii. 4, 5. As far, therefore, as
man, without restraint, rushes into this
love, so far he averts himself from God,
and turns to himself, and becomes a
worshipper of himself; and then he
can invoke God with a warm mouth
from the love of self, but with a cold
heart from contempt of God. And
then also the divine things of the
church may serve for means ; but be
cause the end is dominion, the means
are regarded no more than as they are
subservient to it. Such a person, if he
is exalted to the highest honors, is, in
his own imagination, like Atlas bearing
the terraqueous globe upon his shoul
ders ; and like Phcebus with his horses
carrying the sun around the world.
823. Since man hereditarily is such,
therefore all, who, by papal bulls, have
been made saints, in the spiritual world
are removed from the eyes of others
and concealed, and all intercourse with
their worshippers is taken away from
them : the reason is, lest that most
pernicious root of evil should be excited
in them, and they should be brought
into such fantastic deliriums as there

are with demons. Into such deliriums
those come, who, while they live in the
world, zealously aspire to be made
saints after death, that they may be
invoked. 824. Many of the Roman Catholic
persuasion, especially the monks, when
they come into the spiritual world,
inquire for the saints, particularly the
saint of their order; but they do not find
them, at which they wonder ; but after
wards they are instructed that they are
mixed together, either with those who
are in heaven or with those who are
in the earth below ; and that, in either
case, they know nothing of the worship
and invocation of themselves, and that
those who do know and wish to be in
voked, fall into deliriums and talk
foolishly. The worship of saints is
such an abomination in heaven, that,
if they only hear it, they are filled with
horror ; since, as far as worship is as
cribed to any man, so far it is with
held from the Lord ; for thus He
alone is not worshipped, and if the
Lord alone is not worshipped, a dis
crimination is made, which destroys
communion and the happiness of life
flowing from it. That I might know
what the Roman Catholic saints are,
in order that I might make it known,
as many as a hundred were brought
forth from the earth below, who knew
of their canonization. They ascended
behind my back, and only a few before
my face, and I spoke with one of them,
who they said was Xavier. He, while
he talked with me, was like a fool ; yet
he could tell, that in his place, where
he was shut up with others, he was not
a fool, but that he becomes a fool as
often as he thinks that he is a saint,
and wishes to be invoked. A like
murmur I heard from those who were
behind my back. It is otherwise with
the saints so called in heaven : these
know nothing at all of what is done on
earth ; nor is it given them to speak
with any of the Roman Catholic per
suasion, who are in that superstition,
'est any idea of that thing should enter
into them.
825. From this their state, every one
may conclude, that invocations of them

Concerning the Mahometans.

539

are only mockeries; and, moreover, I
can assert, that they do not hear their
invocations on earth any more than
their images do at the sides of the
streets, nor any more than the walls of
the temple, nor any more than the
birds that build their nests in towers.
It is said, by their servants on earth,
that the saints reign in heaven together
with the Lord Jesus Christ ; but this
is a figment and a falsehood, for they
no more reign with the Lord, than an
hostler with a king, a porter with a
grandee, or a footman with a primate ;
for John the Baptist said concerning
the Lord, that he was not worthy to
unloose the latchet of His shoe, Mark
i. 7 ; John i. 27 : what then are those
who are such ?
826. There appears sometimes to
the people of Paris, who are in the
spiritual world, in a society, a certain
woman of a common stature, in shining
raiment, and of a face as it were holy,
and she says that she is Genevieve ;
but when any begin to adore her, then
her face is immediately changed, and
also her raiment, and she becomes like
an ordinary woman, and reproves them
for wishing to adore a woman, who
among her companions is in no higher
estimation than as a maid servant,
wondering that the men of the world
should be captivated by such trifles.
827. To the above I shall add this,
which is most worthy of attention.
Once, Mary the Mother of the
Lord passed by, and was seen over
head in white raiment; and then, stop
ping a while, she said, that she was the
mother of the Lord, and that He was
indeed born of her; but that He, being
made God, put off all the human from
her, and that, therefore, she now adores
Him as her God ; and that she is un
willing that any one should acknowl
edge Him for her son, since in Him all
is Divine.

828. Concerning the Mahometans
in the Spiritual World.
The Mahometans, in the spir
itual world, appear behind the papists
in the west, and make, as it were, a

circle. The reason that they appear
next after the Christians is, because
they acknowledge our Lord as the
greatest Prophet, the wisest of all, whc
was sent into the world to teach men :
and also as the Son of God. Every
one in that world dwells at a distance
from the middle, where the Christians
are, according to his confession of the
Lord and of one God ; for that conjoins
minds to heaven, and makes the dis
tance from the east, over which the
Lord is.
829. Since religion resides in the
highest things with man, and from the
highest his lower things derive life and
light, and because Mahomet is always
in their minds in connection with re
ligion, therefore, some Mahomet is
always placed in their view ; and that
they may turn their faces towards the
east, over which the Lord is, therefore
he is placed beneath the middle, occu
pied by Christians. It is not Mahomet
himself, who wrote the Koran, but
another, who fills his place : nor is it
always the same ; but he is changed.
Once, it was one from Saxony, who,
being taken by the Algerines, became
a Mahometan. He, because he had
also been a Christian, was led several
times to speak with them of the Lord,
that He was not the Son of Joseph, but
the Son of God himself. That Ma
homet was afterwards succeeded by
others. In the place where that rep
resentative Mahomet has his scat,
there appears a fire, as of a little torch,
that he may be known ; but that fire is
conspicuous only to Mahometans.
830. Mahomet himself, who wrote
the Koran, does not at this day come
into view. It was told me, that at first
he presided over them ; but because he
wished to rule over all things of their
religion, as a god, he was cast out of
his seat, which he had under the pa
pists, and sent down to the right side
near the south. Once, a certain society
of Mahometans was instigated, by ma
licious persons, to acknowledge Ma
homet as a god ; and, in order to ap
pease the sedition, Mahomet was raised
up from the earth below and shown ;
and then he was seen by me also. He

540

Concerning the Mahometans.

appeared similar to corporeal spirits,
who have no interior perception, his
face verging towards black ; and I
heard him speak these words, " I am
your Mahomet;" and presently he
seemed to sink down.
831. The Mahometans are hostile
to the Christians, principally on ac
countof the faith of three divine persons,
and thence the worship of three Gods,
as so many Creators ; and to the Ro
man Catholics, moreover, on account
of their bending the knee before images ;
and thence they call the latter idolaters,
and the former fanatics, saying that
they make a three-headed God, and
that they say one, and mutter three ;
consequently, that they divide omnipo
tence, and out of one and of one make
three ; and that thus they are like
Fauns with three horns, one for each
God, and at the same time three for
one God ; and that thus they pray,
thus they sing, and thus they preach
from the pulpit.
832. Mahometans, like all the nations
who acknowledge one God, and love
what is just, and do good from religion,
have their own heaven, but out of the
Christian. But the Mahometan heaven
is distinguished into two : in the lower
one, they live honestly with several
wives, but no others are elevated thence
into the upper heaven, than those who
give up their concubines and acknowl
edge the Lord our Savior, and, at the
same time, his dominion over heaven
and hell. I have heard that it is im
possible for them to think that God the
Father and our Lord are one, but that
it is possible for them to believe that
He rules over the heavens and the
hells, because He is the Son of God
the Father. This faith with them is
that by which an ascent into the upper
heaven is given to them by the Lord.
833. That the Mahometan religion
has been received by more nations
than the Christian religion, may be an
offence to those who think concerning
the Divine Providence, and at the
same time believe that none can be
saved, except those who are born
Christians ; but the Mahometan religion
is not an offence to those who believe

that all things are of the Divine Provi
dence : these inquire, in what it is,
and they also find. It is in this, that
the Mahometan religion acknowledges
the Lord for the greatest Prophet, the
wisest of all, and also for the Son of
God ; but because they have made only
the Koran the book of their religion,
and thence Mahomet, who wrote it, is
fixed in their thoughts, and they offer
to him some worship, therefore they
think but little concerning our Lord
That it may be fully known, that that
religion was raised up by the Divine
Providence of the Lord, to destroy the
idolatries of many nations, it shall be
told in some order ; but first concern
ing the origin of idolatries. Before
that religion, idolatrous worship was
spread abroad into' very many king
doms of the world : the reason was,
because the churches, before the coming
of the Lord, were all representative
churches; such also was the Israelitish
church ; there the tabernacle, the gar
ments of Aaron, the sacrifices, all
things of the temple at Jerusalem, and
also the statutes, represented ; arid
among the ancients, the r-cience of cor
respondences, which also is the science
of representations, was the very science
of sciences, and was particularly culti
vated by the Egyptians ; hence their
hieroglyphics. From that science they
knew, what animals of every kind sig
nified, and also what was signified by
trees of every kind, as also what by
mountains, hills, rivers, fountains, and
also what by the sun, moon and stars.
By that science they also had knowl
edge of spiritual things, since those
things which were represented, being
such as are of spiritual wisdom with
the angels in heaven, were the origins.
Now, because all their worship was
representative, consisting of mere cor
respondences, therefore they had wor
ship on mountains and hills, and also
in groves and gardens ; and therefore
they consecrated fountains, and also
made carved horses, oxen, calves,
lambs, yea, birds, fishes and serpents,
and placed them near the temples and
in their courts, and also at home, in
order according to the spiritual things

Concerning the Africans.

541

of the church, to which they corre
sponded, or which they represented and
thence signified. After a time, when
the science of correspondences was
obliterated, posterity began to worship
the carved images themselves, as in
themselves holy, not knowing that their
forefathers did not see any thing holy
in them, but only that they represented
holy things according to correspon
dences. Hence arose the idolatries
which had filled so many kingdoms of
the world. That those idolatries might
be extirpated, it was permitted, by the
Divine Providence of the Lord, that a
new religion, accommodated to the
genius of the Orientals, should be in
troduced, in which there should be
also something from both Testaments
of the Word, and which should teach
that the Lord came into the world, and
that He was the greatest Prophet, the
wisest of all, and the Son of God.
This was done by Mahomet, from
whom that religion derived its name.
Hence it is manifest, that this re
ligion was raised up of the Divine
Providence ofthe Lord, and accommo
dated, as was said, to the genius ofthe
Orientals, that it might destroy the
idolatries of so many nations, and give
some knowledge concerning the Lord,
before they should come, as they do after
death, into the spiritual world. This
religion would not have been received
by so many kingdoms, and could not
have extirpated the idolatries there,
unless it had been made suitable to the
ideas of their thoughts, especially unless
polygamy had been permitted ; because
the Orientals, without that permission,
would have burned with the filthy lusts'
of adultery, more than the Europeans,
and would have perished.
834. Once it was given me to per
ceive what is the heat of their poly
gamical love. I spoke with one who
filled the place of Mahomet, and that
vicar, after some discourse with him at
a distance, sent to me an ebony spoon,
and other things, which were indica
tions that they were from him. And
then, at the same time, there was opened
a communication, from various places,
for their polygamical love, which, from

some places, was felt like the heat in
baths after bathing ; from some, like
the heat in kitchens, where flesh is
being boiled ; from some, like the heat
in places where fetid esculents are
exposed for sale ; from some, like tha
in the cellars of apothecaries, where
emulsions and similar things are pre
pared ; from some, like the heat in stews
and brothels ; and from some, like that
in shops where skins, hides and shoes
are sold. There was also in that heat
something rancid, austere and burn
ing, from jealousy. But the heat in
the Christian heavens, where the de
light of their love is felt as an odor, is
fragrant as in gardens and vineyards,
and as in rose-beds; and in some places,
like the odor in shops where spices
are sold ; and in some, like that in wine
presses and wine-cellars. That the
delights of loves, in the spiritual world,
are frequently felt as odors, has been
shown every where in my Relations
after the chapters.

835: Concerning the Africans in
the Spiritual World ; and also
something concerning the Gen
tiles. The Gentiles, who have not known
any thing concerning the Lord, appear
in the spiritual world beyond those who
have ; so much so that the outermost
borders are made by no others than
those who are altogether idolaters, and
in the former world had worshipped the
sun and moon. But those who acknowl
edge one God, and make precepts, such
as those in the decalogue, precepts of
religion, and thence of life, more im
mediately communicate with Christians
in the middle ; for the communication
is not so intercepted bv Mahometans and
papists. The Gentiles also are dis
tinguished according to their genius
and capacities of receiving light through
the heavens from the Lord ; for some
of them are interior and some exterior,
which they derive partly from climate,
partly from parentage, partly from
education, and partly from religion
The Africans are more interior than
the rest.

542

Concerning the Africans.

836. All who acknowledge and wor
ship one God, the Creator of the uni
verse, entertain the idea of a man
respecting God : they say that no one
can have any other idea of God. When
they hear that many entertain an idea
concerning God as of ether or of a
cloud, they ask where they are ; and
when it is said that they are among
Christians, they deny that it is possible.
But it is answered, that they have such
an idea from this, that God, in the Word,
is called a spirit, and they think no other
wise of spirit, than as of the substance
of ether, or of some form of a cloud ;
not knowing that every spirit and every
angel is a man. But. still inquiry was
made whether their spiritual idea was
similar to their natural ; and it was
found that it was not similar with those
who interiorly acknowledge the Lord
the Savior for the God of heaven and
earth. I heard a certain presbyter say,
that no one can have an idea of Divine
Human ; and I saw him transferred to
the Gentiles, to those more and more
interior, and also to their heavens, and
at length to the Christian heaven ; and
every where there was given a com
munication of their interior perception
concerning God ; and he observed that
they had no other idea concerning God,
than that of a Divine Man ; and that
man, who is his image and likeness,
could not have been created by any
other. 837. Since the Africans are superior
to the rest in interior judgment, I have
had conversation with them, on subjects
of deeper investigation ; and lately con
cerning God ; concerning the Lord the
Redeemer; and concerning the interior
and exterior man ; and because they
were delighted with that conversation,
I shall here mention some things, which
they perceived from interior sight,
concerning those three subjects. Con
cerning God they said, That He
surely came down and presented
himself to the sight of men, because
He is their Creator, Guardian and
Guide, and because the human race is
his ; and that He sees, surveys and
provides each and all the things that
are in the heavens and in the earth,

and their goods as in Himself, and
Himself as in them : the reason is,
because He is the sun of the angelic
heaven, which is seen as high above
the spiritual world as the sun of the
earth is above the natural world ; and
He who is the sun, sees, surveys and
provides for each and all of the things
that are beneath ; and because it is his
divine love which appears as a sun, it
follows that He provides for the greatest
and the least such things as are of life,
and for men such things as are of love
and wisdom ; the things which are of
love by means of the heat thence, and
the things which are of wisdom by
means of the light thence. If, there
fore, you form to yourselves an idea
concerning God, that He is the sun ot
the universe, surely from that idea you
will see and acknowledge his omni
presence, omniscience and omnipo
tence. 838. Further, I had conversation
with them concerning the Lord
the Savior. And it was said that God,
in his essence, is Divine Love, and that
Divine Love is as the purest fire ; and
because love, viewed in itself, cannot
intend any thing else than to become
one with another whom it loves, and
the Divine Love nothing else than to
unite itself to man and man to itself,
so that it may be in him, and he in it;
and because the Divine Love is as the
purest fire, it is manifest that God, be
cause He is such, could not possibly
be in man, and cause man to be in Him,
for thus He would reduce the whole
man to the thinnest vapor. But be
cause God, from his essence, burned
with the love of uniting Himself with
man, it was necessary that He should
veil Himself over with a body accom
modated to reception and conjunction ;
wherefore He came down and assumed
the Human, according to the order
established by Himself from the crea
tion of the world ; which was, that He
should be conceived by a virtue propa
gated from Himself, be carried in the
womb, be born, and then grow in wis
dom and love, and thus approach to
union with his Divine Origin ; and that
thus God became Man, and Man God

Concerning the Africans.

543

That it is so, the Scripture concerning
Him, which is with Christians, and is
called the Word, manifestly teaches
and testifies ; and God himself, who, in
his Human, is called Jesus Christ, says,
That the Father is in Him and He in
the Father ; and that he that seeth Him
seeth the Father ; besides many more
things to the same purpose. Reason
also sees, that God, whose love is as the
purest fire, could not otherwise unite
Himself to man and man to Himself.
Can the fire of the sun, such as it is in
itself, touch man, still less enter into
him, unless it veil its rays with atmos
pheres, and thus, by a tempered heat,
present itself accommodated ? Can
pure ether encompass a man, and still
less flow into the bronchia of his lungs,
unless it be thickened with air, and
thus adapt itself? A fish cannot live
in the air, but in an element suited to
its life. Yea, a king on earth cannot,
in his own person, or immediately, ad
minister all and each of the things in
his kingdom, except by superior and
inferior governors, who together con
stitute his royal body. Nor can the
soul of a man make itself visible to
another, hold intercourse with him,
and communicate tokens of its love,
except through the body. How then
can God, except through the Human,
which is his ? On hearing these things,
the Africans perceived them better
than the rest, because they are more
interiorly rational, and each favored
them according to his perception.
839. Lastly, we discoursed concern
ing the Interior and Exterior Man.
And it was said, that men who per
ceive things interiorly, are in the light
of truth, which is the light of heaven ;
and that men who perceive things
exteriorly, are in no light of truth, be
cause only in the light of the world ;
and that thus interior men are in intelli
gence and wisdom, but exterior men
in insanity and preposterous vision ;
that interior men are spiritual, because
they think from the spirit elevated
above the body, wherefore they see
truths in the light ; but that exterior
men are sensual-natural, because they
think from the fallacies ofthe senses of

the body ; wherefore they see truths as
in a thick cloud, and when they revolve
them in their minds, they see falses as
truths ; that internal men are like
those who stand on a mountain in a
plain, or on a tower in a city, or on a
beacon in the sea; but external men
are like those who stand in a valley
under a mountain, or in a vault under
a tower, or in a boat under a beacon,
who see only the nearest things. And
further, internal men are like those who
dwell in the second or third story of a
house or palace, the walls of which
are continued windows of crystal glass,
who see through into the city round
about to a great extent, and know every
little building there ; but external men
are like those who dwell in the lowest
story, the windows of which are made
of paper pasted together, who do not
see even a single street out of the
house, but only the things that are
within the house, and these not with
out a candle or a fire. Internal men
also are like eagles which soar on high,
and see far and wide all things under
them ; but, on the other hand, external
men are like cocks, which stand on a
post, and crow aloud before the hens
which walk on the ground. And,
moreover, internal men perceive that
the things which they know are to the
things which they do not know, as the
water in an urn is to the water in a
lake; but external men do not perceive
but that they know all things. The
Africans were delighted with this dis
course, because, from the interior sight,
in which they excel, they acknowledged
that it was so.
840. Since the Africans are such,
therefore, there is at this day a revela
tion made to them, which, having com
menced, goes from its region around,
but not yet to the seas. They despise
foreigners coming from Europe, who
believe that man is saved by faith alone,
and thus by only thinking and speak
ing, and not at the same time by will
ing and doing ; saying that there is no
man that has any worship who does
not live according to his religion ; and
if not, he cannot but become stupid
and wicked, because then he does not

544

(Concerning the Jews.

receive any thing from heaven. They
also call ingenious wickedness stupidity,
because there is not any life in it, but
death. I have spoken several times
with Augustine, who, in the third age,
had been bishop at Hippo in Africa.
He said that he is there at this day,
and inspires into them the worship of
the Lord, and that there is hope of the
propagation of this new gospel into
the neighboring regions there. I heard
the joy of the angels at that revelation,
because by it there is opened to them
a communication with the rational
human, hitherto closed up by the uni
versal dogma, that the understanding
is to be under obedience to ecclesias
tical faith.

841. Concerning the Jews in
the Spiritual World.
The Jews, before the last judgment,
which took place in the year 1757,
appeared at the left side of the middle
occupied by Christians, in a valley
there : after that, they were transferred
to the north, and were forbidden to
have intercourse with Christians, ex
cept those wandering out of the cities.
There are in that quarter two great
cities, into which the Jews after death
are transferred, which, before the judg
ment, they called Jerusalem, but after
that, by another name ; because, since
the judgment, by Jerusalem is meant
the church, as to doctrine, in which
the Lord alone is worshipped. Con
verted Jews are set over them in their
cities, who admonish them no't to speak
reproachfully of Christ, and they pun
ish those who still do it. The streets
of their cities are filled up with dirt
even to the ankles, and their houses
with filthiness, which causes them to
smell so offensively that they cannot be
approached. Afterwards, I observed
that some of that nation also obtained
a place of abode in the southern quar
ter ; anil when I asked who they were,
it was said, that they were those who
made little account of the worship of
the rest, and hesitated in their minds
respecting the Messiah, whether he is
ever to come ; and also who thought

concerning various things in the world
from reason, and lived according to it
The Jews who are called Portuguese
constitute the greatest part of these.
842. There sometimes appears to
the Jews an angel above, of a middling
stature, with a rod in his hand, and he
makes them believe that he is Moses,
and exhorts them to desist from the
folly of expecting the Messiah even
there, because the Messiah is Christ,
who governs them and all, and that he
knows it, and also knew concerning
Him, when he was in the world ; on
hearing which they, retire, and the
greatest part of them forget, and a few
retain. Those who do retain, are sent
into the synagogues, which consist of
the converted, and they are instructed ;
and after they are instructed, new
garments are given to them instead ol
tattered ones ; and the Word, neatly
written, is given to them ; and also a
decent habitation in the city. Those
who do not receive are cast down, and
many into woods and deserts, where
they practise robberies among them
selves. 843. The Jews trade in that world,
as in the former world, with various
things, especially with precious stones,
which, by unknown ways, they procure
for themselves from heaven, where
there are precious stones in abundance.
The cause of their trading with pre
cious stones, is, because they read the
Word in its original language, and
esteem the sense of its letter holy ;
and precious stones correspond to the
sense of the letter. That the spiritual
origin of those stones is the sense of
the letter ofthe Word, and that thence
is their correspondence, may be seen
above, in the chapter concerning the
Sacred Scripture, n. 217, 218. They
can also make similar ones by art, and
induce the fantasy that they are genu
ine ; but these are severely fined by
their governors.
844. The Jews are more ignorant
than others that they arc in the spiritual
world, but believe that they are still in
the natural world : the reason is, be
cause they are altogether external men,
and do not think any thing concerning

Concluding Relation.

545

religion from within ; wherefore also
they talk about the Messiah just as they
did before ; and some say that he will
come with David, and, shining with dia
dems, will go before them, and introduce
them into the land of Canaan, and in
the way, by lifting up his rod, he will
dry up the rivers, which they will pass
over ; and that the Christians, whom,
among themselves, they also call Gen
tiles, will then take hold of the skirts
of their garments, humbly begging that
they may be permitted to accompany
them ; and that they will receive the
rich according to their wealth, and that
these will serve them. They confirm
themselves in these things, by what is
read in Zechariah viii. 23, and in
Isaiah lxvi. 29; and concerning David,
that he is to come and to be their king
and shepherd, from Jeremiah xxx. 9,
and from Ezekiel xxxiv. 23 to 25,
xxxvii. 23 to 26 ; being altogether un
willing to hear, that by David there, is
meant our Lord Jesus Christ ; and by
Jews there, are meant those who will
be of his church.
845. When they are asked whether
they firmly believe that they all are to
come into the land of Canaan, they say
that then all will, and that then the
Jews who are deceased are to rise
again, and that, from their sepulchres,
they are to enter into that land. When
it is replied, that they can never come
out of sepulchres, since they live them
selves after death, they answer, that
they are then to descend, and to
enter into their bodies, and thus to live.
When it is said, that that land cannot
contain them all, they answer, that
it will then be enlarged. When it is
said, that the kingdom of the Messiah,
because He is the Son of God, is not
to be upon earth, but in heaven, they
answer that the land of Canaan will
then be heaven. When it is said, that
they do not know where Bethlehem
Ephratah is, where the Messiah will be
born, according to the prediction in
Micah v. 2, and in David, Psalm cxxxii.
6, they answer that the mother of the
Messiah still is to bring forth there ;
and some, that where she brings forth,
there is Bethlehem. When it is said,
69

How can the Messiah dwell with those
who are so bad ? and it is confirmed
by many passages from Jeremiah, and
especially from the song of Moses,
Deut. xxxii. that they are the worst,
they answer that among the Jews there
are both good and bad, and that the
bad are there meant. When it is said,
that their rise was from a Canaanitess,
and from the whoredom of Judah with
his daughter-in-law, Geri. xxxviii. they
answer that it was not whoredom ; but
when it is rejoined, that still Judah
commanded that she should be brought
forth and burned on account of whore
dom, they go away to consult ; and
after consultation, they say, It was
only the office of her husband's brother,
which neither his second son Onan,
nor his third son Selah, performed ; and
to this they add, that very many ot
them are of the tribe of Levi, who had
the priesthood ; it is sufficient that we
all are from the loins of Abraham.
When it is said to them, that there is
inwardly in the Word a spiritual sense,
in which Christ or the Messiah is mueh
treated of, they answer that it is not so;
but. some of them say that inwardly in
the Word, or at the bottom of it, there
is nothing but gold ; besides other like
things. 
846. Once I was raised up, as to my
spirit, into the angelic heaven, and into a
society there ; and then some of the wise
there came to me, and said, " What,
is there new from the earth 1" 1
said to them, "This is-new, that the
Lord has revealed secrets, which, in ex
cellence, exceed the "ecrets hitherto
revealed since the beginning of the
church." They asked, " What are they?"
I said that they were these : I. That in
the Word, in all and every part of it,
there is a Spiritual Sense correspond
ing to the natural sense; and that the
Word, by means of that sense, is a con
junction ofthe men ofthe church with
the Lord, and also a consociation with
the angels, and that the holiness oi
the Word resides in that sense. II.
That the Correspondences of which
the spiritual sense consists, are dis
closed. And the angels asked, " Did

546

Concluding Relation.

not the inhabitants of the world know
about correspondences before ?" I
said that they did not know any thing
at all, and that they have been con
cealed now for thousands of years, that
is, ever since the time of Job ; and
that, with those who lived at that time
and before it, the science of correspond
ences was the science of sciences,
from which they had wisdom, because
knowledge concerning spiritual things,
which are of heaven and the church ;
but that that science, because it was
turned into an idolatrous science, was,
by the Divine Providence of the Lord,
so obliterated and lost, that no one saw
any sign of it; but that. still it is now
disclosed by the Lord, that there may
be effected a conjunction of the men
of the church with Him, and a conso
ciation with angels ; and these are
effected by means of the Word, in
which all and each of the things are
correspondences. The angels rejoiced
greatly that it had pleased the Lord to
reveal this great secret, which had
been so deeply hidden for thousands of
years ; and they said that it was done
in order that the Christian church,
which was founded upon the Word, and
now is at its end, may again revive and
derive spirit, through heaven, from the
Lord. They asked whether it was at
this day disclosed, by means of that
science, what Baptism and what the
Holy Supper signify, concerning
which they have hitherto thought such
various things. And I answered, that
it was. III.- Further, I said, that a
revelation has been made at this day
by the Lord concerning the Life of
men after death. The angels said,
' Why concerning the life after death?
Who does not know that man lives
after death ?" I answered, " They
know, and they do not know. They
say that the man does not, but his soul,
and that this lives as a spirit ; and they
entertain an idea concerning spirit as
of wind or ether ; and that the man
does not live till the day of the last
judgment, and that then the things of
the body, which they had left in the
world, although eaten up by worms,
mice and fishes, would be again col

lected together, and be fitted togethei
again into a body, and that men are
thus to rise again." The angels said,
" What is this ? Who does not know
that man lives as a man after death,
with the difference only that he then
lives a substantial man, and not a ma
terial one, as before ; and that a sub
stantial man sees a sub=tantial man,
just as a material man a material one ;
and that they know not one point of
difference, except that they are in a
more perfect state ?" IV. The angels
asked, " What do they know of our
world, and of Heaven and Hell ?" I
answered, that they knew nothing at
all ; but that it is, at this day, disclosed
by the Lord, what the world is, in which
angels and spirits live ; thus what heav
en is, and what hell is ; and also that
angels and spirits are in conjunction
with men; besides many wonderful
things concerning them. The angels
were glad that it had pleased the Lord
to disclose such things, that man might
no longer, through ignorance, be in
doubt concerning his immortality. V.
Again I said, that it is at this day re
vealed by the Lord, that in your world
there is another sun than in ours, and
that the sun of your world is pure love,
and that the sun of our world is pure
fire ; and that, therefore, all that pro
ceeds from your sun, because it is pure
love, partakes of life : and that all that
proceeds from our sun, because it is
pure fire, partakes nothing of life ; and
that thence is the distinction between
Spiritual and Natural, which dis
tinction, hitherto unknown, is also dis
closed ; from which it is made known
whence the light is, which enlightens
the human understanding with wisdom,
and whence the heat is, which enkin
dles the human will with love. VI.
Moreover, it is disclosed that there are
three degrees of life, and that thence
there are three heavens, and that the
mind of man is distinguished into those
degrees ; and that thence man corre
sponds to the three heavens. The
angels said, "Did they not know this
before?" I answered, that they knew
concerning degrees between more and
less, but nothing concerning degrees

Concluding Relation.

bl'e

Detween prior and posterior. VII.
The angels asked, whether any thing
more beside those had been revealed. I
said that there had, many things more,
which are concerning the Last Judg
ment ; concerning the Lord, that He
is the God of heaven and earth ; that
God is one both in person and essence,
in whom is a Divine Trinity, and that
He is the Lord ; also concerning the
New Church to be instituted by Him,
and concerning the Doctrine of that
church; concerning the Holiness of
the Sacred Scripture ; that the Apoca
lypse also is revealed ; and, moreover,
concerning the Inhabitants of the
Planets ; and concerning the Earths
in the universe ; besides many memo
rable and wonderful things from the
spiritual world, by which many things
that are of wisdom have been disclosed
from heaven.
847. After these things, I said to
the angels, that something more had
been revealed in the world by the
Lord. They asked what it was.
I said, concerning truly Conjugial
Love, and concerning its spiritual
delights. And the angels said, " Who
does not know that the delights of con
jugial love exceed the delights of all
loves? And who cannot think, that
all the blessedness, satisfactions and
delights which can ever be conferred
by the Lord, are collected into some
love, since it corresponds to the love
of the Lord and the church, and
that the receptacle of them is truly
conjugial love, which can receive and
perceive them to the full sense ?" I
answered, that they do not know this,
because they have not approached the
Lord, and, therefore, have not shunned
the lusts of the flesh, and so could not
be regenerated ; and truly conjugial
love is solely from the Lord, and is
given to those who are regenerated by
Him; and these also are they who are
received into the Lord's New Church,
which is meant in the Revelation by
the New Jerusalem. To this I added,
that I was in doubt whether the people
in the world at this day would believe
that that love is in itself spiritual, and
thence from religion, because they en

tertain only a corporeal idea concerning
it; consequently, that, because it is
according to religion, it is spiritual
with the spiritual, natural with the
natural, and merely carnal with adul
terers. 848. The angels, on hearing these
and the former things, rejoiced exceed
ingly ; but they perceived sadness in
me, and asked, " Whence is your sad
ness?" I said, that those secrets
revealed by the Lord, although they
exceed, in excellence and dignity, all
the knowledges hitherto communicated,
still are not reputed on earth as of any
value. The angels wondered at this,
and desired ofthe Lord that they might
be permitted to look down into the
world ; and they looked down, and
behold ! mere darkness there. And it
was said to them, that those secrets
should be written on a paper, and be sent
down to the earth, and they would see
a prodigy. And it was done so ; and
behold, the paper on which those se
crets were written, was sent down from
heaven, and in its progress, while it
was yet in the spiritual world, it shone
like a star ; but when it descended into
the natural world, the light disappeared,
and as it fell down, it became dark
And when it was sent down by the
angels into companies, where were the
learned and erudite from some of the
clergy and laity, a murmur was heard
from many, in which were these expres
sions : " What is this ? Is it any thing ?
Of what concern is it, whether we
know those things, or do not know
them? Are they not fetuses of the
brain 1" And it appeared as if some
took the paper and folded it, and rolled
and unrolled it with their fingers ; and
also as if some tore it to pieces, and
wished to trample it under their feet;
but they were restrained by the Lord
from that enormity. It was commanded
the angels to take it back, and preserve,
and keep it ; and because the angels
became sad, and thought how long
this would be, it was said, Even for a
time, and times, and half a time, Rev.
xii. 14.
849. After this, I heard a hostile
murmur from below, and at the same

548

Concluding Relation.

time these words, " Do Miracles, and
we will believe." And I replied,
"Are not those things miracles?"
And it was answered, " They are not."
And I asked, " What miracles, then ?"
And it was said, " Manifest and reveal
future events, and we will have faith."
But I answered, " Such things are not
given by the Lord, since, as far as man
knows the future, so far his reason and
understanding, with his prudence and
wisdom, sink into indolence, become
torpid, and decay." And again I asked,
"What other miracles shall I do?"
And they cried, " Do such as Moses
did in Egypt." And I replied, "Per
haps you would harden your hearts
against them, as Pharaoh and the
Egyptians did." And they answered
that they would not. And again
I said, "Assure me that you would not
dance around a golden calf and wor
ship it, as the posterity of Jacob did,
in the space of a month after they saw
the whole of mount Sinai burning, and
heard Jehovah himself speaking out of
the fire ; thus after a miracle which
was the greatest of all. {A golden calf,
in the spiritual sense, is the pleasure of
the flesh.) And it was answered from
below, " We will not be like the pos
terity of Jacob." But then I heard
this said to them from heaven, " If ye
believe not Moses and the prophets,
that is, the Word of the Lord, ye will
not believe from miracles, any more
than the posterity of Jacob did in the
desert, nor any more than they did,
when they saw with their eyes the
miracles done by the Lord himself,
when He was in the world."
850. After this, I saw some ascending
from below, whence those things were
heard, who, addressing me in a grave
tone, said, " Why did your Lord reveal
those secrets, which you have just
enumerated in a long series, to you
who are a layman, and not to some one
of the clergy?" To which I answered,
that this was according to the good
pleasure ofthe Lord, who prepared me
for this office from my earliest youth.
But yet I will ask you in return, "Why
did the Lord, when He was in the
world, choose fishermen for disciples,

and not some of the lawyers, scribes
priests or rabbies ? Discuss this among
yourselves, and conclude from judg
ment, and you will discover the reason."
On hearing these words, a murmur
was made, and after this, silence.
851. I foresee that many, who read
the Relations after the chapters, will
believe that they are inventions of the
imagination; but I assert in truth,
that they are not inventions, but were
truly seen and heard ; not seen and
heard in any state of the mind buried
in sleep, but in a state of full wake
fulness. For it has pleased the Lord
to manifest Himself to me, and to send
me to teach those things which will be
of his New Church, which is meant by
the New Jerusalem in the Revelation ;
for which end He has opened the in
teriors of my mind or spirit, by which
it has been given me to be in the
spiritual world with angels, and at the
same time in the natural world with
men, and this now for twenty-seven
years. Who in the Christian world
would have known any thing concern
ing Heaven and Hell, unless it had
pleased the Lord to open in some one
the sight of his spirit, and to show and
teach ? That such things as are de
scribed in the Relations, appear in
the heavens, is manifestly evident from
the like things, which were seen by
John, and described in the Revelation,
as also which were seen and described
in the Word of the Old Testament by
the Prophets. In the Revelation are
these : That he saw the Son of Man
in the midst ofthe seven candlesticks;
that he saw a tabernacle, a temple, an
ark and an altar in heaven ; a book
sealed with seven seals, the book open,
and thence horses going forth ; four
animals around the throne : twelve
thousand chosen out of each tribe ;
locusts ascending out of the abyss ; a
woman bringing forth a male child, and
fleeing into the desert on account of
the dragon ; two beasts, one ascending
out of the sea, the other out of the
earth ; an angel flying in the midst of
heaven, having the everlasting gospel ;
a sea of glass mixed with fire ; seven
angels having the seven last plagues •

Concluding Relation.

549

vials poured out by them, into the
earth, into the sea, into the rivers, into
the sun, into the throne of the beast,
into the Euphrates, and into the air ;
a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast ;
the dragon cast out into a lake of fire
and sulphur ; a white horse ; a great
supper ; a new heaven and a new
earth ; the holy Jerusalem coming
down out of heaven, described as to
the gates, the wall and its foundations ;
also a river of the water of life, and
trees of life bearing fruit every month ;
beside many more things ; all which
were seen by John, and seen while as
to his spirit he was in the spiritual
world, and in heaven. Beside the
things which were seen by the apostles
after the Lord's resurrection, as those
which were seen afterwards by Peter,
Acts xi. ; and also those seen and heard
by Paul. Moreover, those which were
seen by the Prophets i» the Old
Testament ; as by Ezekiel, that he
saw four animals which were cherubs,
Ezek. i. and x. ; also a new temple and
a new earth, and an angel measuring
them, xl. to xlviii. ; that he was carried
away to Jerusalem, and saw there
abominations ; and also into Chaldea ,
viii. xi. The case was similar with

Zechariah ; that he saw a man riding
among the myrtle trees, Zech. i. 8 ;
that he saw four horns, and afterwards
a man with a measuring line in his
hand, ii. ; that he saw a flying roll, and
an ephah, v. 1,6; that he saw four
chariots between two mountains, and
horses, vi. 1, &c. : and likewise with
Daniel ; that he saw four beasts
ascending out of the sea, Dan. vii. 1,
«fec. ; that he saw the Son of Man
coming with the clouds of heaven,
whose dominion will not pass away,
and whose kingdom will not perish,
vii. 13, 14; that he saw the battles
of the ram and the he-goat, viii. 1,
&c. ; that he saw the angel Gabriel,
and talked with him, ix. ; that Elisha's
boy saw chariots and • horses of fire
around Elisha, and that he saw them
when his eyes were opened, 2 Kings
vi. 17. From these and many other
things in the Word, it is evident that
the things which exist in the spiritual
world have appeared to many, before
and since the coming of the Lord
what wonder that they should also
now, when the church is commencing,
and the New Jerusalem coming down
out of heaven?

550

A THEOREM

PROPOSED BY A CERTAIN DUKE, AN ELECTOR IN GERMANY, WHO ALSO HAE
THE HIGHEST ECCLESIASTICAL DIGNITY.

Once in the spiritual world, I saw a certain duke, an elector in Germany,
who also had had the highest dignity in ecclesiastical affairs, and near him twc
bishops, and also two ministers ; and at a distance I heard what they said among
themselves. The electoral duke asked the four standing by him, whether they
knew what makes the head of religion in Christendom. The bishops answered,
"The head of religion in Chistendom is Faith alone justifying and saving."
He asked again, " Do you know what lies inwardly concealed in that faith ?
Open it, look into it, and tell." They answered, " That inwardly in it there
lies concealed nothing else but the Merit and Righteousness of the Lord
the Savior." To this the electoral duke said, " There is concealed in it, then,
the Lord the Savior in his Human, in which He is. called Jesus Christ; be
cause He alone, in his Human, was righteousness." To this they said, " This
certainly and inevitably follows." The electoral duke insisted, saying, " Open
that faith and look into it further, and search well, whether there be any thing
else therein." And the ministers said, " There is also concealed therein the
Grace of God the Father." To which the electoral duke said, " Conceive
and perceive rightly, and you will see, that there is the Grace of the Son with
the Father, for He asks and intercedes. Wherefore, I tell you, since you con
fess, venerate and kiss that faith alone of yours, you will by all means confess,
venerate and kiss the Lord the Savior alone in his Human ; for, as was said
above, He in his Human was and is Righteousness. That He, in this also, is
Jehovah and God, I saw in the Sacred Letters, from these passages : Behold
the days will come, when I shall raise up to David a righteous Branch, who
shall leign a King, and shall be prospered ; and this is the name which they
shall cell Him, Jehovah our Righteousness, Jer. xxxiii. 15, 16 : in Paul :
In Jesus Christ all the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily, Coloss. ii. 9 :
and in John : Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal Life, 1 John v. 20,
21. Wherefore, also, He is called the God of Faith, Phil. iii. 9 ''

651

INDEX OF THE RELATIONS.

i.
I heard some new comers conversing together about three divine persons from
eternity ; and then a certain one, who, in the world, had been a primate, opened the
ideas of his thought concerning that mystery, saying, That it had been and was still
his mind, that three in heaven sit upon high thrones ; God the Father upon a throne
of the finest gold, with a sceptre in his hand ; God the Son at his right hand, upon
a throne of the purest silver, with a crown upon his head ; and God the Holy Ghost
upon a throne of shining crystal, holding in his hand the dove, in which he appeared,
when Christ was baptized ; and that round about them, lamps, hanging in triple order,
glittered from precious stones ; and that at a distance, in the circus, stood innumera
ble angels adoring and glorifying. And, moreover, he spoke concerning the Holy
Ghost, how he introduces faith, purifies and justifies. He said that many of his order
favored his ideas ; believing that I also, because I was a layman, should have faith in
them. But then, leave of speaking being given to me, I said that, from my child
hood, I had cherished the idea that God is one ; wherefore I explained to him what
the trinity involves ; what a throne, sceptre and crown signify, when they, in the
Word, are predicated of God. To which I added, that all who believe that there are
three divine persons from eternity, cannot but believe that there are three Gods.
And, moreover, that the divine essence is not divisible, n. 16.
II.
A discourse of the angels concerning God, that his Divine is Divine Esse in itself,
and not from itself; and that it is One, the Same, Itself, and Indivisible ; also, that
God is not in place, but with those who are in place ; and that his Divine Love
appears to the angels as a sun, and that the heat thence in its essence is love,
and the light thence in its essence, wisdom, n. 25.
That the proceeding divine attributes, which are creation, redemption and re
generation, are of one God, and not of three, n. 26.
III.
Since I perceived that a vast multitude of men are in the persuasion, that all things
are of nature, and thence that nature is the creator of the universe, in a certain
gymnasium, where there were such, I spoke with a certain ingenious one respecting
these three things : 1. Whether nature be of life, or whether life le of nature. 2. Whether
the centre be of the expanse, or whether the expanse be ofthe centre. 3. Concerning the
centre and expanse of nature and of life'. And that the centre of nature is the sun
ofthe natural world, and the expanse of this, its world itself; and that the centre of
life is the sun of the spiritual world, and the expanse of this, its world itself; which
were canvassed on both sides, and finally it was shown which was true. n. 35.
IV.
That I was brought into a certain theatre of wisdom, where were assembled an
gelic spirits from the four quarters, upon whom it had been enjoined to canvass three
".tana : 1. What is the image of God, and what the likeness of God. 2. Why man
is not born into the science of any love, when yet beasts and h:*ds are born into the

552 Index of the Relations.
science of all their loves. 3. What the tree of life signifies, and the tree of the knowl
edge of good and evil. And, moreover, that they should join those three together
into one sentence, and refer this to the angels ; which being done, the sentence was
referred, and it was accepted by the angels, n. 48.
V.
That from evil spirits just above hell, there was heard, as it were, a noise of the
sea, which was a tumult that existed among them, because they heard above them,
that God Almighty had bound himself to order. And that some ascended thence and
spoke to me sharply concerning that subject, saying that God, because He is
almighty, is not bound to any order. And being questioned concerning order, I said, 1.
That God is order itself. 2. That He created man from order, in order, and to order.
3. That He created his rational mind according to the order of the spiritual world,
and his body according to the order of the natural world. 4. That thence it is a
law of order, that man from his little spiritual world, or microiiranus, should govern his
little natural world, or microcosm ; as God, from his macroiiranus, or the spiritual
world, governs his macrocosm, or the natural world. 5. That thence more laws of
order flow forth, some of which were added. What afterwards happened to those spirits
is described n. 71. VI.
Concerning the reasoning of some from Holland and Britain, in the spiritual world,
concerning Imputation and Predestination. On one side, why God, because He is
almighty, does not impute the righteousness of his Son to all, and thus make them
redeemed ; when yet, because He is almighty, He can make all the satans of hell
angels of heaven ; yea, if it be his good pleasure, He can make Lucifer, the dragon,
and all the goats, archangels ; and what need of but a single word for this ? On the
other side, that God is order itself, and that He can do nothing contrary to the laws
of his order, because this would be to do contrary to Himself; besides other things,
by which they sported among themselves concerning this subject, n. 72.
VII.
That afterwards I spoke with those who were in the faith of predestination, who
deduced it from the absolute power or omnipotence of God ; and that otherwise, the
power of God would be less than that of a king, a monarch in the world, who can
turn the laws of justice, as the palms of his hands, and act absolutely, as Octavius
Augustus, and also absolutely as Nero. To which it was replied, that God created
the world, and all and every thing of it, from Himself as order, and thus put order
into every thing ; and that the laws of his order are as many as the truths in the
Word : and then were mentioned some of the laws of order, and what ones were
on the part of God, and what on the part of man ; and that they cannot be changed,
because God is order itself; and that man was created an image of his order, n. 73
VIII.
That I spoke with persons assembled from the clergy and laity, concerning the
Divine Omnipotence ; who said, that omnipotence was unlimited, and that limited
omnipotence was a contradiction. To which it was replied, that it is not a contra
diction to act omnipotently according to the laws of justice with judgment ; it is said
also in David, that justice and judgment are the support of God's throne, Psalm
Ixxxix. 14 ; and that it is not a contradiction to act omnipotently according to the
laws of love from wisdom ; but that it is a contradiction, that God can act contrary to
the laws of justice and love, and that this would be from no judgment and wisdom ;
and that such a contradiction the faith of the present church involves, that God can
make the unjust just, and confer on the impious all the gifts of salvation, and the
i-ewards of life ; besides more concerning this faith, and concerning omnipotence, n. 74.

Index qf the Relations. 553
IX.
Once, when I was in meditation concerning the creation of the universe by God, I
was led away in spirit to some wise ones, who at first complained of the ideas enter
tained by them in the world, which were concerning the creation of the universe out
of chaos, and concerning creation out of nothing, because they obscure, pervert
and destroy meditation concerning the creation of the universe by God. Wherefore,
on being asked what my mind was, I delivered this : That it is vain to conclude any
thing but what is fantastical, concerning the creation of the universe, unless it be
known that there are two worlds, the spiritual and the natural ; and that in each there
is a sun ; and that the sun of the spiritual world is pure love, in the midst of which is
God, and that from it are all spiritual things, which in themselves are substantial ;
and that the sun of the natural world is pure fire, and that from it are all natural
things, which in themselves are material ; and that from these things being known,
it may be concluded concerning the creation ofthe universe, that it is fron God ; and
in what manner ; which also was briefly delineated, n. 76.
X.
That some satans of hell desired to speak with the angels of heaven, for the
purpose that they might convince them that all things are from nature, and that God
is only a word, unless nature be meant. And it was permitted that they should
ascend ; and then some angels descended from heaven into the world of spirits, that
they might hear them ; who being seen, the satans ran furiously up to them, saying,
" You are called angels, because you believe that there is a God, and that nature is
not any thing respectively ; and yet you believe those things, although it is contrary
to all the senses. Which sense of your five feels any thing else than nature?" After
these and many other bitter words, the angels recalled to their remembrance, that
they now lived after death, and that they did not before believe even this. And then
they made them see the beautiful and splendid things of heaven ; and they said that
these things were there, because all there believe in God. And afterwards they
made them see the ugly and filthy things of hell, saying that these things were there,
because all there believe in nature. The satans, from seeing those things, at first
were convinced that there is a God, and that He created nature ; but as they de
scended, the love of evil returned and closed up their understanding from above ;
which being closed up, they believed as before, that all things are of nature, and
nothing of God. n. 77. XI.
A type of the creation of the universe, to the life, was shown to me by the
angels. I was brought into heaven, and it was given to see there all things which
were ofthe animal kingdom, all which were ofthe vegetable kingdom, and all which
were of the mineral kingdom, which were altogether similar to the objects of those
three kingdoms in the natural world. And then they said, " All those things are
created in a moment by God, and they subsist as long as the angels are in a state
of love and faith as to thought; and that that instantaneous creation evidently testifies
the creation of similar things, yea, a similar creation in the natural world, with the
difference only, that natural things clothe spiritual, and that that clothing was provided
by God for the sake of the generations of one from another, by means of which creation
is perpetuated. Consequently, that the creation of the universe was effected in like
manner as it is every moment in heaven. But still, that all things in the three
kingdoms of nature, that are noxious and filthy, which are enumerated, were not
created by God, but arose together with hell." n. 78. .
XII.
A conversation with some, who in the world were celebrated for erudition, con
cerning the creation of the universe; who, speaking from the same ideas that they
before entertained, said — one, that nature created itself ; another, that nature col
lected its elements into vortexes, and that, from the collision of these, the earth was
formed ; and the third, that it was from chaos, which he equalled in magnitude to a
70

554 Index of the delations.
great part of the universe ; a. id that at first there burst forth thence the purest things,
of which the sun and stars were formed ; and that afterwards those less pure, of
vhich the atmospheres, and lastly the gross things, of which the terraqueous globe
consists. To the question, "Whence were human souls?" they said, that the ether
brought itself together into little discrete balls, and that these infuse themselves into
¦ hose who are about to be born, and make souls, and that after death they fly off to
the former host in the ether, and thence return into others, according to the metemp
sychosis of the ancients. After this, a certain priest, by solid reasons for the crea
tion of the universe by God, reduced all the things that were said to a flashy hodge
podge, and put them to shame, but still they retained their former deliriums, n. 79.
XIII.
With a certain satan, concerning God, concerning the angelic heaven, and con
cerning religion, who, because he knew no other than that he was still in the former
world, said that God is the universe, and that the angelic heaven is the atmospheri
cal firmament, and that religion is an amulet of the common people ; besides many
more foolish things. But when it was again brought to his remembrance, that now
he lived after death, and that before he did not believe that life, at that moment
he confessed that he was insane ; but as soon as he turned himself about, and went
back, he was insane, just as before, n. 80.
XIV.
That in the night, I saw an ignis fatuus falling down to the earth, which by many
is called a dragon. I observed the place where it fell. There was there sulphurous
earth mixed with iron dust ; and when, in the morning, I looked thither, I saw there
two tents, and then presently a spirit fell down from heaven, to whom I went and
asked why he fell down from heaven. He answered, that he was cast down by the
angels of Michael, because he said that God the Father and his Son are two, and not
one. And he said, that the whole angelic heaven believes that God the Father and
his Son are one, as the soul and body are one ; and that they confirm this by many
things from the Word ; and moreover from reason, that the soul of the son is only
from the father ; and that it is also thence in the body a likeness ofthe father. And
he added, that he indeed confessed in heaven, as before on earth, that God is one ; but
because the confession of the mouth and the thought of the mind disagreed in this,
they said that I did not believe in any God, because one dissipates the other. And he
said that this was the cause of his being cast down. The next day, returning to the
same place, I saw two statues of like dust, which was a mixture of sulphur and iron,
instead of the two tents, one of which represented the faith of the present church, and
the other its charity, both beautifully clothed ; but the garments were induced by fan
tasies. But because they were of that dust, in consequence of rain sent down from
heaven, they both began to boil and to blaze, n. 110.
XV.
That, in the spiritual world, it is not lawful for any one to speak otherwise than he
thinks ; if he does, that which is hypocritical is manifestly heard ; and that, therefore,
in hell no one can name Jesus, because Jesus signifies salvation. By this it was there
proved, how many in the Christian world, at this day, believe that Christ, also as to
his Human, is God. Wherefore, when many of the clergy and laity had assembled, it
was proposed to them, that they should say Divine Human ; but still scarcely any
could extract these two words together from the thought, and thus enunciate them.
It was confirmed before them, by many things from the Word, that the Lord, as to
the Human also, was God ; as by those which are in Matt, xxviii. 18 ; John i. 1, 2,
14 ; xvii. 2 ; Colos. ii. 9 ; 1 John v. 20 ; and also elsewhere : but still they could not
speak out Divine Human ; and, what they wondered at, that neither could the Evan
gelical, although their orthodoxy teaches, That, in Christ, God is Man and Man God :
and still more, that neither could the Monks, who yet most devoutly adore the body
of Christ in the eucharist. From these things it was found, that Christians, at this
day, as to the greater part, are interiorly either Arians or Socinians : and that these,
if they adore Christ as God, are hypocrites, n. 111.

Index of the Relations. 555
XVI.
An Altercation concerning the little treatise, "A Brief Exposition of the
Doctrine of the New Church," published by me at Amsterdam; and concerning
this there, especially, That not God the Father, but the Lord God the Redeemer, is lo
he addressed and adored ; arguing, that still it is said in the Lord's prayer, Our Father,
who art in the heavens, hallowed be thy name ,' thy kingdom come ; consequently that
God the Father is to be addressed. To settle which strife, I was sent for ; and then
I demonstrated, that God the Father cannot be addressed in his Divine, but in his
Human ; and because the Divine and the Human in Him are one Person, that the
Lord is that Father ; which also was confirmed from the Word ; as well from the
Word of the Old Testament, where the Son of God is called the Father of eternity,
and in many places Jehovah the Redeemer, Jehovah Righteousness, and the God of
Israel, as from the Word of the New Testament often ; and thus that when the Lord
God the Redeemer is addressed, the Father is addressed ; and that then his name is
hallowed, and his kingdom comes ; besides more. n. 1 12.
XVII.
That I saw an army upon red and black horses, all in it turned as to their faces to
the tails ofthe horses, and as to the hinder part of their heads to their heads, crying
for battle against those who were riding upon white horses ; and that that ludicrous
army issued forth from the place which is called Armageddon, Rev. xvi. 16 ; and
that it consisted of those, who in youth imbued the dogmas concerning justification
by faith alone, and who afterwards, when they were promoted to eminent offices,
rejected the things which are of faith and religion, from the internals of their mind
to the externals of their body, where, finally, they vanished. Described as they ap
peared in Armageddon ; and it was heard thence, that they wished to engage with the
angels of Michael, which also was given, but at some distance from hence ; and that
here it was disputed between them concerning the meaning of the words in the
Lord's prayer, Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be thy name ; thy kingdom
come. And then it was said by the angels of Michael, that the Lord, the Redeemer
and Savior, is Father to all in the heavens ; since He taught, that the Father and He
are one ; that the Father is in Him, and He in the Father ; and that he that seeth
Him seeth the Father ; that all things of the Father are in Him ; also, that it is the
will ofthe Father that they should believe in the Son, and that those who believe not
the Son shall not see life, but that the anger of God will abide on them ; also, that
He has all power in heaven and in earth ; and that He has power over all flesh ; and
moreover, that no one has seen, or can see, God the Father, but the Son alone, who
is in the bosom of the Father ; besides more. After this combat, the Armageddons
being convinced, some of them were cast into the abyss, mentioned Revelation ix.,
and some of them were sent forth into a desert, n. 113.
XVIII.
That I was in a temple, in which there were no windows, but a large aperture in
the roof, and that those assembled there conversed together about Redemption,
saying unanimously, that redemption was made by the passion of the cross. But
when they were in that conversation, a tyack cloud covered the aperture of the roof,
whence it became dark in the temple ; but that, a little afterwards, that cloud was
dispersed by angels, that descended from heaven, who then sent down one of their
number into the temple to instruct them about redemption. He said that the pas
sion ofthe cross was not redemption, but that redemption was the subjugation of the
hells, the establishment of order in the heavens, and thus the restitution of all things,
which were in disorder, both in the spiritual world and in the natural world ; and that
without it no flesh could have been saved. And concerning the passion of the cross,
he said, that by it was completed the inmost unition with the Father ; and that when
it is taken for redemption, many things unworthy of God, yea, abominable, follow as
consequences ; as that He passed sentence of condemnation upon the whole human
race, and that the Son took it upon Himself, and that thus He propitiated the Father, and

556 Index qf the Relations.
by intercession reduced Him to his divine essence, which is lov3 and wisdoc. ; be les
many more things, which it is scandalous to attribute to God. «. 134. ¦
XIX.
That the sun of the spiritual world was seen, in which Jehovah God is, in his Hu
man : and then this was heard from heaven, That God is One. But when this
glided down into the spiritual world, it was turned according to the forms of the
minds there, and at length into three Gods ; which also one there reasoning con
firmed by these things : That there is one who created all things, another who re
deemed all, and a third who operates all things ; also that there is one who im
putes, another who mediates, and a third who inscribes those things on man,
and thus puts in faith, by which he justifies him. But because the faith of three
Gods had perverted the whole Christian church, from the perception given, I dis
closed to them what, with the one God, is meant by Mediation, Intercession, Pro
pitiation and Expiation ; namely, that those four are attributes of the Human of Je
hovah God ; that because Jehovah God without the Human cannot approach man, nor
be approached by man, Mediation signifies that the Human is what is intermediate ;
that Intercession signifies that it mediates perpetually ; that Propitiation signifies that
there is free access for every man to God, and that Expiation signifies that there is
also for sinners ; and all these things through the Human, n. 135.
XX.
That I entered into a gymnasium, where it was canvassed, how that is to be un
derstood, which is said concerning the Son of God, that He sits at the Right
Hand of the Father. Concerning this there were various opinions ; yet it was
the opinion of all that the Son actually sits thus ; but they were canvassing
why it was so. Then some supposed that it was done on account of redemption ;
some that it was from love ; some, that He might be a counsellor ; some, that He
might have honor from the angels ; some, because it was given him to reign instead
of the Father ; some, that he might be heard with the right ear by those for whom
He intercedes. Besides, they also canvassed, Whether the Son of God from eternity
sits thus, or whether the Son of God born in the world. Having heard these things,
I raised my hand, requesting that I might be permitted to say something, and to tell
what is meant by sitting at the right hand of God. And I said, " The omnipotence of
God, by means of the Human which he assumed, is meant ; for by means of this He
wrought redemption, that is, subjugated the hells, created a new angelic heaven, and
instituted a new church." That this is meant by sitting at the right hand, I con
firmed from the Word, in which power is signified by the right hand ; and afterwards
it was confirmed from heaven, by the appearance of a right hand over them, from the
power of which, and the terror thence, they all became almost lifeless, n. 136.
XXI.
That, in the spiritual world, I was brought into a council-house, in which were
assembled the celebrated ones who lived before the Nicene council, and were called
Apostolic Fathers ; and also the renowned ones who lived after that council ; and I
saw that some ofthe latter appeared with a beardless chin, and in wigs of women's
hair neatly trimmed ; but all the former in a bearded chin, and in natural hair. Before
them stood a man, the judge and arbiter of the writings of this age, who commenced
by a certain lamentation, saying, " A man from the laity has risen up, who has dragged
down our faith out of its sanctuary, which yet is a star shining day and night before
us ; but this is done because that man is blind in the mysteries of that faith, and
does not see in it the righteousness of Christ, and thus not the wonderful things of its
justification ; when yet that faith is in three divine persons, and thus in the whole
God ; and because he has transferred his faith to the second person, and not to this.
but to his Human, it cannot be otherwise than that naturalism should spring thence."
Those who lived after the Nicene council favored his speech, saying, " That it is.
impossible that there should be any other faith, and from any other source." But the
Apostolic Fathers, who lived before that age, being indignant, related many things
which are said in heaven concerning the Nicene and Athanasian faith, which may be

Index of the Relations. bbl
seen. But because the president of the council was consociated, as to the spirit,
with that writer in Leipsic, I addressed him, and demonstrated from the Word, that
Christ, also as to the Human, is God ; and also from the dogmatical book of the
Evangelical, called Formula Concordi.*:, That in Christ God is Man and Man
God; as also that the Augsburg Confession very highly approves ofthe worship of Him ;
besides more ; at which he was silent, and turned himself away. Afterwards I spoke
with a certain spirit, who was consociated with an eminent man in Gottenburg, who
defiled the worship of the Lord with a still greater reproach. But at length those
two reproaches were declared to be lies craftily invented for averting the wills, and
deterring them from the holy worship of the Lord. n. 137.
XXII.
That there appeared a smoke ascending from the lower earth, and it was said that
smokes are nothing else than falses in a heap. And then some angels had a desire of
exploring what the falses were, which thus smoked ; and they descended, and found
four troops of spirits, two of which were ofthe learned and unlearned of the clergy,
and two of the learned and unlearned of the laity, who all, among themselves, con
firmed that an invisible God is to be worshipped, and that the worshippers then have
holiness and audience ; otherwise if a visible God should be worshipped. Holiness
and audience from an invisible God they confirmed by various things ; and that,
therefore, they acknowledge three Gods from eternity, who are invisible. But it was
shown, that the worship of an invisible God, and still more of three invisible ones, is
no worship. To confirm this, Socinus and Arius, with some of their followers, who
all had worshipped an invisible Divinity, were brought forth from below ; who, when
they spoke from the natural or external mind, said that there is a God, although He
is invisible ; but when their external mind was shut, and the internal was opened, and
from this they were forced to make their confession concerning God, they said,
" What is God ? We have not seen his shape, nor heard his voice. What, then, is God,
but an ,ideal entity or nature ?" But they were instructed, that it had pleased
God to descend and assume the Human, that they might see his shape and hear his
voice ; but this in their ears was to no purpose, n. 159.
XXIII.
First, concerning the stars in the natural world ; that perhaps they might be of the
same number as the angelic societies in heaven, since every society there sometimes
shines as a star. Afterwards, I spoke with the angels concerning a certain way,
which appears filled with innumerable spirits, and that it is the way by which all, who
depart out of the natural world, pass into the spiritual world. To this way I went in
company with angels ; and we called from that way twelve men, and asked what they
believed concerning heaven and hell, and concerning a life after death ; and because
they were recently from the world, and knew no otherwise than that they were still
in the natural world, they answered from the idea which they brought with them.
The First, " That all who live morally come into heaven ; and that no one comes
into hell, because all live morally." The Second, "That God governs heaven, and
the devil hell ; and because they are opposite, one calls good what the other calls evil ;
and that the man who is a dissembler, because he stands on the side of both, can live
under the dominion of one equally as under the dominion of the other." The Third,
"That there is no heaven nor hell. Who has come thence and told ?" The Fourth,
"That no one could return thence and tell, because man, when he dies, is either a
spectre or wind." The Fifth, " That we must wait till the day of the last judg
ment, and then they will tell, and you will know all about it." But when ho said
this, he laughed in his heart. The Sixth, " How can the soul of man, which is only
wind, reenter its body, eaten up by worms, and be clothed with a skeleton either
burnt up or reduced to dust." The Seventh, "That men no more live after death
than beasts and birds. Are not these equally rational ?" The Eighth, " I believe
there is a heaven, but I do not believe there is a hell, because God is almighty, and
is able to save all." The Ninth, " That God, because He is gracious, cannot send
any one to eternal fire." The Tenth, " That no one can come into hell, because
God sent his Son, who has made expiation for all, and taken away the sins of all.
What can the devil do against that ?" The Eleventh, who was a priest, u That those

556 Index of the Relations.
only are saved who have obtained faith, and that election is according to the will of
the Almighty." The Twelfth, who was a politician, " I do not say any thing about
heaven and hell ; but let the priests preach about them, that the minds of the ^ com
mon people may be kept bound, by an invisible bond, to the laws and rulers." On
hearing these things, the angels were astonished ; but they waked them up by in
structing them, that they were now living after death ; and he introduced them into
heaven, but they did not stay there long, because it was found that they were merely
natural, and that thence the hinder part of their heads was excavated ; concerning
which excavation and the cause of it, lastly, something is said, n. 160.
XXIV.
That there was heard a sound as of a mill, and that, following the sound, I saw a
house full of chinks, into which there was an entrance open under ground, and in it
a man collecting from the Word and books many things concerning Justification
by faith alone ; and that scribes at his side were writing his collections upon paper ;
and to the question, what he was now collecting, he said this, that God the
Father fell out of favor towards the human race, and that He, therefore, sent the Son
to make expiation and propitiation. To which I answered, that this is contrary to
Scripture, and contrary to reason, that God could fall out of favor ; thus He would
also fall out of his essence, and thus would not be God. And when I demonstrated
this even to conviction, he grew warm, and commanded the scribes to cast me out.
But when I went out of my own accord, he threw after me a book, which, by chance,
his hand took hold of; and that book was the Word. n. 161.
XXV.
It was disputed among spirits, whether any one can see any genuine truth in the
Word, unless he goes immediately to the Lord, who is the Word itself. But, because
there were those who contradicted, an experiment was made ; and then those who
went to God the Father, did not see any truth ; but all who went to the Lord saw.
During this disputation, some spirits ascended out of the abyss, of which Rev. ix.,
where they canvass the mysteries of justification by faith alone, saying that they go
to God the Father, and see their mysteries in clear light. But it was answered, that
they see them in fatuous light, and that they have not even a single truth ; at which
being indignant, they brought forth from the Word many things which were true ;
but it was said to them, that they were true in themselves, but in them falsified.
That it was so, is-as proved by their being led into a house, where there was a table,
into which light from heaven flowed directly ; and it was said to them, that they
should write those truths, which they had brought forth from the Word, upon paper,
and lay it upon that table ; which being done, that paper, on which the truths were
written, shone like a star ; but when they came up and fixed their eyes upon it, the
paper appeared blackened as by soot. And afterwards they were led to another
similar table, upon which lay the Word encircled with a rainbow ; which when a
certain champion of the doctrine of faith alone touched with his hand, an explosion
was made, as from a gun, and he was cast into a corner of the room, and lay as
dead for the space of half an hour. From these things, they were convinced that all
the truths, which were with them from the Word, were true in themselves, but
falsified in them. n. 162,
XXVI.
That there are climates in the spiritual world, as in the natural world ; and that
thence also there are northern zones, where are snow and ice. Once being brought
thither in spirit, I entered a temple then covered over with snow, illuminated within
by lamps, where, behind the altar, there was seen a table, upon which was written this,
The divine Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, who essentially are one,
but personally three. And I heard a priest preaching about four mysteries of
faith, respecting which the understanding is to be kept under the obedience of faith,
which may be seen. After the discourse, the hearers thanked the priest for his sermon
so full of wisdom. But when I asked them whether they understood any thing, they
answered, " We caught all with full ears ; why do you ask whether we understood ? Is
not the understanding amazed in such things ?" To this the priest, being present, added,

Index of the Relations. 559
"Because you have heard and not understood, you are blessed, since theiice :. - 'ir
salvation," &c. n. 185. XXVII.
That the human mind is distinguished into three regions, like the heaven in
which angels are ; and that theological things, with those who love truths because
they are truths, reside in the highest region of the mind ; and that under them, in the
middle region, moral things, but under these, political things ; and that the various
sciences make the door. But that theological things, with those who do not love
truths, sit in the lowest region, and mingle themselves there with man's own things,
and thus with the fallacies of the senses ; and that thence it is, that some cannot
perceive theological things at all. ra. 186.
XXVIII.
That I was brought to a place, where were those who are meant by.THE false
prophet in the Revelation; and by those there I was invited to see their temple ;
and I followed and saw in it the image of a woman clothed in a scarlet robe, holding
in her right hand a golden coin, and in her left a chain of pearls ; but these things
were induced by fantasy. But when the interiors of the mind were opened by the
Lord, instead ofthe temple, there was seen a house full of chinks ; and instead ofthe
woman, there was seen a beast, such as is described, Revelation xiii. 2 ; and under
the floor there a bog, in which lay the Word, deeply concealed. But presently, an
eastern wind blowing up, the temple was carried away, and the bog dried up, and
the Word appeared ; and then, by the light from heaven, there appeared there a
Tabernacle, like that of Abraham, when the three angels came and told him con
cerning Isaac, who was about to be born ; and afterwards, light being sent forth from
the second heaven, instead of the tabernacle there appeared a Temple, such as had
been at Jerusalem ; and after this, a light shone upon it from the third heaven, and
then the temple disappeared, and there was seen a House alone, standing upon the
foundation stone, where the Word was. But because too great sanctity then filled
their minds, this light was withdrawn, and instead of it, light from the second
heaven was let in, from which the view of the temple returned, and within in it that
ofthe tabernacle, n. 187. XXIX.
That there was seen a magnificent palace, in which there was a temple, and in this
seats were placed in triple order ; in it there was a council convoked by the Lord, in
which they deliberated concerning the Lord the Savior, and concerning the
Holy Spirit ; and when as many of the clergy were present as there were seats,
they entered the council ; and because it was concerning the Lord, the first pro
position was, Who assumed the Human in the virgin Mary ? And then the
angel standing at the table read before them what the angel Gabriel said to Mary :
The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High
shall overshadow thee; and the Holy Thing that shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God, Luke i. 35 ; and also from Matt. i. 20, 25.
And moreover many things from the prophets, that Jehovah himself was about to come
into the world, and that Jehovah himself is called Savior, Redeemer and Righteous
ness: from which it was concluded that Jehovah himself assumed the Human.
Another deliberation concerning the Lord was, whether the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ are not thus one, as the soul and body are one ; and this
was confirmed from many passages in the Word, and also from the general creed
ofthe present church; from which it was concluded, that the soul of the Lord was
from God the Father, and thence that his Human is Divine ; and that this is to be
approached as the Father is approached, since Jehovah God by it sent Himself into
the world, and made Himself visible to the eyes of men, and thus also accessible.
The third deliberation followed, which was concerning the Holy Spirit ; and then
first the idea concerning three divine persons from eternity was shaken off, and it
was proved from the Word, that the Holy Divine, which is called the Holy Spirit,
proceeds out of the Lord from the Father. At length, from what was deliberated in
this council, this conclusion was made : That in the Lord the Savior there is a Di
vine Trinity, which is the Divine from which, which is called the Father, the Divino

560 Index of the Relations.
T'uman, which is called the Son, and the Divine Proceeding, which is called the
Holy Spirit ; and that thus'there is one God in the church. After the council was
ended, splendid garments were given to those who sat in it, and they were led into
the new heaven, n. 188.
XXX.
That I saw in a certain stable great purses, in which there was silver in great
plenty, and by them young men as guards ; in the next room, modest virgins with a
chaste wife ; and also in another room, two infants ; and at last a harlot and dead
horses. And afterwards I was instructed what each of those things signified ; and
that by them was represented and described the Word, as it is in itself, and as it is
at this day. n. 277. XXXI.
That writing was seen, such as there is in the highest or third heaven, which con
sisted of inflected letters, with little horns turning upwards ; and it was said that the
Hebrew letters, in the most ancient time, were somewhat similar to them, when they
were more inflected than they are at this day ; and that the letter h, which was added
to the names of Abram and Sarai, signifies infinite and eternal. They explained
before me the sense of some words in Psalm xxxii. 2, from the letters only or sylla
bles there, which is, That the Lord is merciful also to those who do evil. n. 278.
XXXII.
That before the Israelitish Word there was. a Word, the prophetical books of
which were called Enunciations, and the historical, the Wars of Jehovah ; and
besides these, also one called the book of Jasher ; which three also are named in our
Word : and that that ancient Word was in the land of Canaan, Syria, Mesopotamia,
Arabia, Assyria, Chaldea, Egypt, Tyre, Zidon and Nineveh ; but that this, because it
was full of such correspondences as remotely signify celestial and spiritual things,
which gave occasion to idolatries, of the Divine Providence disappeared. I heard
that Moses copied out of that Word the things which he related concerning the
Creation, Adam and Eve, the Flood, and concerning Noah, and concerning his three
sons, but no further. That that same Word is still reserved with the people in
Great Tartary, and that they draw from it the precepts of their faith and life, was
related to me in the spiritual world by the angels thence, n. 279.
XXXIII.
That those who are in the spiritual world cannot appear to those who are in the
natural world, nor conversely ; thus spirits and angels cannot appear to men, nor
men to spirits and angels, on account of the distinction between spiritual and
natural ; or, what is the same, between substantial and material. It is from this
origin that spirits and angels have altogether a different language, different writing,
and also different thought, from what men have. That it is so, was made manifest
by lively experience, which was done by their entering by turns to their companions,
and returning to me, and thus comparing. Thence it was discovered, that there is
not even one word of spiritual language similar to any word of natural language ;
and that their writing consisted of syllables, each of which involves the sense of
some thing ; and that the ideas of their thought do not fall into the ideas of natural
thought. The cause of these distinctions is, that spirits and angels are in prin
ciples, but men in derivatives ; or that the former are in prior things, from which,
as causes, are posterior things, and men in posterior things from them. It was said
that there is a similar distinction between the languages, writings and thoughts of
the angels of the third heaven and the angels ofthe second, n. 280.
XXXIV.
Concerning the state of men after death, in general, and concerning the
state of those who have confirmed themselves in falses, in particular. Concerning
the latter and the former these things were observed : 1. That men are most com
monly resuscitated the third day after death, and that then they know no otherwise

Index of the Relations. 561
tnan that they are still living in the former world. 2. That 01 <fow into tr-e vor:(',
which is in the middle between heaven and hell, which is cal'rc1. the woHri of Afrits'
3. That there they are transferred into various societies, and thus are exploreu as to
their quality. 4. That there the good and faithful are prepared for heaven, and the
evil and unfaithful for hell. 5. That after the preparation, which lasts some years, a
way is opened for the good to some society in heaven, where they are to live for ever,
but a way for the evil into hell ; besides many more things. Afterwards hei> is
described as it is ; and that there those are called satans, who are in falses from con
firmation, and devils, who are in evils of life. n. 281.
XXXV.
That from the lower earth next above hell, I heard the vociferations, O how just !
O how learned ! O how wise ! and because I wondered that there should be there
also any just, learned and wise, 1 descended, and first went to the place where they
were crying, O how just ! and I saw there, as it were, a tribunal, and in it judges of
injustice, who could dexterously pervert the laws, and turn judgments to the favor of
any one whatever; and that thus their judgments were only arbitrary judgments; and
when the sentences were carried out to the clients, then they cried a long way, O
how just ! Concerning these, the angels afterwards said, that such cannot see any
thing at all of what is just. After a while, those judges were cast into hell, and their
books were turned into placards, and, instead of judging, there was given to them the
office of preparing paint, with which they daubed the faces of harlots, and thus turned
thein into beauties, n. 332. XXXVI.
•
Afterwards, I went on to the place where it was cried, O how learned ! and I
saw a company of those who reasoned, whether it be so or not, and did not think,
that it is so ; and thence they stopped at the first step concerning any subject
whatever; and thus they only touched it from without, and did not enter: thus also.
concerning God, whether there be a God. That I might know for certain whether
they were such, I proposed to them, What will be the religion by which man is saved f
They replied that, 1. It is to be canvassed whether religion be any thing. 2. Whether
one religion effect more than another. 3. Whether there be any eternal life, and
thus whether there be any salvation. 4. Whether there be a heaven and a hell.
And then they began to canvass the first, Whether religion be any thing. And they
said that that needed so much investigation, that it could not be finished in the space
of a year ; and one among them said, that it could not in the space of a hundred years ;
to which I replied, that in the mean time they were without religion. But still they
canvassed this first point so artfully, that the company standing by cried, O how
learned! It was said to me by the angels, that such appear like carved images ; and
that afterwards they are sent out into deserts, where, among themselves, they prate
and speak only vain things, n. 333. XXXVII.
I went on further, to the third company, where I heard the cry, O how wise ! and
I found that there were assembled those who cannot see whether truth be truth, but
still can make whatever they please appear as truth, and thence are called Confirm-
ers. That they were such, I observed also from various answers to propositions, as
that they could make it true that faith is the all of the church, and afterwards that
charity is the all of the church, and also that faith and charity together are the all of
the church ; and because they confirmed whichever of them they liked, and adorned
them with appearances so that they shone like truths, therefore the by-standers cried,
0 how wise ! Afterwards, some ludicrous things, also, were proposed to them, that
they might make them true ; for they say that there is nothing true, except what man
makes true. The ludicrous things were these : that light is darkness, and darkness
light; and also that a crow is white, and not black; which two they made appear
altogether as true: the confirmations of them may be seen there. Concerning them,
it was said to me by the angels, that such do not possess even a grain of understanding,
since all that is above the rational with them is shut up, and that all that is below the
rational, open, and this can confirm whatever it likes, but cannot see any truth to be
71

5W Index of the Relations.
truth ; wherefore, this is not the property of an intelligent ro°n ; but that. to be able tc
slo I bat d^e tiue is true, and the false is false, and to confirm it, is the property of an
intelligent man. n. 334. XXXVIII.
1 spoke with spirits, who, in the natural world, were renowned for the fame of eru
dition, who then, among themselves, disputed about connate ideas, whether men have
any, as beasts have ; and then a certain angelic spirit thrust himself in, and said,
" You dispute about goats' hair. Men have no connate ideas, nor have beasts any
connate :" at which words all grew warm : but afterwards, opportunity of speaking being
given, he spoke first concerning beasts, that they have no connate ideas : the reason
is, because they do not think, but only operate from instinct, which they have from
their natural love, which makes what is analogous to will with them, flows immediately
into the senses of their body, and excites that which agrees with and favors the love ;
and yet ideas are predicated only of thought. That beasts have only sensation, and
no thought, he confirmed by various things, especially by the wonderful things which
are known respecting spiders, bees and silk-worms, saying, " Does a spider think in
its little head, when it forms its web, that it is to be so connected for the sake of
these or those uses ? Does a bee think in its little head, From these flowers I will
suck honey, and from these wax ; out of this I will build little cells in a continuous
series, and in these I will put honey in abundance, that it may be sufficient also for
the winter ? besides more things. Does the silk-worm think in its little head, Now I
will betake myself to spinning silk, and when I have spun it, then I shall fly off and
sport with my companions, and provide for myself a posterity ?" besides similar things
with beasts and birds. Concerning men, he said, that every mother and nurse, and
the father also, knows that infants recently born have no connate ideas, «uid that they
have not any ideas before they have learned to think, and that then ideas rise up and
are made according to every quality of the thought, which they had imbibed by in
struction ; and that this is the case, because man has nothing else born with him but
a faculty for knowing, understanding and being wise, and an inclination for loving not
only himself and the world, but also the neighbor and God. These things Leibnitz
and Wolfius heard at a distance, and Leibnitz favored, but Wolfius did not. ra. 335.
XXXIX.
Once a certain angelic spirit illustrated what faith and charity are, and what
their conjunction effects. He illustrated it by comparison with light and heat, which
meet together in a third ; because the light in heaven, in its essence, is the truth of
faith, and the heat there, in its essence, is the good of charity ; consequently that as
light without heat, such as there is in the time of winter, strips the trees of leaves and
fruits, so faith without charity ; and that as light conjoined to heat, such as there is in
the time of spring, vivifies all things, so faith conjoined to charity, ra. 385.
XL.
That two angels descended, one from the eastern heaven, where they are in love,
and the other from the southern heaven, where they are in wisdom, and spoke concern
ing the essence of the heavens, whether it were love, or whether wisdom ; and they
agreed that it is love and thence wisdom ; consequently, that the heavens were
created by God, from love by wisdom, ra. 386.
XLI.
That after that, I entered a certain garden, where I was led around by a certain
spirit, and at length to a palace, which was called the Temple of Wisdom, which
was quadrangular, the walls of crystal, the roof of jasper, the underpinning of various
precious stones. And he said that no one could enter into it, unless he believe that
that which he knows, understands and comprehends is respectively so little, that it is
scarcely any thing. And because I believed it, it was given me to enter ; and it was
seen that the whole of it was constructed for the form of light. In that temple I re
lated whalt I had lately heard from the two angels concerning love and wisdom ; and
they asked, * Did they not also speak concerning the third, which is use ?" And they

Index of the Relations. 563
said that love and wisdom without use, are only ideal entities, but that in use they be
come real, and that it is similar with charity, faith and good works, n 387
XLII.
That one ofthe spirits ofthe dragon invited me to see the delights of his love ; and
he led me to something like an amphitheatre, upon the benches of which sat satyrs
and harlots. And then he said, " Now you will see our sport." And he opened a
door, and let in, as it were, bullocks, rams, kids and lambs ; and presently, through
another door, he let in lions, panthers, tigers and wolves, which rushed upon the flock
and mangled and killed it ; but all those things, which were seen, were induced by fan
tasies. Having seen this, I said to the dragon, " After a while, you will see this theatre
turned into a lake of fire and sulphur." The sport being finished, the dragon went
out, attended by his satyrs and harlots, and saw a flock of sheep, from which he in
ferred that a city of the Jerusalemites was in the neighborhood ; on seeing which, he
was seized with the desire of taking it, and casting out the inhabitants ; but because
it was surrounded with a wall, he intended to take it by stratagem. And then he sent
one skilled in incantation, who spoke craftily with the citizens concerning faith and
charity ; especially, which of them is the primary, and whether charity contributes
any thing to salvation. But the dragon, enraged at the answer, went out and gath
ered together many of his crew, and began to besiege the city ; but when he was
in the effort of taking and seizing it, fire from heaven consumed them, according to
what was foretold in Revelation xx. 8, 9. re. 388.
XLIII.
Once there was a paper sent down from heaven, in which there was an exhortation
that they should acknowledge the Lord the Savior for the God of heaven and earth,
according to his words, Matt, xxviii. 18. But two bishops, who were there, were con
sulted, what they should do ; who said that they should send the paper back to heaven,
whence it came ; and when it was done, that society sunk down, but not very deep.
The next day, some ascended thence and told what lot they underwent there, and
also that there they went to the bishops and reproved them for their advice, and that
they spoke many things concerning the state of the church at this day, and found
fault with their doctrine concerning the Trinity, concerning justifying faith, concern
ing charity, and concerning other things which were of the orthodoxy of the bishops,
and requested that they would desist from them, because they were contrary to the
Word ; but to no purpose. And because they called their faith dead and also diabol
ical, according to James in his Epistle, one of the bishops took off the mitre from his
head, and laid it down upon the table, saying that he would not take it up again, before
he had punished the sarcastic speeches concerning his faith. But then there appeared
a monster ascending from below, similar to the beast described in Revelation xiii. 1,
2, whicli took up the mitre and carried it away. n. 389.
XLIV.
That I went to a certain house, where those who were assembled were arguing
one with another, whether the good which a man does in the state of justification by
faith, be the good of religion or not. There was an agreement, that by the good of reli
gion is meant the good which contributes to salvation. But their opinion prevailed,
who said, that all the good that man does, does not contribute any thing to salvation ;
since no voluntary good of man can be conjoined with what is gratuitous, because
salvation is bestowed freely ; that neither can any good from man be conjoined with
the merit of Christ, by which alone salvation is given ; that neither can the operation of
man be conjoined with the operation of the Holy Spirit, who does all things without
the help of man. From which it was concluded, that good works, even in the state
of justification by faith, contribute nothing to salvation, but faith aione. On hearing
' these things, two gentiles, who stood in the door, said to each other, " These have not
any religion. Who does not know that to do good to the neighbor for the sake of
God, thus from God and with God, is religion ?" ra. 390.

5^4 Index of the Relations.
XLV.
I heard tne angeis lamenting that there was such Spiritual Indigence at this
day in the church, that they know nothing more than that there are three divine per
sons from eternity, and that faith alone saves ; and concerning the Lord, only the
historical things ; and that they are deeply ignorant of the things which are related
in the Word concerning the Lord, his unity with the Father, his divinity and power.
And they said that a certain angel was sent down by them to see whether there were
such indigence at this day among Christians ; and that he asked a certain one what his
religion was. He answered, that it was faith. And that then he asked him about
redemption, regeneration and salvation. He answered, that they all were of faith ;
and also concer.iing charity, that it is in faith ; and who can do good from himself?
To whom afterwards the angel said, "You have answered like one who plays with one
tone of a pipe : I hear only faith ; but if you know nothing else but that, you know
nothing." And then he led him to his companions in a desert, where there was
not even grass. Besides more. n. 391. XLVI.
That I saw five gymnasiums surrounded with various light, and that with many I
entered into the first, which was seen as if in flammeous light. Many were assem
bled there, and the president proposed that they should declare their opinions concern
ing Charity : and after they had begun, The First said, That his opinion was, that
charity was morality inspired by faith. The Second, That it was piety inspired by
pity. The Third, That it was to do good to every one, both good and bad. The
Fourth, That it was in every way to serve one's relations and friends. The Fifth,
That it was to give alms to the poor and to help the needy. The Sixth, That it was
to build hospitals for the reception of invalids and orphans. The Seventh, That it
was to enrich temples and to do good to their ministers. The Eighth, That it was
the old Christian brotherhood. The Ninth, That it was to forgive every one his
trespasses. Each of them amply confirmed his opinion ; which things, because they
are many, cannot be transferred hither; wherefore they maybe seen in the Relatioi>
itself. After this, there was given to me, also, an opportunity of expressing my opinion ;
and I said, that charity was to act from the love of justice with judgment, in every
work and duty, but from love not from any other source than from the Lord the Savior ;
and after this was demonstrated, I added, that all those things which were said above, by
the nine celebrated men, concerning charity, were excellent examples of charity, pro
vided they be done from justice with judgment ; and because justice and judgment are
from no other source than from the Lord the Savior, that they be done by man from
Him. This was approved by most, in the internal man, but not as yet so in the
external, ra. 459. XL VII.
That at a distance there was heard, as it were a gnashing of teeth, and intermixed
with it, as it were a knocking ; and I went towards the sounds, and saw a little house
built of rushes glued together ; and instead of the gnashing- of teeth, and the sound of
knocking, I heard within, in the little house, altercations about faith and charity, which
of them was the essential of the church. And those who were for faith, brought for
ward their arguments, saying, that faith was spiritual, because from God, but charity
natural, because from man. On the other hand, those who were for charity said, that
charity was spiritual, and faith natural, unless it be conjoined to charity. To these
things, a certain syncratist, wishing to settle the dispute, added, confirming that faith
was spiritual and charity only natural. But it was said, that moral life was twofold,
spiritual and natural, and that in the man who lives from the Lord, it is spiritual-moral,
but in the man who does not live from the Lord, it is natural-moral, such as is given
with the evil, and sometimes with the spirits in hell. n. 460.
XLVIII.
That in spirit I was brought into a certain garden, in the southern quarter, and that
I saw some sitting there under a certain laurel, eating figs, whom I asked how they
understood that man can do good from God, and yet still as from himself. And they

Index ofthe Relations. '0O0
answered, That God works good inwardly in man, but if man does it from his own will
and from his own understanding, that he defiles it, so that it is no more good. But tc
that I said, that man is only an organ of life, and that if he believes in the Lord, he
may do good of himself from Him ; but if he does not believe in the Lord, and still
more, if he does not believe in any God, he may do good of himself from hell ; and fur
ther, that the Lord has given to man the free choice of doing from the one or from the
other. That the Lord has given this freedom, was confirmed from the Word, in that
he commanded man to love God and the neighbor, to produce the goods of charity as
a tree produces fruits, and to do his commandments that he may be saved, and that
every one would be judged according to his deeds ; and that these and those things
would not have been commanded, if man could not do good of himself from God. After
these things were said, I gave them shoots from a certain vine, and the shoots in
their hands put forth grapes ; besides other things, ra. 461.
XLIX.
That I saw a magnificent Dock, and in it vessels large and small, and upon the
decks, boys and girls, who were waiting for turtles to rise up out of the sea ; and
when they emerged, I saw that they had two heads, one, which at pleasure they drew
back into the shells of their body, and another, which appeared in form as a man, and
from this they spoke with the boys and girls ; and these, on account of their elegant
discourses, caressed them and also gave them presents. These things being seen, it
was explained by an angel what they signified, namely ; that there are men in the
world, and thence as many spirits after death, who say that God, with those who have
got faith, does not see any thing that they think and do, but only looks at the faith,
which he has hid in the interiors of their mind ; and that those same persons, before
the congregations in temples, bring forth holy things from the Word, altogether as
others, but these from the greater head which appears as a man, in which they then
insert the little one, or draw this into the body. That the same persons afterwards
were seen in the air in a vessel with seven sails flying, and those in it in laurels and
in purple garments, crying, that they were the heads of the wise of all the clergy ;
but the things seen were the images of pride flowing forth from the ideas of their
mind. And when they were upon the earth, I spoke with them, first from reason, and
afterwards from the Sacred Scripture ; and by many things I demonstrated, that their
doctrine was unsound, and, because contrary to the Sacred Scripture, from hell ; but
the arguments, by which I demonstrated those things, cannot be transferred hither, on
account of their prolixity ; wherefore they may be seen in the Relation itself. Also,
that afterwards they were seen in a sandy valley, in garments of rags, and girded
as it were, with fishing nets around the loins, through which their nakedness appeared :
and at last they were sent down into a society, which is next to the Machiavelians.
n. 462.

That there was called together a convention, which sat in a round temple, in whicn,
at the sides, were altars, by which the members of the convention sat, but there was
no primate there ; wherefore, each one of himself rushed forth into the midst, and
spoke out the feelings of his mind. And there was begun a discourse concerning
Free Agency in spiritual things. And the First, rushing forth, cried, That man
had no more free agency in those thing3 than Lot's wife, when she was turned into a
statue of salt. The Second, That he had no more than a beast or a dog. The Third,
That he had no more than a mole, or than an owl in the light of day. The Fourth,
That if man had free agency in spiritual things, he would become a maniac, and be
lieve himself to be as God, who can regenerate and save himself. The Fifth read
from the book ofthe Evangelical, called Formula Concordia, That manhas no more
free agency in spiritual things than a stock or a stone, and that he has no ability at
all concerning those things, to understand, think, will, and not even to apply and accom
modate himself to receive what is spiritual ; besides more things, of which above, n.
464. After these things were said, there was also given to me an opportunity of
speaking ; and I spoke and said, " What else is man, without free agency in spiritual
things, but a brute ? And without it, to what purpose are all theological things ?" But
to this they replied, " Read our theological things, and you will not find therein any
thing spiritual, and that this is so concealed within them, that not even a shadow of ij

566 Index of the Relations.
appears. Wherefore, read what our theology teaches concerning justification, that is
concerning the remission of sins, regeneration, sanctification and salvation ; you will
not see there any thing spiritual, because they flow in through faith, without any
consciousness of man. lt has also removed charity far from what is spiritual, and also
repentance from contact with it. And besides, as to redemption, it attributes to God
purely natural human properties, as that He concluded the human race under univer
sal damnation ; that the Son took that upon Himself, and that thus He propitiated the
Father ; and what else are intercession and mediation with the Father ? From these
things it is evident, that, in all our theology, there is nothing spiritual, and not even
rational, but merely what is natural below them." But then suddenly a thunderbolt
was heard from heaven, and the members of the convention, being thence terrified.
rushed forth, and each one fled into his own hruse. ra. 503.
LI.
That I spoke with two spirits, one of whom loved what is good and true, and the
other what is evil and false ; and I found that both enjoyed a similar faculty of think
ing- rationally. But when he who loved what is evil and false was left to himself, I
saw, as it were, that smoke ascended from hell and extinguished the lucidity which was
above his memory ; but when he who loved what is good and true was left to himself,
I saw that, as it were, a gentle flame descended from heaven and illuminated the re
gion of his mind above the memory, and thence also the things that were below it.
Afterwards I spoke with him, who loved what is evil and false, concerning Free
Agency in spiritual things ; and he. only at the mention of it, grew warm, and
cried, that no one can move his foot or hand to do any spiritual good, nor his tongue and
mouth lo speak any spiritual truth, and thus that he cannot apply and accommodate
himself to receive any such thing. Is not man in such things dead, and merely pas
sive ? How can what is dead and merely passive do good, and speak truth of itself ?
Does not our church also speak so ? But the other, who loved what is good and true,
concerning free agency in spiritual things, spoke thus : " What would the whole Word
be without it ? And what the church, what religion, what the worship of God, thus
what the ministry, without it ? And from the light of my understanding, I know that
man, without that spiritual freedom, would not be man, but a beast; for that he is
man, and not a beast, is from that freedom ; and moreover, that man without free
agency in spiritual things, would not have life after death, thus not eternal life, be
cause not any conjunction with God ; wherefore, to deny it is the part of those who
are insane in spiritual things." Afterwards there was seen, as it were, a horned ser
pent upon a tree, which reached fruit thence to him who denied free agency in spir
itual things ; which being eaten, there appeared smoke ascending from hell, which ex
tinguished the higher part of his rational mind as to light, n. 504.
LII.
There was heard a grating noise, as of two mill-stones striking against each other ;
and I went up to the beginning of the sound, and saw a house, in which were many
little cells, in which the learned of this age were sitting and confirming justification
by faith alone ; and going up to one, I asked what he was now studying. He answer
ed, "Concerning the Act of Justification, which is the head of all things of doc
trine in our orthodoxy." And I asked whether he knew any sign, when justifying
faith enters, and when it has entered. And he said, that this was done passively, and
not actively. To which I replied that, " If you take away what is active in it, you
also take away what is receptive ; and thus that act would be only something purely
ideal, which is called an imaginary entity, and thus nothing more than the statue
Lot's wife, tinkling from mere salt, when struck with a scribe's pen, or his finger nail."
The man, growing warm, took a candlestick, in order to throw at me ; but then, the
light being extinguished, he threw it at his companion, n. 505.
LIII.
There were seen two flocks, one of sheep and the other of goats ; but when they
were viewed closely, instead of goats and sheep, men were seen ; and it was perceiv
ed, that the flock of goats consisted of those who make faith alone saving, and' the

Index cf the Relations. 561
floes of sheep, of those who make charity and at the same time faith. To the ques
tion, Why there ? those who were seen as goats said, That they were sitting as a
council, since it was disclosed to them, that the saying of Paul, That man isjustifiea
by faith, without the works ofthe law, Rom. iii. 28, is not rightly understood ; since by
faith there, is not meant the faith at this day, but faith in the Lord the Savior ; and by
the works of the law, are not meant the works of the law of the decalogue, but the
works of the Mosaic law, which were rituals ; which also was demonstrated. And
they said, that they had concluded that faith produces good works, as a tree produces
fruit. Those who constituted the flock of sheep favored them ; but then an angel,
standing between the two flocks, cried to the flock of sheep, "Do not listen, because
they have not receded from their former faith." And he divided the flock of goats
into two, and said to those on the left hand, "Join yourselves to the goats ; but I tell you
beforehand, that a wolf is about to come, which will seize them and you with them."
But then inquiry was made, how they understood, that faith produces good works, as
a tree produces fruit; and it was found out, that their perception concerning the con
junction of faith and charity was altogether different from that comparison, and thus
that it was 'a fallacious mode of speaking. When these things were understood, the
flocks of sheep reunited themselves into one, as before, to which some of the goats
adjoined themselves, confessing that charity is the essence of faith, and that thus faith
separate from it, is only natural, but conjoined to it, it becomes spiritual, ra. 506.
LIV.
A discourse with angels concerning the three loves, which are universal, and thence
with every man; which are the Love of the neighbor, or the Love of uses,
which in itself is spiritual ; the Love of the world, or the Love of possess <. -;
wealth, which in itself is material; and the Love of self, or the Love of rol
ing over others, which in itself is corporeal ; and that when those three lov.s are
rightly subordinated with man, man is truly man, and that they are then rightly subor
dinated, when the love of the neighbor makes the head, the love of the world the body,
and the love of self the feet: it is altogether otherwise when they sit with man con
trary to order. And it was shown what man is when the love of the world makes
the head, and what he is when the love of self; that then he is an inverted man ; as
to the interiors of his mind, a wild beast, and as to the exteriors of it, and thence ofthe
body, a stage-player. After this, there was seen a certain devil ascending from
below, having a dark face with a white circle around the head ; and he said that he was
Lucifer, although he was not ; and that, in his internals, he was a devil, but in his ex
ternals an angel of light : and he told, that in externals, he was moral among the
moral, rational among the rational, yea, spiritual among the spiritual ; and that when he
was in the world, he preached, and that then he uttered imprecations against evil
doers of every kind, and that thence he was called Son ofthe morning; and, what he
himself wondered at, that when he was upon the pulpit, he perceived no otherwise
than that it was so, as he spoke ; but otherwise when he was out of the temple. He
said the reason was, because in the temple he was in his externals, and then only in
the understanding, but out of the temple in his internals, and then in the will ; and
thus that the understanding elevated him into heaven, but the will draws him down
into hell ; but that the will prevails over the understanding, because the former dis
poses the latter at its beck and nod. After this, the devil, who pretended to be
Lucifer, glided down into hell. ra. 507.
LV.
There was seen a round temple, the roof of which was in the shape of a crown, the
walls continuous windows of crystals, the gate of a pearly substance : in it there was
a sort of pulpit, upon which was the Word encompassed with a sphere of light. In
the middle of the temple there was a sacred recess, before which there was a veil
but now withdrawn, in which there stood a cherub with a sword vibrating in his hand.
After these things were seen, they were explained before me, one by one, what they
signified, which may be seen. Upon the gate there was this writing, Now it is law
ful ; which signified, that now it is lawful to enter intellectually into the mysteries
of faith ; and it was given me to perceive, that it was very dangerous to enter with
the understanding into dogmas of faith, which are from one's own intelligence and

568 Index ofthe Relations.
thence in falses, and still more to confirm them from the Word ; and that, therefore,
by the Divine Providence, the Word was taken away from the Roman Catholics, and
that, with Protestants, it is shut up by their dogma, That the understanding is to be
kept under obedience to their faith. But because the dogmas which are of the New
Church are all from the Word, that in it, it is lawful to enter with the understanding,
because they* are continuous truths from the Word, which also shine before the under
standing. This was what is meant by the writing upon the gate, Now it is lawful,
and by the circumstance, that the veil of the sacred recess was withdrawn, within
which there stood a cherub. After this, there was brought to me a paper from an in
fant, who was an angel in the third heaven, in which was written, Enter hereafter
into the mysteries of the Word, hitherto shut up; for all its truths are
SO MANY MIRRORS OF THE LoRD. rt. 508. LVI.
That I was seized with a grievous disease, from the smoke which came in from the
Jerusalem, which, in Rev. xi. 8, is called Sodom and Egypt ; and that I was seen by
those who were in that city as dead, saying thus one to another, that I was not worthy
of burial, just as it is said concerning the two witnesses in the same chapter in the
Revelation ; and in the mean time I heard blasphemies in abundance, from the citi
zens, on account of my having preached repentance, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But because judgment came upon them, I saw that that whole city fell down, and was
overflowed with waters ; and afterwards, that they were running about among the
heaps of stones, and lamenting on account of their lot ; when yet they had believed,
that, by the faith of their church, they were born again and thus righteous ; but it was
said to them, that they were any thing else than such, since they had never performed
any actual repentance, and that thence they did not know one damnable evil with
them. Afterwards it was said to them from heaven, that faith in the Lord, and repent
ance, are the two means of regeneration and salvation ; and that this was very well
known from the Word, and moreover, from the decalogue, baptism, and the holy sup
per ; concerning which see in the Relation, ra. 567.
LVII.
That all, who after death come into the spiritual world, at first for a time are kept
in externals, in which they were in the natural world ; and because most, while they
are in externals, live morally, frequent temples, and pray to God, they believe that
they shall certainly come into heaven; but they are instructed that every man after
death successively puts off the external man, and the internal man is opened, and then
the man is known, as he is in himself, since man is man from the will and understand
ing, and not only from action and speech ; and that thence it is, that man can, in ex
ternals, appear as a sheep, although in internals he is as a wolf: and that he is such,
in his internal man, unless he explore the evils of his will, and thence ofthe intention,
and repent of them ; besides more. ra. 568.
LVII1.
That every love breathes forth a delight, but that the delights of loves are but
little felt in the natural world, but manifestly in the spiritual world ; and that in this
they are sometimes turned into odors ; and that then it is perceived what the delights
are, and of what love ; and that the delights of the love of good, such as are in the
heavens, are perceived as fragrances in gardens and flower-beds ; and on the other
hand, the delights ofthe love of evil, such as are in hell, as stenches and stinks from
bogs and privies ; and that, because they are so opposite, the devils are tortured
when they feel any sweet odor from heaven, and, on the other hand, the angels are
tortured when they feel stinking ones from hell. Th'at it is so, was confirmed by two
examples. It is from this cause, that the oil of anointing was prepared from aromat
ics, and that it is said concerning Jehovah, that he smelled a grateful odor from the
burnt-offerings ; and on the other hand, that it was commanded the sons of Israel, that
they should carry unclean things out of their camp, and that they should bury their
excrements ; for tbeir camp represented heaven, and the desert out of it represented
hell. n. 569.

Index of the Relatio fio9
LIX.
That a certain novitiate spirit, who in the world meditated much concerning heaven
Had hell, desired to know what is the quality of the one and the other ; and that it was
s-iid to him from heaven, Inquire what delight is, and you will know. Where
fore, going away, he inquired, but, among spirits merely natural, in vain. But he was
led to three companies, in order; to one, where they explored ends, and thence were
called wisdoms ; to another, where they investigated causes, and thence were called
intelligences ; and to a third, where they examined effects, and thence were called
sciences ; and by the latter and the former, he was instructed, that every angel, spirit
and man has life from the delight of his love ; and that the will and thought cannot
move at all, except from the delight of some love ; and that this is, to every one, that
which is called good. And, moreover, that the delight of heaven is the delight of
doing good, and that the delight of hell is the delight of doing evil. That he might
be further instructed, a devil providentially ascended, and, before him, described the
delights of hell, that they were the delights of revenging, of committing whoredom, of
defrauding and of blaspheming; and that those things, when they are felt there as
odors, are felt as balsams ; whence he called them the delights of their nostrils, ra. 570.
LX.
That there was seen a company of spirits praying to God, that He would send angels
to instruct them concerning various things which are of faith, because in most things
they hesitated, since churches differ so one from another, and all their ministers say,
Believe us ; we are the ministers of God, and we know. And there appeared
angels, whom they questioned respecting charity and faith, respecting repentance,
respecting regeneration, respecting God, respecting the immortality of the soul, and
respecting baptism and the holy supper ; to each of which the angels answered so
that they fell into their understanding ; saying further, that all that which does not fall
into the understanding is like what is sown in the sand, which, however it is watered
by the rain, still withers away ; and that the understanding, closed up from religion,
no longer sees any thing in the Word, from the light which is therein from the Lord ;
yea, that if one reads it, he becomes more and more blind in the things of faith and
salvation, ra. 621. LXI.
How man, when he is prepared for heaven, enters it ; namely, that, after prepara
tion, he sees a way which leads to the society in heaven in which he is to live to eter
nity ; and that, near the society, there is a gate which is opened ; and that, after
entrance, it is inquired whether there is in him similar light and similar heat, that is,
similar good and truth, as in the angels of that society ; which being found out, he
goes about and inquires where his house is ; for there is for every novitiate angel a
new house, which being found, he is received and numbered as one among them.
But those in whom there is not the light and heat, that is, the good and truth of heaven,
have this hard lot, that, when they enter, they are miserably tortured, and from the
torture cast themselves down headlong. This happens to them from the sphere of
the light and heat of heaven, in the opposite of which they are ; and they afterwards
no longer desire heaven, but are consociated with their like in hell. Thence it is
manifest, that it is vain to think that heaven is only an admission from favor, and that
those who are admitted enjoy the joys there, as those who, in the world, enter into
the house of a wedding, re. 622. LXII.
That many, who believed that heaven was only an admission from favor, and, after
admission, eternal joy, by permission ascended into heaven ; but that, because they
could not bear the light and heat, that is, the faith and love there, they cast themselves
down headlong; and that then they were seen, by those who stood below, as dead
horses. Amoncr those who stood below, and saw them thus, there were boys with
their master ; and he instructed them what the appearing as dead horses signified, and
then who they are who at a distance appear so ; saying that they are those, who, when
they read the Word, think materially, and not spiritually, concerning God, concerning
the neighbor and concerning heaven ; and that those think materially concerning God
72

570 snder of the Relatims.
who think from person concerning essence ; concerning the neighbor, from the face
and-speech concerning quality; and concerning heaven, from place concerning the
state of love there ; but that those think spiritually who think concerning God frcm
essence, and thence concerning person ; concerning the neighbor from quality, and
thence concerning the face and speech; and concerning heaven from the state of love
there, and thence concerning place. And afterwards he taught them that a horse
signifies the understanding- of the Word ; and because the Word, with those who
think spiritually, when they read it, is a living letter, that therefore those appear, at a
distance, as live horses ; and, on the other hand, because the Word, with -those who
think materially, when they read it, is a dead letter, that these, therefore, at a distance,
appear as dead horses, ra. 623. LXIII.
That there was seen an angel, with a paper in his hand, upon which was written,
the Marriage of good and truth, descending from heaven into the world ; and it
was seen that that paper shone in heaven, but, in its descent, gradually less and less,
until neither the paper nor the angel appeared, except only before some unlearned
ones, who were in a simple heart : before these, the angel explained what the mar
riage of good and truth involves, namely, that all and each of the things, in the whole
heaven and in the whole world, contain both at the same time, because good and truth
in the Lord God the Creator make one ; and that, therefore, there is not any where
given any thing which by itself is good, nor any thing which by itself is true ; conse
quently, that, in each and every thing, there is a marriage of good and truth, and in
the church, a marriage of charity and faith, since charity is of good, and faith is of
truth, re. 624. LXIV.
That when I was in profound thought, concerning the second coming ofthe Lord, 1
saw heaven, from the east to the west, luminous, and heard from the angels a glo
rification and celebration of the Lord, but from the Word, as well the prophetical Word
of the Old Testament, as the apostolical of the New. The passages themselves,
by which the glorifications were made, may be seen in the Relation, n. 625.
LXV.
That, in the north-eastern quarter, there are Places of instruction ; and that those
who receive instructions interiorly are there called disciples of the Lord. Once, when
I was in the spirit, I asked the teachers there whether they knew the universals of
heaven, and the universals of hell ; and they answered, that the universals of heaven
were three loves ; the love of uses, the love of possessing the goods of the world from
the love of doing uses, and truly conjugial love ; and that the universals of hell were
three loves opposite to those three, which are the love of ruling from the love of
self, the love of possessing the goods of others from the love of self, and scortatory
love. It is described, afterwards, what the first infernal love is, which is the
love of ruling from the love of self ; that it is such with the laity, that, when
the reins are given to it, they wish to rule over all things of the world, and, with the
clergy, that they wish to rule over all things of heaven. That there is such fantasy
with those who are in that love, was confirmed by the like in hell, where such are
together in a certain valley, who entertain their minds with the fantasies that they
are emperors of emperors, or kings of kings ; and elsewhere that they are gods : and
it was seen, that, at the sight of these, the former, who were of so lofty a mind, fell
upon their knees and adored. That afterwards I spoke with two, one of whom was
the prince of a certain society in heaven, and another who was the high-priest there ;
who said, that, with those in that society, there are magnificent and splendid things,
because their love is not from the love of self, but from the love of uses ; and that they.
are surrounded with honors, and that they accept them, not for the sake of themselves,
but for the sake of the good of obedience. I then asked them, " How can any one
know whether he does uses from the love of self or of the world, or from the love of
uses, since all the three do uses ? Let it be supposed that there is a society composed
of mere satans, and a society composed of mere angels, and I can imagine that the
satans, from the love of self and the world, would do as many uses in their society as
the angels would in theirs : who, then, can know from which love the uses are ?" To

Index ofthe Relations. 571
this the prince and priest replied, that " Satans do uses for the sake of fame, that they
may be raised to honors and gain wealth, but angels do uses for the sake of uses ; but
these are discriminated from those especially by this, that every one who believes in
the Lord, and shuns evils as sins, does uses from the Lord, and thus from the love of
uses ; but that every one who does not believe nor shun evils as sins, does uses from
himself and for the sake of himself, thus from the love of self and the world." re. 661.
LXVI.
That I entered a certain grove, and saw two angels conversing together. I went
up to them, and they were speaking of the lust of possessing all things ofthe world ;
and that many, who in actions appear moral and in conversation rational, are in the
madness of that lust ; and that that lust is turned into fantasies with those who indulge
their ideas concerning it. And because every one is permitted to delight himself in
his fantasy, in the spiritual world, provided he does no evil to another, that there are
also congregations of such in the lower earth ; and because it was known where they
were, we descended and went in to them ; and we saw that they were sitting at tables,
upon which there was a great plenty of golden coin, saying that that wa3 the wealth
of all in the kingdom; but it was only an imaginary vision, which is called fantasy,
by which they made that appearance. But when it was said to them that they were
insane, being turned away from the tables, they confessed that it was so ; but because
that vision exceedingly delighted them, they could not do otherwise than go in by
turns, and favor the allurements of their senses. To this they added, that if any one
steals from another his goods, or does any other evil, he falls down into some prison
under them, and is kept there to labor for food, clothing, and some little pieces of
money ; and if they also do evil there, they are deprived of those things and punished
n. 662. LXVII.
There was heard a dispute between an ambassador of a kingdom and two priests,
Whether Intelligence and Wisdom, and thus also Prudence, were from
God, or whether from man. But it was perceived by some angels, that the priests
inwardly, in themselves, believed in like manner as the ambassador, namely, that intel
ligence and wisdom, and thence prudence, were from man ; wherefore, that it might
be made manifest, the ambassador was requested to take off the garments of his office,
and to put on the garments of the sacerdotal ministry ; which being done, the ambassa
dor began to confirm, by many things, that all intelligence, and also prudence, is from
God. And afterwards the priests also were requested to take off their garments, and
to put on the garments of political ministers ; which being done, the priests spoke
from their interior self, saying that all intelligence and prudence is from man. The
cause of their speaking so was, because a spirit thinks himself to be such as the gar
ment on him is. After this, those three became cordial friends ; and, as they con
versed together, they went the way which tended downwards ; but afterwards I saw
them returning, re. 663. LXVIII.
It is treated first of those who in the Word are called the Elect ; and that they
are those, who, after death, are found to have lived a life of charity, and are separated
from those .who have not lived that life, and thus who are then elected, and prepared
for heaven. Wherefore, to believe only some, before their nativity or after it, to be
elected and predestinated to heaven, and not all, because all are called, would be to
accuse God of the inability of saving, and also of injustice, re. 664.
LXIX.
By a certain new comer it was said in heaven, that no one in the Christian world
knows what Conscience is; and, because the angels did not believe it, they said to
a certain spirit that he "might, with a trumpet, call together the intelligent, and ask
them whether they know what conscience is. And so it was done ; and they came,
and among them there were politicians, scholars, physicians and priests. And then,
first, the Politicians were asked what conscience was. They answered, that it was
pain from fear, entertained before or afterwards, of the loss of honor or wealth ; oi

572 Index ofthe Relations.
that it was from a melancholic humor arising from undigested things in the stomach;
besides more. Afterwards, they asked the Scholars what they knew about conscience.
They answered, that it was sadness and anxiety infesting the body, and thence the
head, or the head and thence the body, from various causes, especially from this, that
they applied the mind to one thing only, which is done especially when the reigning
love suffers ; whence sometimes are fantasies and deliriums, and with some brain-sick
scruples in religious matters, which are called remorse of conscience. After these, the
Physicians were asked what conscience was. And they said, that it was only a pain
arising from various diseases, which in abundance they enumerated ; and that they had
cured many by means of drugs. The diseases from which the pains, which are called
those of conscience, are derived, may be seen enumerated in the Relation. At last
the Priests were asked what conscience was. They said, that it was the same with
contrition, which precedes faith, and that they had cured it by the gospel ; and, more
over, that there are conscientious persons of every religion, true as well as fanatical,
who make to themselves scruples in the things of salvation, also in things indifferent.
The angels, from hearing these things, perceived the truth, that no one knew what
conscience was ; wherefore, they sent down one from them to teach. He, standing in
the midst of them, said, that conscience was not any pain, as they all imagined, but
that it was a life according to religion ; and that that life is especially with those who
are in the faith of charity ; and that those who have conscience speak from the heart
what they speak, and do from the heart what they do, which he also illustrated by
examples. Wherefore, when it is said of any one that he has a conscience, it is meant
that he is just; and conversely. These things being said, those who were called
together divided themselves into four phalanxes : those who understood and favored
the words ofthe angel passed over into one ; those who did not understand, but still
favored, into another ; those who would not understand, saying to each other, " What
have we to do with conscience ?" into a third ; and those who scoffed, saying, "What
is conscience but a blast of wind ?" into the fourth. After this, the two latter pha
lanxes were seen to go aside to the left, and the two former to the right, re. 665.
LXX.
That I was led to the place where the ancient sophists, who were in Greece, resided,
which place they called Parnassium ; and it was said to me, that once in a. while they
send out some for the purpose of calling to them some new comers from the world,
and of inquiring something about wisdom, how it is at this day on earth. And then two
from the Christians were found and brought, who were presently asked, " What news
from the earth ?" And they answered, that this there was new ; that they had found
men in the woods, perhaps left there in early childhood ; and that they appeared
from the face, indeed, as men, but that still they were not men ; and that from them
they concluded in the world, that man was no more than a beast, only that he could
articulate sound, and thus speak ; and that a beast could in like manner become wise, if it
were endued with the faculty of expressing articulate sounds; besides more. The
sophists, from hearing these things, concluded many things concerning wisdom, what
changes it had undergone since their times, especially from this, that they do not
know the distinction between the state of man and the state of a beast, and not even
that man is only born the form of a man, and that by instructions he becomes man,
and tsuch a man as the instructions he receives ; and that he becomes wise from truths,
insane from falses, and inwardly a wild beast from evils ; and that he is only born a
faculty for knowing, understanding, and becoming wise, in order that he may be a sub
ject into which God might inspire wisdom, from the first degree of it to the highest ;
saying further, that from the new comers they comprehended, that wisdom, which in
their time was in its rising, is at this day in its setting. Afterwards, they instructed
the new comers whence it is that man, created a form of God, could be turned into
the form of the devil. But, concerning the latter and the former, the Relation may
be seen. n. 692. LXXI.
That there was again a meeting appointed, in the place where the ancient sophists
were, since they had heard from the emissaries that they had found three new comers
from the earth, one who was a priest, another who was a politician, and a third who
was a philosopher; who were brought up and presently asked, What news from

Index ofthe Relations. 573
the earth? And they replied, this is new; that they had heard that a certain man
says that he speaks with angels and spirits ; and that he relates many things concern
ing their state, and among them that man lives equally a man after death, with the
difference only, that he is then clothed with a spiritual body, but before with a material
body. On hearing which, they asked the Priest what he had thought about those
things on earth. He replied, that because he had believed that man was not to live a
man before the day ofthe last judgment, he, with the rest of his order, supposed his
relations to have been visions, and afterwards fictions, and that at last he hesitated.
Then he was asked, whether the inhabitants of the earth could not see, from reason,
that man lives a man after death, and thus dissipate the paradoxical notions concerning
the state of souls in the mean time, which are, that souls in the mean time fly about
like winds in the universe, and continually expect the last judgment, that they may
coalesce with their bodies ; which lot would be worse than the lot of any beast. To
which the priest replied, that they say, but they do not convince ; and that they
ascribe the coalition or reunion of souls with their bodies and skeletons in the sepul
chre, to the omnipotence of God ; and when they name omnipotence, and also
faith, all reason is banished. Afterwards, the Politician, being questioned respect
ing the things heard, replied, that in the world he could not believe that man would
live after death, since all of man lies dead in the sepulchre, and thus that that man
saw spectres, and believed that they were angels and spirits ; but that, now, for the
first time, he was convinced, by the senses themselves, that he lives a man as before,
and that he was therefore ashamed of his former thoughts. The Philosopher related
very similar things respecting himself, and respecting some of his school ; and more
over, that he referred those things which he had heard, respecting the things seen and
heard by that man, among the opinions and hypotheses which he had collected from
the ancients and moderns. On hearing these things, the sophists were astonished,
especially that Christians, who are in light above others from revelation, should be in
such thick darkness respecting their life after death ; when yet we, and the wise men
of our time, knew and believed that life ; saying further, that they observed that the
light of wisdom, since that age, had let itself down from the interiors of the brain, even
to the mouth under the nose, where it appears as the brightness ofthe lip, and thence
the speech ofthe mouth as wisdom. To these things, some of the tyros added this :
" O how stupid are the minds of the inhabitants of the earth at this day ! I wish we
had here the disciples of Heraclitus, who laughed at every thing, and the disciples of
Democritus, who wept at every thing, and we should hear much laughing and much
weeping." After this, there were given to the new comers copper plates, on which
hieroglyphics were engraved, and they departed, ra. 693.
LXXII.
That new comers from the world were found, and were brought to the city under
Parnassium, and asked, What news from the earth ? And they answered, that in
the world they had believed that after death there would be an entire rest from labors,
and yet they heard, when they were coming hither, that there are here administrations,
offices and employments, as in the former world, and thus that there is not rest. To
this the wise ones there replied, " Thus you believed that now you are to live in mere
idleness, when yet from idleness are produced languor, torpor, stupor and sleep ofthe
mind, and thence of the whole body, which are death and not life. And then they
were led around in the city, and to the administrators and workmen ; on seeing which,
they wondered that there should be such things, when yet they also believed that
there would be some empty place, in which souls are to live before the new heaven
and new earth exist. And they were instructed that all the things which here appear
before the eyes are substantial, and are called spiritual, and that all things in the
former world are material, and are called natural ; and that this distinction is, because
they are from another origin ; namely, that all things which are in this world exist and
subsist from a sun which is pure love, and all things which are in that world exist
from a sun which is pure fire. And, moreover, they were instructed that in this world
there are not only administrations, but also studies of every kind, and also writings
and books. The new comers were gratified by these instructions ; and when they
were going away, there came some virgins with pieces of embroidery and netting,
the works of their own hands, and gave these to them ; and they sung before them an

574 Index of tht Relations.
ode which expressed, with angelic meiody, the affection of the works of use with ita
delights, ra. 694. LXXII1.
That I was introduced into an assembly where some of the ancient philosophers
were present, and was asked what they knew in my world concerning Influx.
To which I answered, that they knew of no other than of an influx of the light and
heat of their sun into the things which are of nature, as well into those which are ani
mate as into those which are inanimate, and that they did not know any thing at all
ofthe influx of the spiritual world into the natural, when yet from that influx are all
the wonderful things which are beheld both in the animal kingdom there, and also in
the vegetable kingdom, which are in part recounted : and because they do not know
this influx, they confirm themselves in favor of nature, and become naturalists,
and at length atheists, re. 695 LXXIV.
That I spoke with the followers of Aristotle, Descartes and Leibnitz, concerning
physical Influx, occasional Influx, and preestablished Harmony; and I
heard how each confirmed his hypothesis ; and since they were not able to look into
that subject with the understanding, above confirmations, but only below them, they
ended the dispute by lot, which came out in favor of spiritual influx, which, in
part, coincides with occasional influx, ra. 696.
LXXV.
That I was brought into a certain gymnasium, in which the young are initiated
into various things which are of wisdom, which was done by the discussion of some
subject, which was proposed by the president there : and the subject of discussion
then was, What is the Soul, and of what quality? There was a desk into
which those ascended who were about to answer. And presently One ascended,
saying, " That no one since the creation of the world has been able to find out what
the soul is, and of what quality : but because they knew that the soul was in man, it was
inquired whereabouts it was ; and that there was one who thought that it resides with
man in a certain little gland, which is called the pineal gland, and sits between the
two brains in the head ; and that he believed this at first ; but because it was rejected
by many, he also afterwards receded." After this, The Second ascended, and said,
" That he believed that the seat of the soul was in the head, since the understanding
is there : but because he could not divine where it resided there, he acceded now to
the opinion of those who said that its seat was in the three ventricles of the brain ;
now to that of those who said it was in the striated bodies there ; now to that of those
who said that it was in the medullary or cortical substance ; and now to that of those
who said that it was in the dura mater;" to which he added, "that he left it to every
one to think what he likes." The Third, ascending, said, "That the seat ofthe soul
was in the heart and thence in the blood ;" and this he confirmed from the Word,
where it is said, heart and sold. The Fourth, afterwards ascending, said, " That
from his childhood he had believed, with the ancients, that the soul was not in one part
but in the whole, because it is a spiritual substance, of which place cannot be predicat
ed, but impletion ; and also because by soul is also meant life, and life is in the whole."
The Fifth, ascending, said, " That he believed the soul to be something pure, like
air or ether, and that he believed this, because they supposed that the soul would be
such after it is separated from the body." But because the wise ones in the orchestra
perceived that none of them knew what the soul was, they requested the president,
who had proposed that problem, to descend and teach. He, therefore, descending, said,
"That the soul was the very essence of man, and because an essence without a form
is not any thing, that the soul is the form of the forms of man ; and that this form is
the truly human form, in which wisdom with its perceptions, and love with its affec
tions, universally reside ; and because you believed in the world that you would be
souls after death, you are now souls ;" besides more. And this was confirmed by this
declaration in the book of Creation ; Jehovah breathed into the nostrils of Mam the
soul of lives, and man was made into a living soul, Gen. ii. 7. re. 697.

Index of the Relaticir. 575
LXA'Vl.
That there was seen an angel with a trumpet, by which he called together tl-;se
celebrated for erudition among Christians, that they might tell what they had hefoit
believed in the world concerning the Joys of Heaven, and concerning eternal
Happiness. This was done, because it was said in heaven, that no one in the Cln.s-
tian world knew any thing about them. And after about an hour, there were seen six
companies coming from the learned Christians, who being asked what they had known
about the joys of heaven and about eternal happiness, The First Company said,
That they believed there would be only an admission into heaven, and then into its
festive joys, as one is admitted into the house of a wedding and into its festivities.
Another Company said, That they believed there would be most pleasant intercourse
and most agreeable conversations with angels. The Third Company said, That they
believed there would be feasts with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Fourth Com
pany said, That they believed them' to be paradisiacal delights. The Fifth Company.
That there would be supereminent dominions, most opulent riches, and more than royal
magnificence. The Sixth Company, That there would be a glorification of God and
a festival enduring for ever. That, therefore, those learned ones might know whether
those things, which they had believed to be the joys of heaven, were so, it was given
them to enter into those their joys, and to each company by itself, in order that they
might learn, by lively experience, whether the joys were imaginary, or whether real.
This is the case with most who come from the natural world into the spiritual.
n. 731, 732, 733.
And then, presently, that company, which had supposed the joys of heaven to be
most pleasant intercourse and agreeable conversations with angels, was let into the
joys of their imagination ; but because they were external joys, and not internal,
after some days they were affected with weariness, and departed, n. 734.
Afterwards, those who had believed that the joys of heaven were feasts with Abra
ham, Isaac and Jacob, were let into things similar to them ; but because they per
ceived that those joys were only external, and not internal, they became weary, and
went away. re. 735.
The like was done with those who had believed the joys of heaven and eternal
happiness to consist in supereminent dominions, most opulent riches, and more than
royal magnificence, ra. 736.
Likewise, also, with those who had believed heavenly joys, and thence eternal
l-appiness, to be paradisiacal delights, re. 737.
Likewise, afterwards, with those who had believed heavenly joys and eternal hap
piness to be a perpetual glorification of God, and a festival enduring for ever. These
at length were instructed what is meant in the Word by the glorification of God.
n. 738.
Finally, the like was done with those who had believed that they should come
into heavenly joys and eternal happiness, if they were only admitted into heaven ; and
that they should then have joys, in like manner, as those do who enter into the house
of a wedding, and then, at the same time, into festivities. But because it was shown
to them, by lively experience, that in heaven there are no joys, except for those who
have lived the life of heaven, that is, the life of charity and faith ; and that, on
the other hand, heaven is torture to those who have led a contrary life, they with
drew, and consociated themselves with their like. re. 739.
Since it was perceived by the angels that as yet none in the natural world knew
what the joys of heaven are, and thence what eternal happiness is, it was said to the
angel of the trumpet, that he should choose ten from those who had been called
together, and introduce them into a society of heaven, that they might see with their
eyes, and perceive with their minds, what heaven is, and what the joys there are ; and
so it was done. And after admission, it was first given them to see the magnificent
palace of the prince there, n. 740. Then the paradise near it. ra. 741. Afterwards,
the prince himself and his grandees in splendid garments, n. 742. Then, being in
vited to the table of the prince, they saw such an entertainment as no eye had ever
seen on earth ; and at the table they heard the prince instructing concerning heaven
ly joys and eternal happiness, that they essentially consist in internal blessedness,
and from this in external enjoyments ; and that internal blessedness derives its essence
from the affliction of use. ra. 743. After dinner, by command ofthe prince, some
wise ones of the society were sent for, who fully instructed them what and whence

576 Index of the Relations.
internal blessedness is, which is eternal happiness ; and that this causes external en
joyments to be joys ; besides more concerning the latter and the former, re. 745, 746.
After these things, it was given them to see a wedding in that heaven, of which ra.
747 to 749. And finai'y, to hear preaching, re. 750, 751. All which being seen and
liea full of knowledge concerning heaven, and joyful in heart, they descended, ra. 752.
LXXVII.
i is trea ed there of Revelation. That it has pleased the Lord to manifest Him
self .0 me, and to open the interiors of my mind, and thus to give me to see the things
which are in heaven and hell ; and that thus he had disclosed secrets which, in excel
lence and dignity, exceed all the secrets hitherto disclosed ; which are, I. That in all
and every thing ofthe Word, there is a Spiritual Sense, which does not appear in the
sense of the letter ; and that, therefore, the Word was written by the correspondences
of spiritual things with natural. II. That the Correspondences themselves, such
as they are, have been manifested. III. And also concerning the Life of men
after death. IV. Concerning Heaven and Hell, what the one is, and what the
otheris; and also concerning Baptism and the Holy Supper. V. Concerning the
Sun in the spiritual world, that it is pure love from the Lord, who is in the midst of
it, from which the proceeding light is wisdom, and the proceeding heat is love ; and
thus that faith and charity is thence ; and that all things which proceed thence are
spiritual, and thus alive ; and that the sun of the natural world is pure fire, and thence
that all things which are from this sun are natural, and thus dead. VI. That there
are three degrees hitherto unknown. VII. And, moreover, concerning the Last
Judgment. That the Lord the Savior is the God of Heaven and Earth
Concerning the New Church and its Doctrine. Concerning the Inhabitants
of the Planets, and concerning the Earths in the universe, re. 846. VIII. More
over, concerning Conjugial Love ; and that it is spiritual with the spiritual, natural
with the natural, and carnal with adulterers, re. 847. IX. That it was intuitively per
ceived by the angels, that although those secrets are more excellent than the secrets
hitherto disclosed, still, by many at this day, they are regarded as trifles, re. 848. That
'iiere was heard a murmur from some in the lower earth, that they should not believe those
things, unless Miracles were done ; but that they received answer, that by miracles
they would not believe any more than Pharaoh and the Egyptians ; nor anymore than
the posterity of Jacob, when they danced around the golden calf in the desert ; nor
any more than the Jews themselves, when they saw the miracles done by the Lord
himself, ra. 849. XI. Finally, why the Lord revealed those secrets to me, and not
rather to any one ofthe ecclesiastical order, re. 850.
That the things contained in the Relations which are after the chapters are true ;
and that similar things were seen and heard by the prophets before the coming of
the Lord, and similar things by the apostles after his coming, as by Peter, Paul, and
especially by John in the Revelation ; which things are recounted n. 851.

INDEX.

The figures refer to the numbers, including the notes, and not to the pages.

A. — In the third or inmost heaven, a very frequent use is
made of this vowel, because it gives ;i full sound, 278.
Abaddon, or the king of the abyss, signifies the destroyer
of the Church by falses, 628. The Abaddons are the de
stroyers of the Church, by a total falsification of the Word,
182 ; and thnse who destroy soula by falses, 310.
Abomination of Desolation signifies the infestation of
truth by falses, until there does not remain any truth which
is not falsified and consummated, ISO. It consists therein
that men have divided God into three, and upon these three
have founded every doctrine of the Church, and thus have
falsified the Word, 135, 179-181. The faith in three Gods
which universally prevails in the Christian world isthe vein
itself of the fountain from which this abomination has flowed,
181. Abuse of truth to confirm the justification of faith alone,
162. The abuse which certain spirits make ofthe communi
cation with the heavens by the reading of the Word, 235.
Abvss signifies hell where falses are, 628.
Access of man to the Lord is perpetual, when he goes im
mediately to the Lord himself, since he is the Father and
the Father in him, 161.
Accommodation must be before there can be application,
and accommodation and application together, before there
can be conjunction, 370.
^Acknowledgment inscribed upon the mind is the exist
ence of the faith of tlje New Church, 344. Knowledge of
God, and thence an acknowledgment of him, are not attain
able without revelation, 11. How acknowledgment is made,
which is called faith, 231. The acknowledgment that the
Lord is the Son of God is the first point of faiih in the Lord,
342. The state of every one in the spiritual world is accord
ing to his acknowledgment of God and his worship of God,
795. State of man who is in knowledges concerning God,
and not in the interior acknowledgment of Grid, 457. He
who loves himself, or the world above all things, does not ac
knowledge any God, 293. Those who acknowledge the Lord,
aud do not do his commandments, become Satans after their
death, 151.
Act. — Will or endeavor is in itself an act (or the internal
act), because it is a continual striving to act, which becomes,
by determination, an act in externals, 387. The Acts of Re
demption, wherein they consist, 95. The Act of Justifica
tion, or faith in act; what this pretended act is, 505. Acts
of repentance are such as cause that man should not will,
and thence should not do any more, the evils which are sins
against God, 510.
Action. — All the action of man proceeds from his will,
and all language from his thought, 593. All the action ami
the speech of man proceed from the lower region of the
mind directly, and from its higher region indirectly; since
the lower region of the mind is nearer to the senses of the
body, and the higher region is further from them, 420.
All the things that proceed from man, whether it be action
or speech, make the man and are the man himself, 778. In
all action there is an active and a passive ; that is, there is
something active which acts, and something passive which
acts from the active, thence from both one action is pro
duced, 576. Action and reaction, 371. Action and co-opera
tion, 577.
Active — Activity or the active does not proceed with man
from the soul through the body, but out of the body from
the soul. 188. The Lord alune is active with every man, and
man of himself is merely passive ; but, by an influx of life
from the Lord, man is also active, 110. It is from creation,
that where there are things active there are also things pas
sive, and that tho?e two join themselves together as into one,
472. 57'i-
Active and Passive. — See Action.
Activity.— The activity of love makes the sense of de
light, 570. The activity of love and wisdom considered in
itself, 471. The interior activity of nature, 35.
To Act op Hims -.lf is of God alone, 621.
AcriMLt.Y. 89, 316. 374. 387-
O iiKnuUion. —Our author makes a distinction between ac
Vtnlhf (¦Kjtu.iliter) and really (realiter), which latter word he
uses, 387-
Adah.— Hy Adtim and his wife is understood a most an
cient, Churcli on this earth, 46 i, 469. 470, .V20.
Administrations,— There ;ire administrations in heaven
and dignities annexed to ihatn ; hut tlio.se who art) employed

in them love nothing more than to do uses, because they are
spiritual, 403, 694.
Adulterv.— If any one abstains from adultery only from
fear of the civil law, or from any natural or moral law,
and not, at the same time, from a spiritual law, he is still,
inwardly, an adulterer, 316. By adulterers, in the Word, are
meant the violators of the Church, who are those who adul
terate the Word ofthe Lord, 1122. To commit adultery signi
fies, in the spiritual sense, to adulterate the goods of the
Word and to falsify its truths, and in the celestial sense, to
deny the Divine of the Lord, and to profane the Word, 236,
314, 315. Every faith which acknowledges three Lords of
one Church is from adultery (a bed of adultery), 380. The
Lord, in many places, calls those who profess this faith,
adulterers, 380.
Observation.— In general, to adulterate is said of goods,
and to falsify, of truths.
Advent.— See Coming of the Lokd.
Affection. — All the things of love are called affections,
697 ; thus affections are the derivations of love, 3S6, 697. The
form of affection is thought, 386. Affection sounds and
thought speaks, 386. Affection without thought is not any
thing, neither is thought without affection, nor affection and
thought without operation ; but in operation they are some
thing, 387. Affection is in space without space, and in time
without time, 64. Homogeneous affection conjoins and het
erogeneous affection separates, 622. The affection of love in
heaven is heat, 385. Merely natural affection is no other
than concupiscence, 386.
Africans. — The Africans are more interior than the other
Gentiles, 835. All who acknowledge and worship one God,
the Creator of the universe, entertain the idea of a Man re
specting God ; they say that no one can have any other idea
of God, 836. They excel in interior sight, 839. There is at
this day a revelation made to them, which, having com
menced, spreads from its region around, but not to the seas,
840. They hay that there is no man that has any worship
who does not live according to his religion ; and if not, he
cannot but become stupid and wicked, because then he does
not receive any thing from heaven, 840.
Agate signifies natural good, 609.
Age. — The four ages of the world, 762 ; whence the wise
ancients concluded them, 762. The four ages of man, 443.
Air. — No quality of the air can be elevated to any quality
ofthe ether, 32. See Ether.
Alpha and Omega. — Why the Lord is called so, 19, 84,
280. Alphabet in the spiritual world. Every letter signifies
there some sense, 280.
Amaurosis. — Bigoted or blind faith may be compared to
amaurosis, 346, 620.
Ammon, the children of, signifies the adulteration of
truth, 200.
Amphitheatre changed into a lake of fire and of sulphur,
388. Anatomical details, 60.
Ancient of Days. — Why in Daniel vii. 9, he is described
even as to the hair, 223.
Ancients.— The most ancient and the ancient people wor
shipped one God, whom they called Jehovah, 9. The Lord
himself was present among the ancients, but then he was
represented by an angel, 109. The science of correspondences
was well known in the most ancient times, 201. The men
ofthe most ancient Church, which existed before the flood,
were of so heavenly a genius, that they conversed with the
angela of heaven by correspondences, 202. From the wisdom
of the ancients flowed forth thin dogma: that the universe,
and all the particular parts of it, refer themselves to the
gdorl and the true, 336. The direful persuasion, that God
transfused and transcribed himself into men, was entertained
by the men of the most ancient Church, at its end, when it
was consummated, 470.
Ancient Woud. — Before this Word, which at this day is
in the world, there was a Word, which is lost, 264-266, 275.
The hixtoriraU of this Word were called the Wars of Jeho
vah, and the prophetical* were called the Enunciations, 279,
It is still preserved in heaven, and in use among the ancients
the'-c, willi whom that. Word was when they were in the
world, 2", 9. It is also still reserved among the people who
live in Great Tartary ; these people do not suffer foreigners
to come among them, except the Chinese, with whom they

578

ait

INDEX.

ATI!

cultivate peace, 279. In this Word there is also the book of
Jasher, 279.
Angels are substantial men and live together, like men
oF the natural world, upon spaces and in times, which are
determined according to the states of their minds, 29, 240.
Theie is not any angel who had not previously been a man,
121. The angels are not pure before God, 121. The angels
could not have subsisted in a state of integrity unless re
demption hurt been performed by the Lord, 119. All the an
gels in the heavens are filled by the lipid, for they are in
the Lord, and the Lord in them ; but stilt each speaks and
acts according to the state of his mind, 154. Between man
on the one hand and the angels and the spirits on the other,
there is such a union, that if the angels and spirits were re
moved from man, lie would fall down dead as a stock ; in
like manner, angel.s and spirits could not subsist, if men
were withdrawn from them, 118. The spiritual angels aie
they who are in wisdom from the Word, but the celestial
angels are they who are in love from the Word, 221. Those
are called angelic spirits who are in the world of spirits pre
paring for heaven, 387. By the sense of the letter of the
Word is conjunction with the Lord and consociation with
the angels ; why? 234-239. How the spiritual angels per
ceive the spiritual sense, and the celestial angels the celestial
sense, when man reads the Word, 236. The angels perceive
from one action of a man what his will is, and from one ex
pression of his what his thought is, whether it he infernal ov
heavenly ; thence they know the whole man, 593, 778. The
angels of heaven can see whatever is done in hell, and what
monsters are there ; but on the other hand, the spirits of hell
cannot see anything at all that is done in heaven, 61. The
angels cannot open their lips to pronounce the word Gnds,
for the celestial aura in which they live opposes it, 6, 8, 25,
173. An angel may, in an instant, become present to an
other, provided he comes into a similar affection of love, and
thence thought, 64. Every angel beholds the Lord before
him, in whatsoever direction his body and face are turned ;
why? 767.
Anger.— Why it is attributed to God, 256. The Lord
does not regard any one with anger, 651. Why, in the Rev
elation, it is said, the anger ofthe Lamb, 641.
Animals. — How animals of every kind have been pro
duced by God, 78. Wonders in the production of animals,
12. The natural man, separate from the spiritual man, is
merely an animal, 673, 566. The sensual and corporeal
man, viewed in himself, is altogether an animal, and only
differs from a brute animal, in that he is able to speak and
renson, 296. The animals seen in the spiritual world are not
animals, but they are correspondences of the affections and
of the thoughts thence, of those who are there, 506. The
animals which appear in heaven are likenesses of the affec
tions of the love of the angels, 66. See Beasts.
Answers from Heaven are only given by truths from
good in the ultimate sense of the Word, 218, 222. How they
were given by the Urim and Thummim, 218.
Antichrists. — Those who divided the Godhead into three
persons, and the Lord the Saviour into two, exalted Anti
christ, 1"4.
Antipathies.— Sympathies and antipathies are nothing
else than exhalations of affections from minds which affect
another according to similitudes, and excite aversion accord
ing to dissimilitudes, 365.
Antiquity, The first, saw that- love and wisdom are the
two essentials, to which all the infinite things which are in
God, and which proceed from him, refer themselves, 37-
Apocalypse.— The book of Revelation has been written
by mere correspondences, 116. It is described in the Revela
tion, from the beginning to the end, what the Christian
Church is at this day, and also that the Lord is about to
come again, and subjugate the hells, and make a new angelic
heaven, and then to establish a New Church upon earth, 116.
Why all the things there predicted have not been discovered
till the present time, 116. See the two works of the author :
the AporaJj/pxr Hi-rcnUd and the Apocalypse Explained.
Apollo, 17, 58, 159. 292. 655.
Apollyon, or the king ofthe abyss, signiGesthe destroyer
ofthe Church by falses, 628. The Apollyons are the destroy
ers of the Church, by a total falsification of the Word, 182;
and those who destroy souls by falses, 310.
Apostles, Tub Twelve.— The twelve apostles were called
together by the Lord, the 19th June. 1770, and sent by him
into the spiritual world to preach there the Gospel, 791. 4, 108.
Every apostle had his province assigned to him, and they
are executing this command with all zeal and industry, 108.
They were sent by the Lord to Swerlunborg, while he was
writing, 339. The apostles have taught and written, each
according to his own intelligence; the Lord filled them all
with his Spirit, but each tonic of it a portion according to
the quality of bis perception, and they exercised it according
to the quality nf their abilitv, 154.
Apostlks' Creed (The) does not admit of three Divine
Pei sons horn eternity, 175 ; nor consequently a Son of Cod
ft 1 1 ni eternity ; lint it acknowledges only a Son of God, horn
in time, 630- Nicene creed ; tins eiewd" acknowledges three
Divine Persons from eternity, 632, 172. Athanasian creed—
sue Athanasius.
Apostolic diuncu.— See Church, the Apostolic.
Apostolic Father, 137, 636.
Appearances, — Appearances of space and time in the
spiritual world; why? 29; those appearances are real, be
cause conslant, according to the states of the spirits and an
gels, 29. Without the appearance ol place, in the spiritual

world, there would be no habitations and distinct abodes,
739 ; the appearance of place is there according to the state
of love and wisdom, or of charity ai-d faith, 739 All the
things that appear in the spiritual wm Id are correspondences
and represent spiritual things, which are of affection and
thence of thought, 462. The appeaiances of truth in the lit
eral sense of the Word are accommodated to the capacity of
the simple, who do not elevate their thoughts above such
things as thev see before their eyes, 226, 254, 256, 650. If, in
the Word, appearances of truth, which are tinths clothed,
are taken Tor naked truths, and if they are confirmed, they
become fallacies, which in themselves are falses, 254, 258.
Fallacies arising from appearances, 470-473.
Observation. — Those things are called appearances which,
in the spiritual world, present themselves to the view ol
spirits and angels ; these things are called appeaiances, be
cause they correspond to the interiors of spirits and angels,
and repiesent them, and vary according to the state of these
interiors. There are leal appearances and appeaiances not
real ; the appearances which are not real do not correspond
to the interiors. See If'-an-n and Hell, 175.
Appendix to the True Christian Religion. — Tt has
been promised, 177, 344, 485, 627, 758.
O'merrfttion. — It has been found among the manuscripts
left by the author, and has been published in London, 1780 ;
but it was incomplete: nevertheless, the whole sketch of
this work exists and has been printed in the seventh part of
the Diariuin.
Application ought to follow accommodation and precede
conjunction, 370. Application on the part of God is perpet
ual, so far as man applies himself in turn, 370.
To Approach, or Accede. — As far as man accedes to the
Lord, so far the Lord accedes to man, 100. Every man
ought, on his part, to approach to God, and as far as man
approaches, so far God, on his part, enters, 126.
Arcana, or Secrets. — An arcanum concerning the soul,
103. Concerning the sending of the Holy Ghost, 153. Con
cerning the consummation ofthe Church at the present day,
182. A great arcanum, that unless a New Church he insti
tuted by the Lord, no flesh can be saved, 182. A great arca
num with regard to the distinction, which there is between
natural faith and charity, and. spiritual, 360. An arcanum
from the Lord himself, who will be of his New Church, 154.
Arcana of heaven revealed, and nevertheless regarded by
men on earth as of no importance, 848 ; their excellence, 846.
Architecture. — Architecture is in heaven in its very art,
and from this are all the rules of this art in the world, 740.
Ardor. — The ardor of the DivineJjOve is so great, that,
unless it was modified and tempered *y perpetual tempera-
tives, angels and men would be consumed, 691. 370, 641, 838.
Ahianism. — Whence it proceeds, 94. "Wherein it consisted,
137, 339, 380, 795.
Aristippus, 692.
Aristotle, 9, 273, 692, 696.
Aristotelians, 696.
Arius, 137, 159, 174, 380, 632, 637.
Armageddon signifies the state and disposition of fighting
from falsified truths, arising from the love of dominion, 113.
Arrangement, or Establishment of Order, of heaven
and hell by the Lord ; all heaven is arranged into societies
according to all the varieties ofthe love of good, and all hell
according to the varieties of love of evil, 646, 678, 31. On
this distinct arrangement depends the preservation of the
whole universe, 678. The establishment of order in the
heavens and the hells has continued in progress from the
day of the last judgment (1757) to the present time, and still
continues, 123. In the world of spirits, all the societies,
which are innumerable, are wonderfully arranged in order,
according to natural affections, good and evil, 281. Estab
lishment of order in the heavens follows the subjugation of
the hells, and precedes the institution of a New Church, 115,
117. The arrangement of the substances in the human mind
is according to the use of reason from a free principle, 351.
Artery. — Its composition, 147- Its co-operation with the
heart, 577-
Artists in the spiritual world, 694.
Ashur or Assyria, signifies the rational, 200 ; signifies
rationality, and thence intelligence, 467.
As of one's self (to do good), is to do it from the Lord*,
621. To do or act of one's self is ofthe Lord alone, 621.
Aspect. — Reciprocal aspect of the Lord and map, 287.
Aspect of the Lord in whatsoever direction as to the body a
person may be, 767.
Assurance or Trust,— The trust that he who lives well
and believes aright is saved by the Lord God the Saviour
Jesus Christ, is the esse ofthe faith ofthe New Church, 344.
See Confidence.
Astaroth, 292. •
Ataxy, 496, 665.
Athenaeum, 692, 693, 694.
Athanasian Creed. — How far it may be reconciled with
the Woid.98, 101. It teaches that the Father and Son are one
as the body and soul in man, 112, 136, 137, 188. A Trinity of
Divine Persons from elernity, taught by this creed, is, in the
ideas of thought, a Trinity of Gods, 172, 632, 633. From
this Trinity arose a faith which has perverted the whole
Christian Church, 177, 634.
Atheist.— He who makes light of adulteries, depreda
tions, and blasphemies, is in heart an atheist, 612. Atheists
who are in the glory of fame from the love of sell", and thence
in the pride of their own intelligence, enjov a sublimer ra
tionality than many others ; why? 507. Hee, also, 695.

BEL

INDEX.

BUE

579

Atmospheres.— There are three natural atmospheres, au
ra, ether, and the air ; no quality of the air can be elevated
to any quality of the ether, nor any of this to any quality of
the aura, 32. See Degrees. There are- also three spiritual
atmospheres, which in themselves are substantial, and in
the order ofthe discrete degrees ; they have been created by
means of the heat and light of the spiritual sun, as the natu
ral atmospheves have been created by means ofthe heat and
light ofthe natural sun, 76, 641. See, also, 364.
Atrophy of the eye compared to hypocritical or Pharisai
cal faith, 346, 665.
Augustine of Hippo, 840.
Aura.— See Atmospheres. No quality of the ether can
be elevated to any quality ofthe aura, 32.
Aurora, 112.
Baal, 292. 655.
Babylon. — The Church which in the Prophets and in the
Revelation is meant by Babylon, 754, 759.
Had. — See Wicked.
Bald.— Those who despise the Word become bald in the
spiritual world, 223.
Baldness signifies stupidity, 74.
Banquets or Feasts, which the sons of Israel made near
the tabernacle, together with the other sacrifices, signified
nothing else than unanimity in the worship of Jehovah, 727.
Baptism signifies regeneration and purification, 144, 530,
670-673. 687. Baptism was given only for a sign and for a
memorial, that a person should be purified from evils, 676.
It is the sign of introduction into the Church, 677- It is a
sign befuie the angels that a man is of the Church, 621, 680.
It is a hacrameut of repentance, 567. By washing, which ie
called baptism, is understood spiritual washing, which is
purification from evils and falses, and thus regeneration,
510, 621, 670-673. Why baptism has been instituted in the
place of circumcision, 674-676. There is something divine in
the iiisiituiiou of baptism, which has hitherto been concealed,
because the bpiritual sense of the Word was not before re
vealed, 668. The first use of baptism is introduction into the
Christian Church, and at the same time insertion among
Christians in thespiritual world, 677-680. As soon as infants
are baptized, angels are appointed over them, by whom they
are kept in a state of receiving faith in the Lord, and as they
grow up, the guardian angels leave them, and they associate
to themselves such spirits as make one with their life and
faith, 677. Without the Christian sign, which is baptism,
some Mahometan spirit, or some one of the idolaters, might
apply himself to Christian infants newly born, and also to
children, and infuse iq,to them an inclination for his religion,
678 The second use' of baptism is, that a Christian may
know and acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer
and Saviour, and follow him. 681-683. The third use of
baptism, which is the final nse, is, that man may be regen
erated. 684-687. These three uses of baptism follow in order,
and join themselves together in the last, 685. Whosoever
does not believe in the Lord cannot be regenerated, although
he ha> been baptized, and the ceremony of baptizing, without
faith in the Lord, does nothing at all, 685. By means of the
baptism of John, a way was prepared, that Jehovah the
Ijord might be able to come down into the world and perform
redemption, 688-691. The baptism of John represented the
cleansing ofthe external man ; but the baptism, which is at
this day with Christians, represents the cleansing of the in
ternal "man, 690. Effects of the baptism of John, 691. It
was called baptism of repentance; why? 510. Why the
Lord himself was baptized by John, 684.
To Baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire, is to regen
erate by the divine truth, which is of faith, and by the divine
good, which is of charity, 144, 684, 686. Why John bap
tized in the- Jordan, 510
Beaks signify the power of truth in ultimates, 223.
Beast. — Beasts are organs created for receiving light and
heat from the natural world, and at the same time from the
spiritual world, 473. Every species is a form of some natu
ral love, and receives light and heat from the spiritual world
mediately, through heaven or hell— gentle beasts through
heaven, and ferocious ones through hell, 473. Beasts differ
from man in this, that man receives light and heat — that is,
wisdom and love — immediately from the Lord, 473. Every
beast, every bird, every fish, reptile, and insect, has its own
natural, sensual, and corporeal love, the habitations of which
are their brains : through these thespiritual world flows into
the senses of their body immediately, and thereby determines
the actions, 335. Beasts are born into the sciences of the
loves of their lives. 48. The error, that beasts have ideas.
Hows from no other source, than from the persuasion that
they think as well as men, and that speech only makes the
distinction, 335. Why, in the time of spring, the beast comes
to the instinct of prolification, 496. The beasts which appear
in heaven are likenesses of the affections of the loves of the
angels, 66. The beasts which appear in hell are forms rep
resentative of the cupidities of the infernal spirits, 312. In
the Word, wild beasts signify infernal spirits, 123. See
Animals. „ , .„
Bed.— To take up the bed and walk, Matt. ix. 6, signifies
to be instructed in doctrinals, 301.
Beelzebub, 292, 630.
Bees.— Things remarkable about them, 12, o,i5.
Beginnings (the) of space and lime come from God, 31
To Believe in the Lord is not only to acknowledge, but
also to do his commandments, 151; to believe in him is to
have confidence that he saves ; and because no one can have
this confidence, except those who live well, therefore this

also is meant by believing in him, 2. To believe in the Ron
is to believe in the Father, 107. To believe, to see, and to
know, make one, 159.
Beneficent Acts.— The beneficent acts of. charity are, to
give to the poor and to help the needy, but with prudence,
425-428. By beneficent acts are meant those helps that are
afforded out of one's employment, 425. Charity is exercised
both by direct and indirect acts of kindness, 407- St:e
Charity. Birds (singing) represent those who do not perceive
truth, but conclude it from confirmations by appearances,
42. To Blaspheme the Lord and the Word is to reject the
truth itself from the Church, 323.
Blasphemy.— By the blasphemy of the Spirit— Matt. xii.
31, 32 — is meant blasphemy against the divinity ofthe Lord's
Human, and against the holiness ofthe Word, 299.
Blood (the) signifies the truth of wisdom and of faith, 3<i7.
705. The blood of the Lord signifies the divine truth of the
Lord and of the Word, 706. When man ttiinks of the blood
of the Lord, the angels perceive the divine truth of the
Word, 706. The blood of the covenant signifies the divine
truth by which conjunction is effected, 706, 730. Blood, on
account of its signification, was the most holy representiitive
ofthe Church with the sons of Israel. 706. The blood of the
Lamb— Apoc. vii. 14, xii. 7, 11 — signifies the divine truth ot
the Lord, 706. The blood of grapes— Gen. xlix. 11, Deut.
xxxii. 14 — signifies also the divine truth, 706.
Blooming, or flourishing, in the human mind is caused
by spiritual heat and light ; this flourishing is wisdom and
intelligence, 392.
Blossoms.— See Flowers.
Body (the) is an organ of life, 35. The body is from the
mother ; it is not man in itself, but from the man (soul) ; it
is only his covering, composed of such things as are of the
natural world, 103. How it is formed in the uterus, and
why it may be made according to the likeness of the father,
or_ according to the likeness of the mother, 103. All the
things which are in the body are appendages of the mind,
and receive from it life and action. 224. The material body,
with which the spirit of man is clothed in the natural world,
is an accessory for the sake of procreations, and for the sake
of the formation of the internal man ; for this is formed in
the natural body, as a tree in the earth, and seed in the fruit,
454. The delights of love and the charms of thought are
felt but slightly by man while he lives in the natural body,
because this body absorbs and blunts them ; but after death,
when the material body is taken away, they are fully telt
and perceived, 569. The body does not act from itself, but
from the spirit, 156, The spiritual body is to be formed in
the natural body by means of truths and goods, 583. Sub
stantial body of the angels and spirits. 771, 793, 798. The
Church is called the body of Christ, 372, 416. 608. 728 ; why ?
379- To be in the body ofthe Lord is to be in heaven, 719.
Book (thej of the life of the Lamb signifies the Word,
which is from the Lord and treats ofthe Lord, 107. The books
of the ancients were all written by correspondences, 201.
There are books in the spiritual world, 794.
To BE Born by water and spirit signifies to he regenera
ted by the truths of faith, and by a life according to these
truths, 572.
Born of God. — Those are called so in the Word who are
regenerated, 572 ; those who bv the Lord are in the goods
and truths of faith, 583, 692, 729.
Bottles. — Comparisons with bottles, 113, 116, 258.
Bow signifies doctrine from the Word fighting against
falses, 247 : signifies truth which tights, 86.
Brain. Human.— The human brain is a form of divine
good and divine truth, spiritually and naturally organized,
224. The brain is a substance organized, in which the mind
dwells, 351. The organization ofthe brain, 351, 697, Unless
there were action and co-operation with the infinite life in
the spiritual organism ofthe brain, thought and will could
not exist, 577- That organism consists of perpetual spiral
lines, 578. Man has two brains, one in the back part of the
head, which is called the cerebellum, and the other in the
fore part, which is called the cerebrum ; in the cerebellum
dwells the love of the will, and in the cerebrum the thought
ofthe understanding, 160. The cerebrum of man is dedica
ted to the understanding and to the wisdom there, but the
cerebellum to the will and to its love, 564.
Bread. — By bread, in the Holy Supper, is understood the
same thing as by the flesh of the Lord ; that is, the divine
good and the divine wisdom of the Lord, and also every good
of charity, 702-707.
Breast. — The Christians, with whom the Word is read,
constitute the breast ofthe Grand Man, 268.
Breastplate of Judgment represented divine truth from
divine good in a universal sense, 218.
Brethren.— In the Apostolic Church the true Christians
called themselves brethren jn Christ, 434, 636.
Brethren ofthe Sacred Orders in heaven, 138.
Bridegroom.— In the Word the Lord is called the bride
groom, and the Church the bride, 122, 252, 783. The bride
carries continually something of the image ofthe bridegroom
in the sight of her spirit, 767.
Brotherhood, the old Christian, 459. Spiritual brother
hood, 434. Fraternity with the satans, 380-
Bundles.— In the mind goods are bound into bundles by
truths, and evils by falses, 38.
Burial of the Lord signifies his rejecting what remained
from his mother, 130.

580

CII A

INDEX.

CHU

Burning Property of the Fire.— From the burning
proper ij ol the fire prnceeds heat, and from its shining prop
erty proceeds light, 39. The burning property of fire corre
spond.-, to that something of love, which most intimately af
fects the will of man, 39.
Butter'flies — Comparisons with butterflies, 106, 361, 375.
Calf signifies natural affection, 200, 205. The natural af
fection of seeing and knowing, when it manifests itself with
joy, appears from correspondence like a calf, 623. A golden
calf, in the spiritual sense, is the pleasure ofthe flesh, 849.
Calvin, 137, 154, 486, 798.
Calvinism.— Whence it rises, 94.
Camp (the) of the Sons of Israel represented the heaven,
C14. Canaan (the land of) represented the Church, 675, 677.
Cannibals, Spiritual, 380.
Canon. — It is a general canon in heaven, that God is in
every man, evil as well as good, but that man is not in God,
unless he lives according to order, 70. Two canons for the use
ofthe New Church. I. That no one can shun evils as sins,
and do goods, which are good in the sight of God, from him
self; but that as far as any one shuns evils as sins, so far he
does good, not from himself, but from the Lord. II. That
man ought to shun evils as sins, and to fight against them,
as from himself ; and that if any one shuns evils from any
other cause whatever than because they are sins, he does
not shun them, but only causes them not to appear before
the world, 330. See Maxim.
Carcass. — When God is denied, man becomes a spiritual
carcass, 34.
Carotids (arteries), 697-
('art (the new) — I Sam. chap. v. and vi. — signifies natural
doctrine ofthe Church, 203.
Cartesians, 696.
Cataract (the) compared to wandering faith, which is in
several Gods, 346.
Catechism or Decalogue explained as to its external
and internal sense, 282-331, 567.
Catholics, Roman.— In the spiritual world they appear
nround and beneath the Protestants, 817. All those who in
the former world had thought more about God than about
the Pope, and had clone works of charity from a simple
heart, are easily led away from the superstitious things of
their religion, 82L. Those who, while they have lived in the
world, have zealously aspired to be made saints after death,
that they may be invoked, come into fantastic and infernal
deliriums. 823. The worship of saints is such an abomina
tion in heaven, that, if they only hear it, they are filled with
horror; since, as far as worship is ascribed to any man, so
far it is withheld from the Lord, 824.
Cats. — The eyes of cats appear like candles in cellars,
when they pursue rats : why? 162. 334, 386.
Cause. — The cause is the all in the effect, 420. The prin
cipal cause and the instrumental cause appear to man as if
they were one, 442. The principal cause is all in all of the
instrumental cause, 442. The causes of all things are formed
in the internal man, and all effects are produced thence in
the external, 374. Ends are in the celestial kingdom, causes
in the spiritual kingdom, and effects in the natural kingdom,
236. Causes ofthe creation of the universe and of its preser
vation, 46. Causes of so many divisions and seditions in the
Church, 378. See End and Effect.
Caverns or dens of hell, 281. Who are those who make
of the temple a den of thieves? 342,
Cedar (the) signifies the rational good ofthe Church, 200 ;
signifies rational good and truth, 205.
Centre of nature and of life, 35.
Cerebellum.— See Brain. The inmost parts of the cere
bellum are in themselves celestial, 160.
Ceremonies (the) are the dress, 55. Ceremonies are only
holy by the divine things of which they are the dress, 667-
Changes of places or of situations in the world of spirits,
476. Changes of position in the spiritual world are changes
of the state of the mind, 77.
Chaos.— With the idea of a chaos, it is impossible to come
to a conclusion as to the creation ofthe universe, 76, 79.
Chariot, in the Word, signifies doctrine from spiritual
truth, 203. Chariot carved in the shape of a dragon, 185.
Chariot of fire, 661.
Charity. — Charity is no other than goodness, 142 ; see,
abo, 459. Before the Lord came into the world scarcely any
one knew what charity was, 4U9. Charity consists in willing
well and then acting well, 413, 374, 408, 444. Charity is the
affection of the love of doing good to the neighbor, for the
sake of God, salvation, and eternal life, 388. Charity is all
the good, with which man is affected from the Lord, and
which he thence wills and does, 365. It is the heat of the
life of man, 367- Charity itself is to act faithfully in the
office, business, or work in which he is, or with whomsoever
he has any intercourse, 422-424. The man who thus exercises
charity becomes more and moie charity in form, for justice
and fidelity form his mind, and their exercises his body ;
and in course of time he wills and thinks nothing else than
such things as are of charity, 423. The end for which a per
son acts shows whether there is charity or not, 407- How
you can see charity in its type, 4-15. Charity is spiritual in
its origin and natural in its derivation, 459 ; it resides in the
internal man, and thence in the external man, 410. Charity
is not charity, unless it be conjoined with faith, 336, 355, 367,
377, 387, 450. The truths of faith not onlyillnminare charity,
but they also qualify it, and moreover nourish it, 377. Char
ity and works are distinct from each other like will and ac

tion, 374. 420, 422. Charity towards bad men ought io be
exercised according to natural equity ; towards good men hc-
cording to spiritual equity, 413. The firBt thing of charity is
to put away evils, and the second thing of it is to do g-.ods
which are of use to the neighbor, 435, 535. Those who have
genuine charity have a zeal for what is good, and that zeal
in the externa] man may be seen like angerand flaming liie,
but is extinguished and appeased as soon as the adversary
repents, 408. The beneficent acts of charity are, to give to
the poor and to help the needy ; but with prudence, 4Z5-J28.
Those who pface charity itself in those beneficent acts cannot
do otherwise than place merit in those works, 425. There
are debts of charity ; some public, some domestic, and some
private, 429-432. The beneficent acts of charity and the
debts of charity are distinct from each other, like ilie things
which are done from liberty and those which are done I'mm
necessity, 429. The public debts of charity are especially
duties and taxes ; those who are spiritual pay them with one
disposition of heart, and those who are merely natural, with
another, 430. The domestic debts of charity are those of a
husband towards his wife, and of a wife towards her bus-
hand ; those of a father and a mother towards their children,
and of children towards their father and mother ; of a mus
ter and mistress towards their servants and maids, and of the
latter towards the former, 431. The debts of parems towards
children with those who are in charity, are inwardly differ
ent from these debts with those who are not in charity ; but
outwardly they appear similar, 431. The private debts of
charity are many ; as paying wages to workmen, paying in
terest and rents, performing contracts, etc., 432. These
debts also are discharged in one state of mind by those who
are in charity, and in another by those who are not in char
ity, 432. The recreations of charity are dinners, suppers,
and parties, 433, 434. Feasts of charity are with those only
who are in mutual love, from a similar faiih, 433. There is
spurious charity, hypocritical charity, and dead charity,
450-453. All charity which is not conjoined to faith in one
God, in whom there is a Divine Trinity, is spurious, 451.
Hypocritical charity is with those who apparently worship
God with veneration, yet in heart think of the worship of
themselves, 452. Dead charity is with those who have a
dead faith, 453. The charity of those who put nature in the
place of God is none, 453.
Charity and Faith, — Charity and Faith are the two es
sentials ofthe Church, 38. All the goods of the Church are
of charity, and are called charity ; and all its truths are of
faith, and are called faith, 38. Charity is of affection and
faith of thought, 386. Faith is formed by charity, as speech
is formed by sound, 38(5. Charity and faith are distinctly
two. but still make one in man, that he may be a man ofthe
Church ; that is, that the Church may be in man, 336. Faith
is first in time, but charity is first in end, 336. To separate
charity from faith is like separating essence from form, 367.
Charity and faith are together in good works, 373, 387, 442,
643. Charity and faith are only mental and perishable
things, unless, when it can be done, they are determined to
works, and co-exist in them, 375, 376, 387. Charity alone
does not produce good works, still less faith alone, but char
ity and faith together, 377- Charity is the complex of all
things of good, which a man does to the neighbor, and faith
is the complex of all things of truth, which a man thinks
concerning God and concerning things divine, 392.
Charms make the life of truths, and delights make the life
of goods, 38. Thereare two kinds of charms — the charms of
the faith of truth, and the charms ofthe faith ofthe false, 38.
Chaste. — Abstinence from doing does not make a man
chaste, but abstinence from willing, when "ne can do, because
't is sin, does, 316.
Chemosh, 292.
Cherubims (the) signify the guards of the Word, lest any
one should enter into the spiritual sense, and pervert the
genuine truth, which is of that sense, 208, 220, 260, 699 ; sig
nifies the literal sense ofthe Word as a guard, 260, 508, 776.
Chiding. — Every one can chide another who intends evil,
and say, " Do not do this, because it is a sin ;" and yet with
difficulty can say it to himself: why? 535.
Chimeras in the Church; whence they come, 57. The
doctrine of faith alone is a chimeia, 181, 379.
Chinese, 279.
Christ. — See Jesus.
Christian. — By the name of Christian is meant that he
has faith in Christ, and charity towards the neighbor from
Christ, 682. To take the name of a Christian or of a disciple
of Christ, and not lo acknowledge and follow Christ— lhatis,
to live according to his commandments— is to take a name
as empty as a shadow, 689. Primitive Christians, or Chris
tians before the Council of Nice, 636-639. Christians since
this council, 206. Christians of the present day, 619.
Christian Church (the) from its infancy has been infested
and torn by schisms and heresies, 378. At this day is the
last time ot the Christian Church, 757-763.
Christianity itself is now first beginning to dawn ; hith
erto it has only existed by name ; theie was some with a kind
of shadow of it, 700. The state of Christianity at this day in
the spiritual world, 619.
Chrysalises, 12.
Church (the) is from the Word, and is such with man as is
his understanding of the Word, 243-247. The three essentials
of the Church are God, charity, and faith, 712. The all of
the Church depends on the idea concerning God and the idea
concerning redemption, which is one with salvation, 133. A
just idea concerning God is, in the Church, like the inmost

CIE

INDEX.

con

581

sanctuary and altar in the temple, 163. The conjunction of
good and truth makes the Church, 398. The truths and goods
contained in the spiritual sense of the Word make essentially
the Church, 244. The communion, which is called the
Church, consists of all those who have the Church in them ;
aud the Church with man enters when he is being regener
ated, 510. A man who is in faith in the Lord and in charity
to his neighbor, is a Church in particular ; the Church in
general is composed of those similar, 707. The understand
ing and the will should make one, that man may be a man
of the Church, 249. The Church teaches the means which
lead to eternal life, and introduces into it, 415. Without
free agency in spiritual things the Church would not be
any thing, 483. Repentance is the first thing of the Church,
510. See Repentance. Man is introduced into spiritual
life by the Church, 415. The Churcli appears before the
Lord as one man, 762. The Church makes the body of
Christ, and every one in whom the Church is, is in some
member of that body, 372, 379, 416, 608. The Church, where
the Word is rend and the Lord is known by it, is as the heart
and lungs of this grand man, 26S. The Church, which is in
divine truth from the Lord, prevails over the hells, 224. The
faith of every Church is, as it were, the seat from which all
its dogmas spring; wherefore, when the primary faith of a
Church is known, it is perceived what is the quality of that
Ohurcb, 178. There is an external and an internal Church ;
and the internal Church makes one with the Church in heav
en, 784. The Christian Church was founded solely upon the
worship of Jehovah jn the Human, consequently upon God-
Man, 94. This Church has passed through the several
stages, from infancy to extreme old age, 4. In the Evangel
ists are described the successive declensions and corruptions
of the Christian Chnrch, 180, 378. 361. The Christian
Church, which was founded by the Lord when he was in
the world, is now first being built up by him, 674. The
Christian Church, such as it is in itself, is now first com
mencing ; the former Church was Christian only in name,
but not in essence and reality, 668, 700. The Lord is at this
day instituting a New Church, in which will be the worship
of the Lord alone, as in heaven, 113, 182, 786, 787- This
Church, which is meant in the Revelation by the New Jeru
salem, will descend out of heaven from the Lord, 107. 113
A New Church cannot be instituted unless there be first a
subjugation ofthe hells and an establishment of order in the
heavens. This New Church will last from ages to ages, and
will be the crown of all the Churches that have been before,
787, 788- It is provided by the Lord that there should always
be a Church on oarth where the Word is read and by it the
Lord may be made known, 270. The Church is called
mother, because, as a mother on the earth feeds her children
with natural food, so the Church feeds them with spiritual
food, 306.
Church, The Apostolic. — A trinity of persons, or of
three persons from eternity, was entirely unknown in the
Apostolic Church; this is very evident from the Apostles'
Creed, 174. 175, 636. The faith imputative of the merit of
Christ was not known in that Church, 636-639. In that pri
meval time, all in the Christian world acknowledged that
the Lord Jesus Christ was God, to whom is given all power
in heaven and on earth, 637. This Church was actually like
anew star appearing in the starry heaven, 176. See Son of
God. Church, The Greek. — The error of this Church is, that
the Holy Spirit proceeds immediately from God the Father,
while the true doctrine, which is from heaven, and which
the angels call an arcanum, because it was never before
made known in the world, is. that the Lord of himself sends
him from the Father, 153, 647.
Churches. — All the Churches which had been before the
coming of the Lord were representative Churches, which
could not see divine truth, but as in the shade, 109, 786, 813.
All the things of these Churches were representati ve, because
the Lord was represented by angels, 109. On this earth,
since its creation, there have been four Churches in general,
one of which has succeeded another : the Most Ancient
Church before the flood, the Ancient after the flood, the Is
raelitish Church, and the Christian Chnrch, 760, 762, 786.
The last time of the Christian Chnrch is the very night in
which former Churches have come to their end, 761. The
successive stages of the Church in general and in particular,
are described in the Word by the four seasons of the year,
and by the four times of the day, 764. Why there were four
Churches. 775,786. As all churches depend on the acknowl
edgment of one God, with whom the man of the Church can
be conjoined, and all the four Churches have not been in that
truth, it follows, that a Church is to succeed these four which
will knowand acknowledge one God, 786. The Most Ancient
Church worshipped, an invisible God, with whom there can
be no conjunction ; the Ancient Church did in like manner,
785 ; the Israelitish Church worshipped Jehovah, who in
himself is an invisible God, but under a human form, which
Jehovah God put on by means of an angel, 786. The Chris
tian Church did, indeed, acknowledge one God with the
month, but in three persons, each of whom singly or by him
self was God, and thus a trinity divided, and not united in
one person. 786.
Chyle. 237.
Cicero, 273.
Cineritious substance of the brain, 351.
Circles of things, 756. The spiritual sun is the nearest
circle encompassing the Lord, 365. Circles around the head.
507.

Circulation of the Blood, 5J —See TCta^t.
Circumcision of the flesh represented circumcision of tha
heart, 675 ; it signified the rejection ut' the cfiucupiscL'tices of
the heart, and thus purification from evils, 674. This princi
pal sign of the Israelitish Church was inwardly similar to
baptism, the sign of the Christian Church, 674.
Circumferences in the spiritual world. 268.
Cities in the spiritual world. 388 ; of the Dutch, 805; of
the English, 809 ; ofthe Jews, 841.
Clergy. — Illustration and instruction arc with the clergy
in particular, because they belong to their olfice, and inau
guration into the ministry brings them along with it, 146.
In addition to these two, there are also perception and dis
position ; thus, with the clergy, these loin — illustration, per
ception, disposition, and instruction— follow in order, 155.
With the clergy the love of ruling from the love of self
mounts aloft, when the reins are given lo it, until they wish
to be gods, 405. See Priests.
Climates in the spiritual world, 185. Action of the cli
mate on man, 83>5.
Climb. — To climb up another way — John x. 1— signifies
that man should not go to God the Father, because he is
invisible, and thence inaccessible, and incapable of conjunc
tion, 538, 174, 177-
Clouds (the) of heaven signify the Word in the sense of
the letter, 776. The bright cloud which overshadowed the
disciples when the Lord was transfigured, signifies the same
thing. 222. It is a vain thing to believe that the Lord will
appear in person in the clouds of heaven, but the truth is,
that he is to appear in the Word, which is from him, 777. In
the spiritual world there are sometimes bright clouds above
the angelic heavens; these signify obscurity in these heav
ens, from the literal sense of the Word, and when those
clouds are dispersed they signify that the angels are in clear
light from its spiritual sense ; but the dark clouds over the
hells signify the falsification and profanation of the Word,
776. Cocceians, 803.
Collision between the faith of the former Church and the
faith ofthe New Chnrch, 647.
Columns (the) ofthe tabernacle signify the ultimates of
the Word, which are the goods and truths of the literal
sense, 220.
Combat of the Lord against hell, when he performed the
redemption, 116, 124. The combat of the Lord with the hells
was not an oral combat, as between reasoners and wranglers,
but it was a spiritual combat, which is of divine truth from
divine good, which was the very vital principle of the Lord,
124; the influx of this, by means of sight, no one in heli
can resist, 124. Why the Lord fought this combat from the
Human, 124. The combats of the Lord against hell, and
those of man against evils and falses, are represented by the
six days of work, 301, 302. Combat bet-ween the internal
and external man, 596-600.
Coming of the Lord. — Before the Lord came into the
world scarcely any one knew what the internal man was, or
what charity was, 409. Without the coming of the Lord
into the world, no one could have been saved, 3; how this
ought to be understood, 579. Unless the Lord should come
again into the World, in divine truth, no one can be saved, 3.
At this time is the second coming of the Lord, for the sake
of instituting a New Church, 115 : and not of destroying the
visible heaven and the habitable earth, 768-771 ; but of sav
ing those who have believed in him since his first coming,
and who will hereafter believe, 772. Without this coming of
the Lord no flesh could be saved, 772-775. This second com
ing of the Lord is not in person, but in the Word, which is
from him, and is in himself, 776-778. If the Lord appears in
the Word and not in person, it is because, since his ascension
into heaven, be is in the glorified Human ; and in this he can
not appear to any man, unless he first open the eyes of his
spirit; and these cannot be opened in any one who is in
evils, and thence in falses, 777- This second coming of the
Lord is effected by means of a man, before whom he has
manifested himself in person, and whom he has filled with
his spirit, to teach the doctrines of the New Church through
the Word from him, 779, 780, 851. This is meant, in the
Revelation, by the New Heaven and New Earth, and the
New Jerusalem descending thence, 781-785. What with
man is the first coming ofthe Lord, 766.
Commandments (The Ten).— See Decalogue. TheBe
commandments are written upon two tables : the first table,
composed ofthe first three commandments, involves all the
things which are of love to God : the second table, all those
things which are of love towards the neighbor ; the first five
precepts of it, those things which are of the deed, and are
called works ; and the two last, those things which are of
the will, thus those things which are of charity in its origin,
456. See Tables of the Law. Fir at Commandment— Spir
itual sense : that no other God than the Lord Jesus Christ is
to be worshipped, because he is Jehovah, who came into the
world, and made redemption, without which not any man
nor any angel could have been saved, 294. Celestial sense :
that Jehovah the Lord is Infinite, Immense, and Eternal ;
that he is Love itself and Wisdom itself; thus the Only One,
from whom are all things, 295. Second Commandment —
Spiritual sense : by the name of God is meant all that which
the Church teaches from tho Word, and by which the Lord
is invoked and worshipped, 298. Celestial sense : the name
of God signifies the Divine Human of the Lord, 299. Third
Commandment— Spiritual sense ; it meanB the reformation,
and regeneration of man by the Lord, 302. Celestial sense .

582

COM

INDEX.

CON

it means the conjunction with the Lord, and then peace, be
cause protection from hell, 303. Fourth Commandment—
Spiritual sense : father signifies God, who is the Father of
all, and mother signifies the Church, 306. Celestial sense •
father signifies our Lord Jesus Christ, and mother signifies
his Church spread ovei the whole globe, 307- Fifth Com
mandment — Spi i itual sense : murders signify all methods of
killing and destroying the souls of men, 310, 236. Celestial
'¦eitse : it means to be angry, rashly, with the Lord, to hate
him, and to wish to blot out his name, 311, 236. Sixth Com
mandment — Spiritual . sense : to commit adultery is to adul
terate the goods of the Word, and to falsify its truths, 314,
236. C'eleMial senxe ; it means to deny the holiness of the
Word, and to profane it, 315, 236. Seoenlh Commandment—
Spiritual senne : by stealing is meant to deprive others ofthe
truths of their faith, which is done by false and heretical
things, 318. 236. Celestial sense : it means to take away di
vine riower from the Lord, and also to claim to one's self his
merit and righteousness, 319, 236. Eighth Commandment—
Spiritual sense. : by bearing false witness, is meant to per
suade that the false of faith is the true of faith, and that the
evil of life is the good of life, and the reverse, but to do boih
from purpose, and not from ignorance, 322, 236. Celestial
spun*, : it means to blaspheme the Lord and the Word, and
thus to reject the Truth itself from the Church, 323, 236.
Ninth and Tenth Commandments. — These two commandment"
look to those commandments which precede, and they teach
and enjoin that- evils should not be done, as also that they
should not be lusted for, 326. In the spiritual sense, by
these commandments are prohibited all lusts which are con
trary to the spiritual things of the Church, which refer
themselves, principally, to faith and charity, 327. In both
senses, the spiritual and the celestial, they have in view all
things contained in the spiritual and celestial sense of the
other commandments, 327. The commandments of the Lord
all refer themselves to love towards the neighbor, which, in
the sum, are not to do him evil, but to do him good, 458. The
reason why such things as are directly of love and charily
are not commanded, but only such things as are opposite to
them, that they should not be done, is, because, as far as
man slums evils as sins, so far he wills the goods which are
of love and charity, 329 ; eight commandments examined
summarily to show that so far as hell — that is, evil — is re
moved, so far heaven approaches, and man looks to good, 330.
To do contrary to the commandments of the Lord is not only
to do contrary to men, but also contrary to God, 444.
Communication,— By the reading of the Word in the
sense of its letter, communication is made with the heavens,
235, 258, 272. By his interiors man communicates with the
spirits, and by his exteriors with men ; by this communica
tion man perceives things, and thinks them analytically,
475. Reciprocal communication of the affections, 662. Be
fore the coming of the Lord hell had grown up, so as, by in
terposition between heaven and the world, to intercept the
communication of the Lord with the men ofthe earth, 597-
Communion. — What it is to be in the communion of saints
on earth, and in the communion of angels in heaven, 15, 347.
The Church throughout the whole world is called the com
munion of saints, 416. A regenerate man is in communion
with the angels of heaven, and an unregenerate man in com
munion with the spirits of hell, 607-610.
Comparisons.— Subjects illustrated by comparisons, name
ly : the Washing of baptism alone, 673 ; the Friendship oi love
contracted with a man, 448 ; and among the wicked, 435, 455 ;
Love of self, 405, 533; Lorn ofthe world, 404, 533 : Baptism like
regeneration, 687- The first use of baptism, 680. The Beauty
of faith, 353 ; the Good which man does before removing evil
from his will, 435, 436 ; Good, meritorious, 441 ; Beneficent aettt,
imprudent, 428; Characteristic testimonies and signs of true
faith, 379; Charity and faith mere ideal things, 375, 376;
Charity, spurious, 451 ; hypocritical, 452; dead, 453; none,
454; the Combat of the Lord against the hells, 123; Con
junction with the Lord by the Holy Supper, 727 ; Conjunction
with the invisible God, 787; Conjunction reciprocal, 371;
Consummation of the age, 756; Contrition without repent
ance, 515 ; Conversion of the Roman Catholics in the other
world, 821 ; Co-operation of man and conjunction with the
Lord, 457 ; Creatable things, and things not creatable, 472;
the three Degrees in which are the heavens and the human
mind, 609 ; Deliverance of the spiritual world from a univer
sal damnation, 122 ; I) hear dances between the New Church
and the preceding Church, 648, 649; the Divine Good and
the Divine Truth, 86 ; the Division of the natural man into
two forms, 593; Church, the apostolic, 638; Churchec, the
four which have existed on the earth, 462 ; Equilibrium, the
spiritual, 478; State of spirituality and the opposite state,
361 ; States (the two) of reformation and regeneration, 106,
571 ; End, the first and last, 152; the Faith of the Church,
177, 178, 346 ; Faith in the Lord as a man only, 380 ; Faith
In three divine persons, 116, 133, 141, 165, 171, 173; Faith
s^inrate from charity and faith conjoined with charity, 348
377 : Faith, living and dead faith, 385 ; the horrible Faith
of predestination, 480 ; Habit of doing repentance, 563;
Man, regeneiate, 603 ; Man, not regenerate, 595, 642; Man,
the internal being regenerated, and the external at the same
time not regenerated, 600 ; the Man who denies the free
will and co-operation in regeneration, 617; Man before and
after repentance, 531 ; tl\e Man who derives wisdom from
the Lord, and he who derives it from himself, 69 ; the Man
whose understiinding has been elevated, and the love of the
will not elevated by it, 590 ; Man, the moral, exteriorly 443
662 ; Man, such as lie is by birth, 574, 575 ; Men who do good

from religion before having adopted the doctrine ofthe New
Church of the Lord, 537 ; the Men who know many things
about doctrine and who do not explore themselves, 527, 534 ;
Men, internal and external, 839 ; the Men of the Church at
tached to the faith of the present day, 582, 484 : the Men
who approach worthily the Holy Supper, 724 ; the Hypo
crite, 381; the Hypocrites who make confession with their
lips only, 519 ; Imputation, 660 ; the Liberty of speaking
and writing, 814, 815; the Freedom which the Lord has
given Dot only to man, but also to every beast, 491, 499 ; Free
auenci/, 482 ; Evil and true faith which cannot be together,
383, 657 ; Mind, the human, 350 ; Signing or seal ofthe Holy
Supper, 730; Order, the most universal, 679, 680; Peace, ihe
heavenly, 304 ; the Word without the sense of the letter.
213; the Word, if man had not free agency in spiritual
things, 483 ; the Passion of the Lord, 126 ; Sins retained in
an impenitent man, 524 ; Repentance, which is the first thii.g
of the Church with man, 511 ; Reception of spiritual thing.-;
in a state of freedom, 496 ; Reception according to forms,
366; Redemption, 84, 119, 125; Regeneration not possihle
without truth, 620 : Remission of sins, 614 ; Sacraments ithe
two), Baptism, and the Holy Supper, 669, 721 ; Holiness of
the sacrament of the Holy Supper, 701 ; the Lord operating
of himself from the Father, and not vice versa, 154 ; the Sense
of the letter of the Word, 192; Sense, the spiritual of the
Word, in its literal sense, 192, 193; Subjugation of the hells,
establishment of order in the heavens, and institution of the
Chuich, 117, 123; Subtlety of those who wish to demonstrate
that three are one, 184 ; Omniscience of the Lord, 61 ; Union
of the Human with the Divine, 131 ; the Will of the Lord
to implant truth and good, 145.
Comparisons in the Word are at the same time corre
spondences, 215.
Conception of man ; how it is operated, 584.
To Condemn, — To live wickedly and confirm falses, even
to the destruction of genuine truth, this does condemn, 254,
256. Condition of man's life after death, 568. Condition of
those who believe that they can, from their own intelligence,
procure for themselves knowledges concerning God, concern
ing heaven and hell, and concerning the spiritual things
which are of the Church, 276 ; of those who have confirmed
themselves from the Word in falses of doctrine, especially in
order to maintain justification by faith alone, 281 ; of those
who do not perform the works of charity from religion, 536.
Confession consists in seeing, knowing, and acknowledg
ing one's evils, and finding one's self a miserable sinner, 5i9.
The oral confession alone, that one is a sinner, is not repent
ance, 516, 519. A general confession of sins, without dis
tinction, was accepted by the Reformed, who are attached
to the Augsburg Confession, instead of actual repentance,
516. Confession ought to be made before the Lord God
the Saviour, and then supplication for help and power to
resist evils, 538. See Supplication. There is no need of
enumerating sins before the Lord, because the man has
searched and seen them in himself, and the Lord has led him
in searching, and opened them, and inspired him with sor
row, and together with this, with the endeavor to desist
from them and begin a new life, 539. It is not hurtful to
enumerate one's sins before a minister of the Church for the
sake of absolution, because man is thus introduced into tho
habit of examining himself, and of reflecting upon his daily
evils ; but this confession is natural, while the confession
before the Lord is spiritual, 539. The confession ofthe Lord.
and of one God conjoins minds, 828. The oral confession of
one God cannot abolish the idea of three Gods, 173.
Confidence (the) in the Lord God, the Saviour Jesus
Christ, is the esse of the faith of the New Church, 344,
Without confidence love is not love, 727. See Assurance.
To Confirm. — Every man may, from the things visible in
nature, confirm himself in favor of the divine, 12. Those
who confirm themselves in favor of the divine, attend to their
wonderful things, which they see in the productions of vege
tables as well as of animals, 12. Thosewho, from the things
visible in the world, have confirmed themselves in favor of
nature to such a degree that they become Atheists, appear in
spiritual light with an understanding open below but closed
above, 12, Human ingenuity can confirm whatever it will,
621. The natural rational can confirm the false as well as
the true, and both, when they are confirmed, appear in a
similar light, 758. The false, when confirmed, remains, and
cannot be extirpated, 254. It is very dangerous to confirm
the dogmas of faith, which are formed from man's own in
telligence, and thence of falses, and still more dangerous to
confirm them from the Word, 508.
Confirmation (the) of the false is a denial of truth, 758.
Whatever a man has by confirmation imprested upon him
self, remains fixed in him, and cannot he torn away after
death, especially that which any one has confirmed in himself
concerning God, 110. The true cause of this is, that confirm
ation enters the will, and the will is the man himself, and it
disposes the understanding according to its pleasure ; but
bare knowledge only enters the understanding, and this has
not any authority over the will, 225. No one who is in evil
and in false, thence from confirmation and life, can know
what are good and truth, since he believes his evil to be
good, and thence he believes his false to be the truth ; but
every one who is in good and the truth thence, from confirm
ation and life, may know what is evil and what is false, 398.
Confikmers. — Those are called confirmers in the spiritual
world who cannot see at all whether truth be truth or not
and yet can make whatever they please appear like truth 334u'

CON

INDEX.

CKE

583

Conjugial Love corresponds to the love of the Lord and
the Church ; ill the blessedness, satisfactions, and delights
which can ever be conferred by the Lord are collected into
this love. 817. Truly conjugial love is solely from the Lord,
and is given to those who are re-genera ed by him, 847. Con
jugial love is with man according to his religion ; it is spirit
ual with the spiritual, natural with the natural, and merely
carnal with adulterers, 847.
Conjunction.— Conjunction with God is that by which
man has salvation and eternal life, 369, 726- No conjunction
is possible with an invisible God, 786, 787. Conjunction
wiih God is given to-man solely by the union of the Divine
and the Human in the Lord, 9H, 370. There is no conjunction
given between two, unless one mutually accedes to the
other, 99. Conjunction is not practicable unless it be recip
rocal, and it becomes reciprocal while man acts from his lib
erty, and yet from faith attributes all activity to the Lord,
11J. Reciprocal conjunction, 99, 100, 126, 371, 485. The re
ciprocal conjunction by which man has salvation and eternal
life is perpetual, 484. Conjunction with the Lord and man is
reciprocal ; man ought to conjoin himself to the Lord, that
the Lord may conjoin himself with him, 371, 484, 588, 726,
787- The conjunction of God with man is spiritual con
junction in the natural, and the conjunction of man with
God is natural conjunction from the spiritual, 369. For
the sake of this conjunction as an end, man was created
a native of heaven, and at the same time of the world ; as a
native of heaven he is spiritual, and as a native of the world
he is natural, 369. This reciprocal conjunction of the Lord
and man is effected by means of charity and faith, 372. The
conjunction of charity and faith, or of the Lord and man,
consists in that, that good should be doue by man as from
himself; but that it should be believed that they are from
the Lord, with him and through him, 3. The conjunction
effected by charity and faith is a spiritual conjunction, 372.
Spiritual conjunction cannot be dissolved, 448. By the
Word there is conjunction with the Lord ; this conjunction
does not appear to man, but it is in the affection of truth, and
in its perception, 234. There is conjunction effected with the
Lord, by temptations, 126; by a life according to the ten
commandments of the Decalogue, 285, 484 ; by the Holy
Supper, 725, 726, 727. Conjunction with heaven cannot be
given unless there be somewhere in the earth a Church,
where the Word is, and the Lord is known by it, 267. Con-
junction of good and truth, of charity and faith, of the inter
nal and the external, 105, 442, 654. The conjunction of good
and truth is called in heaven the heavenly marriage, 398.
The conjunction, by the affections of love, between men and
angels and spirits, is so close, that if it were severed, men
would expire, 607- Conjunction is represented by break
ing the bread and distributing it, and by drinking from the
same cup and handing it to another, 433. Friendship is a
natural conjunction, but love is a spiritual conjunction,
446. Conscience. — Conscience, viewed in itself, is not any
pain, but it is a spiritual willingness to do according to the
things which are of religion and faith, 666. The pain of
mind which is believed to be conscience is not conscience,
but it- is temptation, which is a combat of the spirit and the
flesh; and when this temptation is spiritual, it derives its
source from conscience, but if it is only natural, it derives
its origin from diseases, 666. All those who have conscience
speak from the heart whatever they speak, and do from the
heart whatever they do, 666. See 665.
Consistence of all things depends on order, 679.
Consociation. — Every man is in consociation with angels
of heaven or with spirits of hell, 607- Consociation of men
with angels is effected by the literal sense of the Word, 239.
Everyman, as to his spirit, is consociated with his like in
the spiritual world, aud is as one with them, 14. 137- All
.consociations in the spiritual world are made according to
the affections, 365.
Consonants.— In the third heaven the angels could not
express any of the consonants roughly, but softly, 278.
Constantine the Great, 632, 636, 637.
Consummation of the age is the last time or the end of the
Church, 753-759. The consummation of a Church takes
place when no divine truth remains, except what is falsified
or rejected, 753. "When the truth in a Church is consum
mated, the good there is consummated also, 753. The good
which is then believed to be good is only the natural good,
which moral life produces, 754. Causes of the consumma
tion of a Church, 754. Vastation, desolation, and decision
signify the same as consummation ; but desolation signifies
the consummation of truth, vastation the consummation of
good, and decision the full consummation of both, 755. In
the Evangelists and tha Apocalypse, the consummation of
the age signifies the end of the Church of the present day,
182, 198, 753-759, 784.
Contradiction.— In the Word, considered in its spiritual
light, there is no contradiction, 236. It is not a contradiction
to act omnipotently according to the laws of justice, and
with judgment, or according to the laws inscribed on love
from wisdom ; but it is a contradiction that God can act
contrary to the laws of his own. justice and love; and this
would not be from judgment and wisdom, 74. Contradictory
propositions, 172, 393.
Contrition— of which it is at this day said, that it precedes
faith, and is followed by the consolation ofthe gospel— is not
repentance, 512-5L5, 665. Thus it is of no moment at all, 514.
Neither is it temptation, 597. The Reformed took up contri-
Vioa instead of repentance, that they might be torn away

from the Roman Catholics, who urge repentance^and at the
same time charity, 515.
Conversion.— Man is continually kept in a possible sl»te
of repentance and conversion, 720. In order that conversion
may be effected, what is savage and obnoxious must first be
taken away, and tha,t which is truly human and harmless
implanted in their place, 642. Conversion of the body and
face : every man in whom the Church is, as to the sight of
his spirit, beholds the Lord before him, in whatsoever direc
tion his body and face are turned, 767-
Co operation of the passive with the active, 457- Co
operation of man with the Lord in regeneration, 371, 576,
580; illustrated by examples, 576, 577, 578. The action of
man, concordant with the action of the Lord, is what is
meant by this co operation, 576.
Correspondences are representations of spiritual and ce
lestial things in natural things, 204. There is a correspond
ence between those things which are in the spiritual worid
and those things which are in the natural world, 75. The
magnificent and splendid things in the heavens are corre
spondences of the affections of the love of good and truth ;
and vile and filthy things in the hells are correspondences of
the affections of the love of the evil and the false, 77, 78.
Correspondences are the receptacles and habitations of genu
ine truths, 215. Correspondences disclose the spiritual sense
of the Word, 702. Because divine things in the world pre
sent themselves in correspondences, therefore the Word was
written by mere correspondences, 201. What is written by
correspondences is written, in the ultimate sense, in such a
style as in the Prophets, the Evangelists, and the Revela
tion, which, although it appears ordinary, still conceals
within itself the divine wisdom, and all angelic wisdom, 194.
The Lord, when he was in the world, spoke by correspond
ences ; thus also spiritually, when naturally, 199, 201. With
man there is a perpetual correspondence between those
things which are done naturally and those which are done
spiritually ; or those which are done by the body aud those
which are done by the spirit, 683. There is a plenary corre
spondence between man and the Grand Man, or heaven, 65.
There is a correspondence of all things of the mind with all
things of the body, 38. Correspondences, 201-207 ; of the
heart and ofthe lungs, 37; between spiritual and natural
sight, 346 ; between the effects and uses proceeding from the
sun of the spiritual world and the effects and uses proceeding
from the sun of the natural world, 70 ; of the tree with man,
374, 584, 585.
Correspondences (The Science of), 201-207, 833.
Among the ancients this science was very well known ; it
was the science of sciences, and so universal that all their
books were written by correspondences, 201, 279, 833, 846.
Since the representative rites of the Church, which were
correspondences, in process of time began to be turned into
things idolatrous, and also into things magical, then that
science, by the Divine Provideuce of the Lord, was gradually
lost, and among the Israelitish and Jewish nation, it was en
tirely obliterated, 204. It continued among many of the
eastern nations, even to the coming of the Lord, 205. The
reason that it was not disclosed to the Christians, in the
primitive Church, was, because they were so very simple
that it would have been of no use to them, nor would it have
been understood, 206. It has been revealed at this time, be
cause now the divine truths of the Church come forth into
light, 207-
Cortical substance ofthe brain, 351, 697-
Councils, 172, 174-177. No confidence to he put in coun
cils, 634, See 174, 176, 188. Council of Nice, 94, 136, 172,
174, 176, 177, 206, 338, 632. Council called together by the
Lord in the spiritual world. 188.
Country (the) ought to be loved, because it nourishes and
protects the citizen, 305 ; it ought to be loved by man more
than he loves himself, 414. To love one's country is to love
the public welfare, 414 ; it is honorable to die for it, and glo
rious for a soldier to shed his blood for it, 414. Those who
love their country, and from good-will do good to it, after.
death love the kingdom of the Lord, for this is then their
country, 414.
Covenant. — Why the Decalogue is called a covenant, 285.
The old covenant ; the new covenant ; the blood of the new
covenant, 706, 730. The covenant ofthe people, 730. In the
Word, covenant signifies conjunction, 285.
Covering.— There is a general covering about every mem
ber, and this insinuates itself into every part therein, so that
they make one in every office and use, 60.
Covering (the) — Isaiah iv. 5, Ezek. xxiii. 13— signifies the
sense ofthe letter ofthe Word enveloping thespiritual sense,
213, 219.
Cows signify natural good affections, 203.
Creatable Things. — Life, love, and wisdom, good and
truth, heat and light, are not creatable, but forms are cre
ated to receive them, 40, 364, 471. Neither is activity in it
self, viewed in itself, creatable ; sound, which is the activity
of the atmosphere, is not creatable ; but its organ, which is
the ear, is creatable, 472. It is a law of nature, that where
there are things active there are also things passive, and
that those two join themselves together as into one, 472, 576.
If the active were creatable, as the passive, there would have
been no need ofthe sun, and of heat and light thence, "472.
To Create signifies to form for heaven, 773. Created
being signifies regenerated being, 573.
Creation. — An idea of creation. 33. A sketch of creation,
76. The whole creation in a particular type, 78. The uni
verse has been created from the Divine Love by the Divine

5S4

DEC

IXDKX.

DIP

Wisdom, 37. The one end of the creation of the universe
has been an angelic heaven from the human race, 13, 173.
The three essentials of the Divine Love were the cause of
the creation of the universe, nnd are also the cause of its
preservation, 46. See Love. Without some general knowl
edges concerning spiritual things, man cannot obtain for
himself a just idea concerning the creation of the universe,
75 The universe has not been created out of nothing, for
nothing is made out of nothing ; but it has been created by
means' of the sun of the angelic heaven, 76. This has been
done according to the laws of correspondence, 78. Without
order there could have been no creation, 500. All the things
that are seen in the spiritual world are created in a moment,
according to correspondence with the interiors of the angels
and spirits ; that is, according to their affections and thoughts;
while fill those things that are in the natural world exist
and grow from seeds, 78, 794. Creation in the natural world
was similar tn creation in the spiritual world, while the uni
verse was created by God, 78. Obnoxious animals and pro
ductions have not been created by God, for all the things
which God has created, and which he still creates, have been
good and are good ; but such things arose upon the earth at
the same time when hell was formed by men, 78. Natural
things were created that they might clothe spiritual things,
78. Because man was the principal end of creation, it fol
lows, that all and every thing was created for the sake of
man, and thence that all and every thing of order was brought
together into him and concentrated in him, that God might
do primary uses through him. 67. Subsistence is perpetual
existence, and preservation is perpetual creation, 224, See
Creatable Things — Sun.
Creature.— The spiritual man is a new creature, 571.
Every creature — Mark xvi 15 — signifies all who can be regen
erated. 573. The new creature signifies one who is regener
ated, 687.
Crocodilfs represent the lusts of diabolical love, 45.
Cross (the sign of the) is a sign of inauguration into the
acknowledgment and worship of the Lord, 682,
Crown of Thorns (the), put on the head of the Lord,
signifies that they had falsified and adulterated the divine
truths, 130.
Crucifixion of the Lord (the) signifies that they had de
stroyed and profaned the whole Word, 130.
To Crucify the Lord is to be angry, rashly, with the
Lord, to hate him, and to wish to blot out his name, 311.
Cup signifies the truth of the Word, 215 ; signifies the pas
sion ofthe cross— Mark xiv. 36, John xviii. 11 — 704.
Curtmns ofthe Tabernacle (the) signify the ultimates
of the Word which are the truths and the goods of its letter,
2J0 ; signify the ultimates of the Word and of the Church, 26U.
Dagon represents the religion of those who are in faith
separate from charity, 203. See, also, 71, 283, 614.
Damnation. — The total damnation which threatened the
whole human race, because the power of evil prevailed over
the power of good, was removed by the Lord's coming into
the world, 3, 121, 579, The Lord has delivered the spiritual
world, and, by this, is about to deliver the Church from uni
versal damnation, 122.
Daphne, 58.
Darkness signifies falses arising either from ignorance, or
from falses of religion, or from evils of life, 635. That at
the end of the first Christian Church the light of truth would
be almost extinguished, is foretold in many places in the
Revelation, 271.
David.— By David, in the Word, is meant the Lord, 171.
Day (the) of Jehovah, signifies the coming of the Lord, 198,
761. The first coming of the Lord with man, is called the
dawn of day, 766.
Death is not an extinction, but a continuation of life, and
is merely a transition, 792. The entrance into the spiritual
world generally takes place on the third day after decease,
138 281. Upon his entrance there, man does not know but
that he is still in the natural world, 792. He is prepared
there for his abode in heaven or in hell, 447, 448, 568. See
World of Spirits. Spiritual death, viewed in itself, is nat
ural life without spiritual life, 369.
D BTsof Charity, 429-432. Wherein theyconsist, 429 ; some
are public, 430 ; others domestic, 431 ; and others private, 432.
TV->;e riciit.s are also discharged by those who are not in char
ity, but in an entirely different state of mind by those who are
in charity, 432. See Charity.
Dialogue.— The decalogue was holiness itself in the Is
raelitish Church, 283-286. In the sense of the letter it con
tains the general precepts of doctrine and life, but in the
spiritual and celestial sense it contains all precepts univer
sally, 287-290. The ten precepts ofthe decalogue contain all
things which are of love to God, and all things which are of
love towards the neighbor, 329, 456. Although the laws of
the decalogue were universally known in the world, they
were, nevertheless, promulgated from Mount Sinai by Jeho
vah, that it might be known that those laws were not only
civil and moral laws, but also divine laws, 282, 444. The
commandments of the decalogue were the first fruits of the
Word, 283. They are, in a short summary, an assemblage of
all things of religion by which conjunction of God with man
and orm.tu wnh God is given, 283. For this reason they are
called covenant anil the testimony, 285, 456. They were writ
ten upon two tables, one of which contains, in a summary
all things which regard God ; and the other, in a summary,
all things which regard man, 286, 456. See Commandments,
Decision, in the Word, signifies the complete consumma
tion of good and truth, 755, 180. See Consummation.

Degrees.— In each ofthe two worlds, the spiritual and the
minimi, there are three degrees, which are called degrees of
altitude, 75. These three degrees are among themselves like
end, cause, and effect, 32. Every degree ib susceptible of
progress to infinity ; but the first, which is called natural,
cannot be elevated to the perfection of the second degree,
which is called spiritual, nor this to the perfection of the
third, which is called celestial, 32. The three heavens were
made from the three degrees of spiritual atmospheres, 76.
They are distinct from each other according to the three de
grees of love and wisdom, 608, 609. By means of degrees
God made the world finite more and' more, 33. There are
three degrees of love and wisdom, and thence three de
grees of life, 42. In every man there are, from creation,
three degrees of life, 239. Man is in the natural degree as
long as Tie is in the world, and then so far in the angelic-
spiritual degree as he is in genuine truths, and so far in the
celestial degree as he is in a life according to these truths, 239;
he does not come into the spiritual and celestial themselves
till after death, because these two are included and concealed
in his natural ideas, 239.
Delight.— The delight ofthe soul is from love and wisdom
from the Loi d ; this delight descends through the higher and
lower regions of the mind into all the senses of the body, and
fills itself in them, 737. There is in the heat and light of
heaven an ineffable delight, which is communicated, 622.
Delight makes the life ofthe love of man, 490, 570,740; every
love has its delight, 746 ; the delight by which love manifests
itself is every one's good, 38. Delights of love are of two
kinds — the delights ofthe love of good, and the delights ofthe
love of evil, 38. Man calls that which he loves delightful,
because he feels it ; that which he thinks, and does not love,
he may also call delightful, but it is not the delight of his
life, 399. Light makes that all which proceeds from love
is called good, although it -be evil, 658. The delight of the
love is what is good to a man, and the opposite is what is evil
to him, 399. The activity of love makes the sense of de
light; the activity of it is in heaven with wisdom, and its
activity in hell is "with insanity ; each in its subjects exhibits
delight, 570. Delight is the all of life to all in heaven, and
the all of life to all in hell, 570. The delights of hell are op
posite to the delights of heaven, 455. The delight of evil sur
rounds the merely natural man, as a thick cloud surrounds
a bog and absorbs and suffocates the rays of light, 564. In
fernal delight is amended, reformed, and inverted, solely by
the spiritual-rational and moral, 564. The delight of use,
arising from love through wisdom, is the soul and life ot all
heavenly joys, 734. The delights ol the soul are, in them
selves, imperceptible beatitudeB, but they become more and
more perceptible as they descend into the thoughts ofthe
mind, and from these in the sensations ofthe body, 744. The
delight of doing good to the neighbor is reward ; this de
light the angels have in heaven, and it is a spiritual delight
which is eternal, and immensely exceeds every natural de
light, 440, 734. Those who are in that delight do not wish
to hear of merit, for they love to do good, and perceive bless
edness in it, 440. The delights of love and the pleasures of
thought are felt but slightly by man whilst he lives in the
natural body, 569. The delights of loves in the spiritual
world are frequently felt as odors, 834.
Democritus, 693.
Demosthenes, 693.
Denmark, 161.
Deposing of chiefs in the world of spirits, 281.
Descartes, 696.
Desolation, in the word, signifies the consummation of
truth, 755, 180, 634. See Consummation.
Deucalion and Pyrrha, 58.
Devastation of the -present Church, even to its total de
struction, 635.
Devils.— Those are called devils who have been in evils
and thence in falses, 281 ; those who have confirmed evils by
their life, 80 ; those who have lived wickedly, and thus have
rejected from their hearts all acknowledgment of God, 35.
Devils, considered in their essence, are no other than evils
and falses, 87. A devil meditates and practices only infernal
things, 145. Every devil can understand what is true when
he hears it, but he cannot retain it, because the affection of
evil, when it returns, casts out the thought of truth, 388, 481.
With devils, rationality is from the glory of the love of self,
507. No devil can pronounce the name of Jesus, 297. It is
lawful for every devil to be in his own delight, even the most
unclean, provided he do not infest good spirits and angels ;
but because from their delight they cannot do otherwise than
infest them, they are cast into workhouses, where they suffer
hard things, 570, 661. See Satans, Hell.
Diana, 17, 58, 159.
To Die.— Man cannot die to eternity, 697.
Difference (the) between the spiritual and the natural,
280, 607, 846; between man in the natural world and man in
thespiritual world, 793 ; between man and the beast, 417, 473,
574 ; between natural and spiritual faith and charity, 460, 461 ;
between the things that are seen in the natural world and the
things that are seen in the spiritual world, 794.
Dignities —The love of self is principally a love of digni
ties, 403.
Dilection, is charity, 409.
Dinners, which are recreations of charity, are with those
only who are in mutual love from a similar faith 433 See
Feasts. '
Diogenes, 693. »
Diplomat, or Ambassador, 663.

DIV

INDEX.

ELE

585

Direction (opposite) of the interiors of the mind ; what it
produces, 613, 692.
Disciples (the twelve) of the Lord were sent by him, on the
19th June, 1770, out into the spiritual world to preach the
Gospel, 791, 4, 108. See Apostles.
Diseases, 665; slow diseases, 527 ; acute diseases. 534
Disposition is from the affection of the love of the will ;
the delight of this love disposes, 155. Such as is disposition,
such is reception, 8. There is a disposition of the truths of
faith into series, thus, as it were, into bundles, 351. Dispo
sition of man for the reception of God, 105
Dissimulation.— Origin of all dissimulation, 592, 111.
Distinction of one thing from another is from spaces and
times, 29.
Divide (to).— Every thing which is divided, unless it depend
upon one. falls of itself to pieces, 10. Every thing is divis
ible to infinity, 33. A thing divided does not become more
and more simple, but more and more multiple, because it
draws nearer and nearer to the Infinite, in whom are all
things infinitely, 280. A man may divide his huart, and com
pel its surface to raise itself upwards, while its flesh turns it
self downward, 151. '
Divine (the).— What is from God is not called God, but is
called Divine, 25. The Divine which proceeds immediately
from God is not in space, although it is omnipresent, 30.
From the Lord proceeds the Celestial Divine, the Spiritual
Divine, and the Natural Divine, 195. Whatever proceeds
from his Divine Love is called the Celestial Divine ; what
ever proceeds from his Divine Wisdom is called Spiritual Di
vine ; the Natural Divine is of both, and is their complex in
the ultimate, 195. In every Divine there is a first, a middle,
and a last, and the first goes through the middle to the last,
210. In this world, what is Divine presents itself in corre
spondences, 201.
Divine Attributes, 26, 623. Changed by the Gentiles
into as many gods, 17, 275, 623.
Divine Esse (the) is Jehovah, 18-24. It is Esse in itself,
and at the same time, Existere in itself, 21, 22. The Divine
Esse and Existere in itself cannot produce another Divine ;
that is Esse and Existere in itself, 23. The plurality of
gods in ancient, and also in modern times, originated from
no other cause than from not understanding the Divine Esse,
24. The Divine Esse is One, the Same, the Itself, and Indi
vidual, 25. See Esse.
Divine Esse and Divine Essence. — To the Divine Esse
appertain infinity, immensity, and eternity, and to the Di
vine Essence appertain omnipotence, omniscience, and om
nipresence, 49. It seems as if these two were one and the
same ; but still Esse is more universal than Essence, for an
Essence supposes an Esse, and from Esse Essence is derived,
18, 36 ; not that the Esse of God existed before, but because
it enters into the Essence as an adjunct, cohering with, de
termining, forming, and, at the same time, elevating it, 36.
Divine Essence (the) is composed of the Divine Love and
the Divine Wisdom, 37 ; or of the Divine Good and the Di
vine Truth, 37, 38. God never could and never can divide his
essence, for it is one and indivisible, 364. Where the Lord
is present there he is with his whole essence, and it is impos
sible for him to take some of it away, and thence to give a
part to one and a part to another ; but he gives it whole, and
affords man an opportunity to take little or much, 364. As
the Lord cannot be received by any, as he is in himself, he
appears as he is in his essence, as a sun above the angelic
heavens, 25- See Essence.
Divine Good and Divine Truth. — They constitute the
essence of God, 85. In the Word, by Jehovah is meant the
Divine Good or the Divine Love, and by God the Divine
Truth or the Divine Wisdom, 85. By Messiah or Christ, by
the Son of Man, by the Comforter, and by the Holy Spirit, is
meant the Divine Truth, 85. Jehovah God descended into the
world as the Divine Truth, that he might do the work of re
demption, 86 ; although he descended as the Divine Truth,
he still did not separate the Divine Good, 88 ; he did the work
of redemption by the Divine Truth from the Divine Good, 86.
Divine Human (the).— See Human.
Divine Itself (the), 23. The Divine Itself, which is in
effable and imperceptible, became, in its descent, adequate
to the perception of the angels, and at last to the perception
of men, 193.
Divine Love and Divine Wisdom. — These are the two
things which proceed from the Lord, 191. The universe was
created from the Divine Love, by the Divine Wisdom, 76.
The Divine Love, together with the Divine Wisdom, is in all
and every created subject, 37. God in his essence is Divine
Love, 838. Divine Love forms life, as fire forms light, 39.
Divine Wisdom is properly life, and life is properly the light
which proceeds from the snn of the spiritual world, in the
midst of which is Jehovah God, 39. Divine Love intends
nothing else than to unite itself to man and man to itself, 838.
The whole angelic heaven is arranged into its form, and pre
served in it, from the Divine Love by the Divine Wisdom, 37-
Divine Order itself is righteousness, 95. It is unchange
able, 105. The divine order is that man should dispose him
self for the reception of God, and prepare himself for a re
ceptacle and habitation into which God may enter and dwell,
as in his temple, 105, Divine order fills all and-every thing,
even to the minutest things in the universe, 106. Man was
created a form of divine order, 65. Man is so far in power
against the evil and the false, as he lives according to divine
order, 68. It is the same, whether we say, to do contrary to
divine order, or say, to do contrary to God, 500. It is accord-
Jug to divine order that there should he generals and particu

lars, and thntboth should he together in every thing, aud (hat
particulars should not otherwise exist and subsist, "75-
Doctrinals (the) ofthe New Churcli aie truths continuous
from the Lord, laid open by the Word ; the confirmations of
these truths by rational things cause the understanding to be
opened above more and more, and thus to be elevated into
the light, in which the angels of heaven are, 508. Faith is
the principal and doctrinals are the derivatives, 177.
Doctrine (the) of the Chinch should be derived from the
sense of the letter of the Word, and confirmed by it, 225-230.
The doctrine of genuine trnth may even be fully derived from
the literal sense of the Word ; for the Word, in that sense, is
like a man clothed, whose face is bare, and whose hands also
are bare. All the things which appertain to the faith and
the life of man, consequently to his salvation, are there naked
or bare, but the rest are clothed, 229. The Word, without
doctrine, is not understood, 226. The Woid, by doctrine, is
not only understood, but it also shines in the understanding.
227. True doctrine is like a lantern in the dark, and like a
guide-post in the ways, 227. Those who read the Word,
without doctrine, are in the dark concerning every trnth,
and their mind is waudering and uncertain, prone to enors,
and also inclinable to heresies, 228. The most essential
point of the doctrine of the Church is, that Jehovah God
descended and assumed the Human, 98. Doctrine is not
obtained by the spiritual sense of the Word, but it is only
illustrated and corroborated by that sense, 230. Genuine
truth, which should be of doctrine, does not appear to any
others, in the sense of the letter of the Word, than those
who are in illustration from the Lord, 231, 232. Doctrine
does not institute and make the particular Church which
is with every single man, but faith and a life according to
it, 245. All things of doctrine and life have leference to love
to God and love towards the neighbor, 287.
Dogmas.— It is very dangerous to enter.by the understand
ing into the dogmas of faith, which are formed of man's own
intelligence, and thence of falses, and still more to confirm
them from the Word, 508. But in the New Church it is lawful
by the understanding to enter and penetrate into all the se
crets of -the Word, and also to confirm them by the Word, 508-
Door (the) signifies the Lord God the Redeemer, 174.
Dort (synod of)— 486, 487, 759.
Double.— Man is double, 147. The mind is double, 443.
Dove (the) signifies regeneration and purification, 1431
The doves which appear in heaven are correspondences of
the affections, and thence the thoughts, concerning regener
ation and purification, 144.
Dragon. — By dragon, in the Revelation, are meant thosflt
who are in the faith ofthe present Church, 182, 648 ; and also
those who reject the spiritual sense of the Word, 207. Tha
spiritual spheres, which flow forth from modern Christen
dom, and spread themselves around, arise from the breath,
ofthe spirits ofthe Dragon, 619. See, also, 312, 388.
Drink (to) water ofthe fountain, signifies to be instructed
concerning truths, 693. To drink from the same cup and to-
hand it to another, represented conjunction, 433.
Dura mater and Pia mater, 213.
Dutch (the) are moie than all others in the love of trade,
as their end, and money is a mediate subservient love with,
them, and that love is spiritual, 801. They are fixed, in the-
principles of their religion more firmly than others, neither-
are they moved away from them, 802. Those who have ledi
in the world some life, of charity are prepared for heaven,
when they are in the spiritual world, and afterwards become
more constant than others, 802. See, also, 72 and 161.
Duties. — Distinction between the duties of charity and
the beneficent acts of charity, 425. By the duties of charity
are meant the exercises of charity, which proceed irame-
diately from charity itself, and which are primarily of the-
employment, in which every one is, 425.
E. — In the third heaven they cannot pronounce tne vowel
e ; they replace it by the diphthong en, 278.
Eagle. — Eagles, in the spiritual world, represent those
who, as soon as they hear the truth, perceive that it is truth,
42. By eagles — Matt. xxiv. 28— are meant leaders of the
Chnrch, who are, as it were, lynx-eyed, 634.
Ears. — To take ears and to eat them — Matt. xii. 1-9 — sig
nifies to be instructed in doctrinals, 301.
Earth (the) is like a common mother, 308, 585. See Vege
table. In the Word, earth signifies the Church, 585, 677.
Earthquake (an) signifies an imersion ef the Church,
which is effected by falses and falsification ofthe trnth, 179.
Eastern Nations.— See Orientals.
Eat (to) from the tiee of knowledge of good and evil, sig
nifies to appropriate evil to one's self, 466. See Tree.
Eating signifies appropriation, 702. The Holy Supper is
a spiritual eating, 716, 728.
Eden (the garden of) signifies wisdom and intelligence
from the Word, 219, 466, 467.
Edom signifies the natural, 200.
Effects.— All effects which are produced in the external
man result from causes found in the internal man, 374. See
Cause. Efflux —Influx adapts itself to efflux, 814. See Influx.
Eggs (wonders in the), 12.
Egypt signifies the scientific, 200. By Egypt is meant a
Church, which in its beginning was excellent, 635.
Ekkonites, 630, 691.
Elect (the).— In the Word, those are called the elect who
live according to the order introduced at the creation, 134.
Gathering together the elect— Matt. xxiv. 31— signifies to
form a new heaven and a new Church of those who have

586

ESS

INDEX.

EYE

faith in the Lord, and live according to his commandments,
198. See Election.
Election. — No election is made before nativity nor after
it, but all are elected and predestinated, because all are called
to heaven, 664, The Lord, after death, elects those who
have lived well and believed aright, 664. The dogma of the
present Church with regard to election is pernicious, and
leads to predestination, 486, 629.
Elijah or Elias represented the whole prophetical Word,
222. Elisha represented the Church as to doctrine from the
Word. 223.
Elysian fields, 693.
Embryos, 87.
Enchanters. — Who those were whom the ancients called
enchanters, 324,
End (the) is the intention, which a person proposes to him
self, 374, 523. There are three things which follow in order-
end, cause, and effect, 67. The end is not any thing, unless
it have respect to the efficient cause, and the end and this
cause are not any thing, unless the effect be produced, 67.
387. The end and the cause may be abstractly contemplated
in the mind, but still for the sake of some effect, which the
end intends and the cause procures, 67. In every complete
thing there Is a trine which is called first, middle, and last;
also end, cause, and effect, 210. The first and the last ends con
tain in them the mediate ends, 152. The end, by mediate
causes, produces effects, 374. He who loves the end also loves
the me ins, 43. Whoever is in the end is also in the means ;
for the end is inwardly in all the means, actuating and direct
ing them, 13. In the uni verse, ends, causes, and effects cohere
in an indissoluble connection, 47, 210. The effect cannot be
perfected so that it may become as its cause, nor the cause,
so that it may become as its end, 32. The end of creation
-was an angelic heaven from the human race, consequently
iman, 66, 773. The' sal vation and eternal life of men are the
first and last ends of the Lord, 152. See Cause, Effects.
Endeavor (the) or the will is in itself an act, because it is
a continual striving lo act, which becomes, by determination,
an act in externals, 387.
English (the) in the spiritual world, 806-812. The best of
them are in the centre of all Christians, because they have
interior intellectual light, 807. This light they derive from
the liberty of speaking and writing, and thereby of thinking,
807. There is a similitude of minds among them, in conse
quence of which they contract a familiarity with friends,
who are from their nation, and seldom with others ; they
also render mutual assistance ; and they love sincerity, 808.
Enlighten (to).— The sun of the angelic heaven enlightens
the 'understanding of all angels and all men, 59.
Enoch. — Those of the society described by this name col
lected correspondences from the men of the Most Ancient
Chnrch, aad transmitted the science of them to posterity,
202. Enormities, which have flowed info the Church, from
this that the Lord is commonly called the Son of Mary, and
not the Son of God, 94.
Enthusiasts are seized with an ardent zeal when they
preach, and they persuade themselves that there is divine
operation in thair hearts, 146. Most enthusiasts, after death,
fall into the wild fancy that they themselves are the Holy
Spirit, 138.
Entrance (the) ofthe Lord with divine truths and goods
into man through the highest regions of the mind, 494. En
trance of man into the world of spirits, 120 ; generally on the
third day after their decease, 138.
Enunciations, Prophetical, 265, 279. All declarations
or enunciations and answers from heaven are always made
by ultimates, such as are in the sense of the letter of the
Word, 222.
Ephod (the) signifies the Word in the sense of the let
ter, 218.
Ephraim signifies the understanding of the Word, from
which and according to which the Church is, 247.
Epicurus, 693.
Epistles of the Apostles, 355. An Epistle of Paul not pub
lished, when he sojourned in the world, 701.
Equilibrium. — Man is in spiritual equilibrium, whicli is
his free agency, 383, 475, 478. In the universe, every thing
¦tends to an equilibrium, 496.
Error.— Fundamental error of the Church at this day
with regard to redemption, 132, 581 ; with regard to the Holy
Spirit, 153.
Esse, in itself, is Jehovah, 21. Esso in itself, or the Esse
of God, cannot be described, because it is above every idea
of human thought, 18, 28. The Divine Esso is Esse itself,
from which all things are, and whicli must be in all things,
that they may be, 18. The Esse of Substance itself is the
Divine Good, 624. The esse of the life of man is the will,
418. Esse (to lie), fieri (to become), and existere (to exist),
are among themselves like end, cause, and effect, 210. Esse,
unless it have a substance, is only an ideal entity, 20 ; that
is, something purely ideal, 5i)5. A distinction is to be made
between esse and essence, us between what is prior and what
is posterior, and the prior la more universal than the poste
rior, 21. See Divine Esse.
Essence (the), supposes an esse, and from esse essence is
derived, 18, 21. Essuncc is said of substance and form, 37.
Essence and form make one, as esse mid existere, 111. An
¦essence without a foim is but an imaginary entity, 697. Es
sence without form and form without essence is not any
thing; essence has no quality except from form, nor is form

any subsisting entity except from essence, 367- Good is the
essence of truth, and truth the form of good ; charity is the
essence of faith, and faith is the form of charity, 367- The
essence of love is to love others out of itself, to desire to be
one with them, and to make them happy from itself, 43. The
essence of the faith of the New Church is truth from the
Word, 344. Externals derive their essence from internals,
and these and those from the inmost, 220. Every one acts,
what he acts, from his essence, 145. The essence of nature
which any one has appropriated to himself in the world, can
not be changed after death, 651. See Divine Essence.
Essentials (the three), which are called the Father, tho
Son, and the Holy Spirit, Hie one in the Lord, 139, 167, 170,
172. The Lord, charity, and faith are the three essentials of
salvation, 450. They are also the three essentials of the
Church, 712. All the essentials of the Church are in spiritual
light, 165. There are general and also particular essentials
of one thing, and both together make one essence, 166. The
general essentials of one man are his soul, body, and opera
tion, 166.
Establishment of Order. — See Arrangement.
Eternal is infinite as to time, 415. "To eternity" is said
of things progressive without end, which are measured by
times, 31.
Eternity of God. 27-35. The eternity of God has relation
to times, 27. With respect to times, infinity is called eternity,
31. By eternity the angels perceive the Divinity as to Exis
tere, and also us to wisdom, 31. See Immensity and In
finity. Ether.— In the land and water there is ether, by means of
which the terraqueous globe is held together, and made to
revolve, 30. Ether cannot flow into the bronchial of the lungB
unless it be surrounded by air, and thus adapt itself, 838.
Ether flows in and flows out without affecting, 339. No qual
ity of the ether can be elevated to any quality of the aura, b2.
See Atmospheres.
Evening signifies the last time ofthe Church, 764, The
state of the Church before the coming of the Lord is called
evening, 109.
Evil arose from man ; that God created evil is horrible to
think, 490. All evil comes from hell. 383. The evils which
are of hell must first be removed, before man can will the
goods which are of heaven, 329, 435, 436, 520, 524, 614. Evil
resides in the will of every man from nativity, 435, The evils
into which man is born are generated in the will ofthe natu
ral man, 587- Man, from nativity, inclines to evils of every
kind, and from inclination he lusts after them, 612. See He
reditary. All evils are contagious, 120. Evils of every
kind arise from the flesh, 675. God does not hold man in
evil, but withholds him from evil, 61. Man ought to purify
himself from evils, and not wait that the Lord may do this
immediately, 331, 436. Man turns the good, which contin
ually flows in from God, into evil, by turning himself away
from God, and turning himself to himself, 490. Good and
evil cannot dwell together, 331. As far as evil is removed,
good is looked to and felt, 331. As far as any one does not
will evil, so far he wills good, 437- To will evil and to do
good are in themselves opposites, 435. Evil cannot exist in
the internal man and good in the external man ; if they do,
the good in the external man is like a wound superficially
healed, in which inwardly there is rotten matter, 435. Evil
which man does not see, know, and acknowledge, remains ;
and that which remains is rooted more and more, until it ab
stracts the interior of his mind ; whence man becomes first
natural, then sensual, and at last corporeal, 564. There are
innumerable concupiscences involved in every evil, 539, 611.
Every evil with man has conjunction with such in hell as are
in like evil, 613. Every evil which man has appropriated to
himself remains, 614. Evil and faith in the one and true God
cannot he together, for evil is against God, and faith is for
God, 657. Evil obliterates truth and induces the lalse, 77.
No evil is imputed to man by the Lord, 650.
Evil and False. — All evils and falses come from hell, 68.
All things which are contrary to divine order refer themselves
to evil and the false, 398. Evil loves to be conjoined to the
false and the false to the evil ; their conjunction, viewed in
teriorly, is not a marriage, but adultery, 398. All insanity
and folly are from the conjunction of evil and the false, 398.
Truth cannot be conjoined to evil, nor good to the false of
evil ; if the truth be adjoined to evil it is no longer true, but
it is false ; and if good be adjoined to the false of evil it is no
longer good, but evil, because it is adulterated, 398.
Exinanition (the state of) of the Lord, was also his state
of humiliation before the Father, 104. This state was also
that of his progression towards the union, 110. Without this
state the Lord could not have been crucified, 104. See Glo
rification. Existence.— See Existere.
Existere.— An existere, unless it be from an esse, is not
any thing, 21. A distinction is to be made between existere
and existence, as between what is prior and what is poste
rior, 21. See Esse. The Existere of substance itself is
the divine truth, 624. God is not only Esse in itself, hut also
Existere in itself, 21.
Expanse (the) exists from the centre, and not vice versa,
35. The spiritual world is not in what is extended, but in the
appearance of what is extended, 475.
Expiation signifies the removal of sins, into which man
would rush, if lie should approach the naked Jehovah 135
External — See Internal.
Eyes of the Spirit (the) cannot be opened in any one who
is in evils, and thence in falses, 777. The Lord, when he

FAI

INDEX.

FAN

587

manifested himself to his Apostles, first opened the eyes of
their spirit, 777.
Fables (certain) were correspondences, from which the
primeval people spoke, 693, 201. The fables of the Greeks
were derived from correspondences, 202, 275. Fables of the
ancients about the souls of men, 171.
Fahuuh's.— It is more than fabulous, that the one God
should have begotten a son from eternity, 82. Fabulous faith
of the Christians concerning three Divine Persons from eter
nity, and concerning the passion of the Lord, that it was re
demption itself, 121.
Faculty (the) of knowing, understanding, and becoming
wise, is born with man, 335. Man is horn with a faculty to
know, and an inclination to love, 48. God preserves always
with man, even the wicked, a faculty for understanding and
an inclination for loving, 70. There are two faculties, or
parts of the mind — the will and the understanding, 601. 658.
Description ofthe properties of each by itself, 658. With ev
ery sound man there is a faculty of receiving the wisdom and
the love which proceed from the Lord. 718. Man has the
faculty of conjoining himself to the Lord, and the Lord to
him, 718. Every man, from any nation whatever, has the
faculty of receiving redemption, 729, Whence comes the fac
ulty or knowing, of understanding, and of speaking ration
ally, 719.
Faith is the form of charity, 367, 386. Faith in its essence
is truth, 142, 347, 348, 356, 377, 385 ; it is truth in its light,
349. Faith is spiritual sight, 22, 344, 346. Faith is no
other than a complex of the truths which shine in the
minds of men, 347. Faith is to think aright concerning
God and concerning the essentials ofthe Church, 621. Faith
Jb the truth which man believes from the Lord, 712. By faith
is meant all the truth which man from the Lord perceives,
thinks, and speaks. 365, 392. It is conjunction with God by
truths which are ot the understanding and thence of thought,
369. Faith and truth make one thing, for the good of faith is
asasonl, and truths make its body, 618. The faith of the
Church concerning God is like the soul of the body, and doc
trinals are like its members, 17". The faith of every Church
is, as it were, the seed from which nil its dogmas spring, 178,
338. Such as is the faith of a Church, such is its doctrine,
177. Faith enters into all and every part of a theological
system, as blood enters into the members of the body 343.
The only one and true faith is in the Lord God the Saviour
Jesus Christ, and it is with those who believe him to be the
Son of God, the God of heaven and earth, and one with the
Father, 378, 379. Faith in the one and true God causes good
to be good also in the internal form ; and, on the other hand,
faith in a false god causes good to be good only in the exter
nal form, which is not good in itself, 655. Saving faith is in
the Lord God the Saviour Jesus Christ, 337-339, 384. The
life and essence of faith are in the Lord-, tbus from the Lord,
34". It is a law of order, that man ought to introduce himself
into faith by truths from the Word, and into charity by good
works, 71. The truths of which faith in the Divine Human
ofthe Lord God the Saviour consists, are all like stars, which,
by their light, manifest themselves and form that faith, 137.
Man takes this faith from the Word by means of his natural
light, in which it is science, thought, and persuasion ; but
the Lord causes it to become, in such as believe in him, con
viction, trust, and confident!©, 137. How natural faith, which
is only persuasion, becomes spiritual, which is real acknowl
edgment, 11. Faith is formed by man's going to the Lord,
learning truths from the Word, and living according to these
truths, 347, 348. A copious store of truths, bonnd together
as in a bundle, exalts and perfects faith, 349. Truths of faith,
however numerous they are, and however different they ap
pear, make one from tne Lord, 354. Faith, in its essence, is
spiritual, but in its form, natural, 339. When man is in spir
itual faith, he is nleo in natural faith, for spiritual faith is
inwardly in natural faith, 360. Faith and a life according
to it institute and make the Chnrch with man, 245. Nothing
of faith is from man, but from the Lord alone, 359. Man
can procure faith for himself, 350. See Charity and Faith.
Faith of the New Church. — It is as a gate through
which entrance is made into the temple ofthe Lord, 1. Uni
versal form of this faith, 2. Particular form, 3. The ewe of
the faith of the New Church is, 1st, Confidence' in the Lord
God the Saviour Jesus Christ ; 2d, Trust that he who lives
well, and believes aright, is saved by Him. The essence of
this faith is trnth from the Word. It existence is, 1st, Spirit
ual sight; 2d, Agreement of truths ; 3d, Conviction; 4th,
Acknowledgment inscribed upon the mind, 344. The first
thing of faith in the Lord is the acknowledgment that he is
the Son of God, 342. See Son of God. The faith ofthe New
Church is, that there was from eternity only one Divine Per
son ; that there is a Divine Trinity united in one person ; this
faith is io a God who is visible, accessible, and capable of
conjunction, in whom, ns the soul in the body, is the God in
visible, inaccessible, and incapable of conjunction ; it attrib'
uU'stoHim all power of imputing and also of working the
effects of salvation ; it acknowledges llim at the same time
as Creator, Redeemer, and Saviour ; it teaches repentance,
reformation, regeneration, and thus remission of sins, with
man's co-oponition ; an imputation of good and of evil, and at
the same time of faith ; that Jesus Christ is God, Redeemer,
and Saviour ; that man has free agoncy in spiritual things ;
find it conjoins faith in the Lord and charity towanU tho
neighbor as two inseparable things, and thus makes icligioii.
In all this it is entirely opposed to the faith of tho former
Church, 647. It is now lawful to enter intellectually into tho
mysteries (secrets) of faith, 60S. See the New Church.

Faith of the Old Church, or of the Church of the
Present Day.— In this faith, which, in its internal form, is
in three Gods, and in its external form, in one, there are
falsities in abundance, 178. By the introduction of this faith
into the Christian Churches, all the good ot charity and all
the truth of faith were exiled ; for those two can never con
sist with the mental worship of three Gods, and at the sunie
time with tho oral worship of one God, 634. The iaiih of
the present day prevents the truths, which are in the Word,
from being seen clearly, 618. The idea of three Cuds intro
duces a stupid faith, 1S3. Faith in an invisible God is ac
tually blind, because the human mind does not see its God,
339. That God is the cause of evil fellows from the present
faith, 4S9. Faith without charity is no faith, 392. Faith is
no faith if it is not conjoined to charity, 336, 355, 367, 377,
387. Faith, separate from charity, is like the light in win
ter, and faith conjoined to charity is like the light in spring,
385, 6IS. The doctrine that faith alone saves, and that no one
can do good from himsterf, is what makes actual repentance
so extremely difficult in the Reformed Christian world, 561.
Faith, imputation, and the merit of Christ, in the present
Church, are one, and may be called a ti iuue ; for if one of
those three were taken away, the present theology would
become not any thing, 626, 627. That faith is not Christian,
because it differs from the Word, and the imputation of that
faith is vain, because the merit of Christ is not imputable,
627. This faith is described, in the Revelation, by the drag
on, and the faith of the New Chnvch ,by the woman encom
passed with the sun, upon whose head was a crown of twelve
stars, 648. Merely natural faith, or faith destitute of spirit
ual essence, is not faith, but only persuasion or science, 339,
345. A man who is merely natural and dead, as to faith,
can indeed speak and teach concerning faith, concerning
charity, and concerning God, but not from faith, from char
ity, ami from God, 384. The practice of speaking from
memory and recollection, although not at the same time
from thought and intelligence, produces a kind of faith, 77.
If the faith be false, it commits whoredom with every truth
of the Church, and perverts and falsifies "it, and causes man
to be insane in spiritual things, 177. There is genuine faith,
"spurious faith, and hypocritical faith. Spurious faith is that
in which falses ore mixed together with truths, 345, 346, 380.
Hypocritical or pharisaieaL faith is that of the mouth and
not ofthe heart, 345,346,381. Meretricious faith is from
falsified truths, 345, 346, 380. Adulterous faith is from adul
terated goods, 345, 346, 380. Bigoted or blind faith is that of
mystical things, which are believed, although it is not known
whether they be true or false ; ov whether they be above
reason or contrary to it, 345, 346. Wandering faith is a faith
iii several gods, 345, 346. Purblind faith is a faith in any
other God than in the true, and with- Christians, in any other
than the Lord God. the Saviour, 345, 346. Visionary and
preposterous faitb is an appearance of what is false os true,
from ingenious confirmation, 345,346. There is not any faith
with the evil, 382-384.
Fallacies spread in the Church ; their origin, 57. Ap
pearances of truth, taken for naked truth, become fallacies,
which in themselves are false, 254.
Falses (all) come from hell, 68. Whoever is in falses
from evil is actually, as to his spirit, with devils in hell, 69.
From one falsity falses flow in a continued series, 132. In
natural light, separate from spiritual light, falses appear as
truths, and truths as falses, 40. Truths are not only covered
over by falses, but they are also obliterated and rejected,
246. With those who read the Word from the doctrine of a
false religion, the truths of the Word are as in the shade of
night, and falses as in the light of day, 232. The false of re
ligion, when confirmed1 by man, remains and cannot be ex
tirpated, 254. Evils accompany falses, and falses adhere to
evils, 281. The false, not of evil, may be conjoined to good,
398. When the false touches the truth, it is like the point
of a needle when it touches the fibril of a nerve, 258. The
false does not see the truth, but the truth sees the false, 759.
See Evil and the False.
Observation, — We use false in the plural, although this
word, when taken as a noun, has no plural ; as our author,
however, uses the two expressions, falsa and fahntates, the
first has to be translated hy fakes and the second by falsities.
We mnst distinguish between fnlses and falsities as between
what is prior and what is posterior ; the prior is more uni
versal than tire posterior, 21.
Falsify (to) the Word is to take truths from it. and to
apply them to confirm fnlses 162. Examples of truths falsi
fied, 162.
Falsities close up the understanding, 508. Origin of
many execrable falsities in the Chnrch ot the present day,
681, 582.
Families can be distinguished from a common likeness
which they derive from their first father, 103, 521. Spiritual
families, 377.
Fanaticism,— Origin of several fanatic ideos and errors in
Christendom, 58, 94, 62&
Fantasy is produced by sensual thought, whilst ideas from
any interior thought are shut up, 80. Fantasies are ideal
thoughts, 462. In fantasy, what appears is believed to be,
something, and yet it is not, 339. By fantasies, infernal
spirits can represent magnificent things, by closing the inte
riors of the mind, and opening only its exteriors, 187, 662,
819. Fantasy of lust — those are in this fantasy who think
inwardly in themselves, and indulge their imagination too
rnuchin talking with themselves, for thev overwhelm the un
derstanding with visions, 662. Fantasy of pre-eminence, 661,

588

FOE

INDEX.

FEI

Obnerration. — Fantasy is an appearance of perception ; it
consists in seeing truth as false, and good as evil, and in
seeing evil as good, and false as true, Arcana Ccelestia, 7680.
Father (the), Son, and Holy Spirit are the three essen
tials of the one God, which make one, as the soul, the
body, and the operation in man, 166. The Father and the
Son means the Divine and the Human, 98. The Divine and
the Unman are united in the Lord, like soul and body. 98,
188 ; this union is leciprocal, 99. Noonecan see the Father,
nor know him, nor come to him, nor believe in him, unless
through his Human, 94, 113, 188. By the Father is meant
the Divine Good, 88. It is not lawful to call any one Father
in the spiritual sense, but it is permitted in the natural sense,
22'i. Fault. — It is the fault of man if he is not saved, 580, 720.
Feasts (the) which are recreations of charity are with those
only who are in mutual love from a similar faith, 433. The
feasts in the Ancient Churches were feasts of charity ; in
like manner in the primitive Christian Church, 727- In this
primitive Church, feasts were instituted both for promoting
joy of heart and also mutual conjunction, 433. The spiritual
tspheie reigning in those feasts was a sphere of love to the
Lord and of love towards the neighbor, 433. Feasts in
heaven, 742, 744.
Ffel (to). — Man sensibly perceives in himself, as his,
Ihose things which flow in from without, and then produces
them of himself, as his own, although nothing of them is his,
362. As far as evil is removed, good is looked to and felt,
331. Fibrillary (the) or medullary substance of the brain
consists of perpetual collections of little bundles of fibrils,
proceeding from the little glands of the cortical substance,
351. Field, in the Word, signifies doctrine, 350.
Fight (to).— Good of itself cannot fight, but it fights by
tiuths ; neither can evil fight of itself, but by its falses, 696.
Man should fight altogether as from himself; why? 596.
Hut it is the Lord who fights in man, for man against hell,
596, 599.
Figs signify the goods of charity, and thence the goods of
fi ith in the natural man, 461.
Fig-Tree (the) signifies natural good, 609. The leaves of
the fig-tree signify the truths ofthe natural man, 638.
Finite. — All that is created is called finite with respect to
God, who is Infinite, or not finite, 29, 33, 470. The Infinite
cannot create any thing else than finite, 470. As man is
finite, and thinks from what is finite, if what is finite which
adheres to his thought were taken away, it would seem as if
the residue were not any thing ; thus what is infinite ap
pears to man as not any thing, 29. The finite is by no
means capable of seeing the Infinity of God, 28. Finites are
receptacles of the Infinite, 33. ,
Fire, in the spiritual sense ofthe Word, signifies love;
the fire of the altar, and the fire of the candlestick, in the
tuliernacle, among the Israelites, represented no other than
the divine love, 35. Fire signifies the divine good of love,
684, 686. Infernal fire signifies the delights with which the
internals burn, 455. The fire seen in hell is anger against
those who contradict, 159.
First (the) and the Beginning, from which are all things,
is the Divine Esse, 24. In the Word the Lord is called the
First and the Last; why? 84, 102, 261. Everywhere there is
a first, a middle, aDd a last ; and the first, by the middle,
tends and goes to its last, 214, 210. First in time and first in
end, 336. That which is firBt in end is that to which all have
respect, 406. What is first in time is not first actually, but
apparently, 336. That which is first in end is actually first,
336. Faith is first in time, but charity is first in eDd, 336.
See Last.
Fish signify the trnths in the natural man, 635.
Five signifies a part, 199.
Flame (the) of a sword turning itself — Gen. iii. 24 — sig-
1- ties divine truth in ultimates, is like the word in the sense
ofthe letter, which can be so turned, 260. Flame is the all of
the light, 388. Flame is nothing else but burnt smoke, 159.
Flattery.— Origin of all flattery, 592, 111, 147.
Flesh (the) signifies the good of love and charity, 367 ;
signifies spiritual good, 705.
Flourishing. — See Blooming,
Flowers and Blossoms.— The blossoms in plants are the
means of decanting the Juice, their blood, and of separating
1 lie grosser parts of it from the purer, 585. Some flowers, at
the ri.sing ofthe sun, open themselves, and close themselves
Mt his setting ; why? 308.
Food. — Heavenly food, in its essence, is nothing else than
love, wisdom, and use together, 735. Food for the body is
given fo every one in heaven, according to the use which he
performs, 735, See Idle. The nourishment of the soul is
f.om no other food than spiritual, 494. See Meats.
Forest signifies science, 200.
Fouf.skin signifies the impure loves ofthe flesh, 675.
Form (the) only. Form Itself, the first Form is God, and
this form is the human torm, 20, 37. The human form is
m.ihing else but the imace of heaven, 739. The angelic
heaven, in the greatest effigy, is a form of divine order, 65.
Man has been created aform of divine order, 65. Love oper
ates in a form and by a form, 37. Forms were created to re
ceive love and wisdom, charity and faith, good and truth,
which are not creatable; human and angelic minds are
those forms, 40. Every one leeu'ves life from Cod, according
to his form, 366. This form, liy which is meant the state of
man, as to bis love aud wisdom together, induces variations,

366. The form of man, which is induced by the slates nHiis
life, varies the operations, 366. The man who divides the
Lord, charitv and faith, is not a form receiving, but a Ibim
destroying them, 367- Form is not any subsisting entity,
except from essence, 367- Without form there is no quality,
753. Quality is derived from no other source than from
form, 53. See Essence, Substance.
Formations.— How they aie effected, 38. Formation of
faith, 347, 348.
Formula Concordia (the) confirmed strongly that the
human nature of Christ is exalted to divine majesty, 101;
and that in Christ God is man, and man God, 112, 137- But
this Formula Concordim, to the orthodoxy of which the
evangelical take oath, at this day, teaches that man has no
free agency in .spiritual things, 356, 463, 484, 503. Tt puts
oral confession in the place of repentance, 516. It declares
that it is damnable idolatry, if the trust and faith of the
heart be also placed on the human nature of Christ, 798.
And, at last, it admits the direful dogma of predestination,
798. Foundation (the) ofthe wall ofthe New Jerusalem signi
fies the doctrinals of the New Church from the literal sense
ofthe Word, 209, 217-
Fountais (the) of Jacob signifies the Word, 190. To
drink from the waters ofthe fountain is to be instructed con
cerning truths, and by means of truths, concerning goods,
and thus to be wise, 693.
Fowls (wonderful things among the), 12. See Birds.
Foxes represent cupidities of diabolical love, 45.
Free (the) in the Word signify those who are conjoined in
the Lord, 106. See Slaves.
Free Agency. — Free agency is to he able to will and to
do. and to think and speak, in all appearance, as from one's
self, 489. Man, while he lives in the world, is held in a
middle between heaven and hell, and there in spiritual equi
librium, which is free agency, 475-478. The origin of free
agency is from the spiritual world, where the mind of man
is held by the Lord, 475. God is perpetually present, and
continually strives and acts in man, and also touches his
free will, but never violates it, 74, 504. It is from free agen
cy that man is man, and not a beast, 469. Without free
agency in every thing, yea, in the least things, man could
not respire any more than a statue, 480. Man has free agen
cy in spiritual things, 479-482. Man has free agency in
natural things, but from his free agency in spiritual things,
481, 482. Free agency and will together may be called a
living effort in man ; for when the will ceases, effort ceases ;
and when free agency ceases, the will ceases, 482. Without
free agency in spiritual things the Word would not he of any
use ; consequently the Church could not exist, 483-485.
Without free agency in spiritual things there would not he
any thing of man by which he could reciprocally conjoin
himself to the Lord, 485. That there may be reciprocal con
junction, free choice is given to man, from which he could
enter the way to heaven or the way to hell, 371. Man may
turn free agency to good or bad use, 763. Without free
agency in spiritual things, God would be the cause of evil,
and thus there would be no imputation, 489-492. That every
man is in free agency in spiritual things, he may know from
the observation of his own thought, 497- Free agency itself
in spiritual things resides in the soul of man, in all perfec
tion ; thence it flows into his mind, and through this into
the senses ofthe body, and into the speech and actions, 498.
If men had not free agency in spiritual things, all and the
whole might be brought, within one day, to believe in the
Lord, 500-502.
Freedom is of the will, and consequently also of love,
493. All freedom which is from the Lord is real free
dom, but that which is from hell, and thence with man,
is servitude, 495. Every spiritual thing of the Chnrch which
enters in freedom and is received in a state of freedom, re
mains ; but not the reverse, 493-496, 500. The freedom of
man is that in which the Lord dwells with him in his soul,
498, 580. If any one denies free agency in spiritual things,
and thence rejects it, he changes spiritual freedom into
merely natuial freedom, and at length into infernal, 494.
Friendship is a natural conjunction and love is a spirit
ual conjunction, 446. Friendship of love contracted with a
man, ot whatsoever quality he is as to the spirit, is detri
mental after death, 446-449. Wherein consists friendship of
love, 446. Friendship of love, which is an interior friend
ship, is distinguished from external friendship, which is of
the person alone, and is formed for the sake of various de
lights ofthe body and the senses, and for the sake of various
kinds of intercourse, 446. External friendship may he con
tracted with any one, 446. Friends who differ as to the
spirit, by degrees are separated from each other, in the other
life, which is done insensibly, 447; but those who in the
world have contracted friendships ot love one with another,
cannot, like others, be separated according to order, and as
signed to the society corresponding to their life ; for they are
inwardly, as to the spirit, tied, nor can they be torn asun
der, because they are like branches ingrafted into other
branches, 448. The case is altogether otherwise with those
who love the good in another, for if they do not observe the
same qualities in the person after deaih, they immediately
break off friendship, 449. The friendship of love among the
evil is intestine hatred towards each other, 454, 455. What
is friendship among thieves, robbers, and pirates, 454. Of
what kind is friendship among such as have led a civil and
moral lite, without, however, bridling the concupiscences
lesiding in the internal mind, 455. See, also, 44,

GLO

I-N'DEX.

GOO

589

Feogs (the) signify reasonings from the desire of falsifying
truths, 635.
Fructification.— Perpetual of good, and consequently of
love, 718.
Fruits (the) are the good works which the Lord does
through man, and man of himself from the Lord, 462.
Full, Fulness.— In the sense of the letter, the Word is
in its fulness, 229. In this sense Divine truth is in its ful
res<. 260. The Lord alone, in the whole spiritual world, is
fully man, 109. The fulness of time, in which the Lord
cnme into the world, and in which he is to come, is a con
summation, 755. The universe, as to essence and order,
i> the fuiuess of God, 63. All things are lull of God, and
of that fulness euch takes its portion, 364.
Fcnctio>s, ok Uffices.— There are in the Lord two offices
—the office of priest and the office of king: whatever the
IiOid did and operated from divine love or divine good, he
did and operaied from his priestly office, but whatever from
divine wisdom or divine truth, from his kingly office, 114.
There are functions in heaven, 694.
Gabriel and Michael are not the names of two persons
in heaven, but by those names are meant all in heaven
who are in wisdom concerning the Lord, and worship him.
300. Games (literary) in the spiritual world, 694. Games and
shows in the heavens, 745.
Garden signifies wisdom, 200 ; signifies intelligence, 461,
467. Garments signify truths, and white garments and fine
linen divine truths, 686, 815. Garments in the spiritual
world. 742, 804. A spirit imagines himself to be such as the
garment upon him is, 663.
Garment (tunica), or vesture ofthe Lord, signifies the
spiritual sense of the Word ; to divide his garments, and
to cast lots upon his vesture, signifies that they had dis
persed all the truths ofthe Word, but not its spiritual sense,
130. Gathered (to be) to one's own. Why, in the Word, this
is said concerning those who die, 607-
Genevieve, 826.
Generation of men, 92, 103. See Soul. In the Word,
natural generations signify spiritual generations, 583. All
that is said of natural generation can be said of spiritual
generation, 584.
General, — The whole disposes the particular parts into
such a form that they may agree, 47. The particular's taken
together are called the general, 60. In the whole man there
are general things and particular things, and the general in
clude the particular therein, and unite themselves together
by such a connection that one depends upon another, 60-
Genesis.— The first chapters have been extiaeted from the
Ancient Word by Moses, 279.
Genius of the men of the Most Ancient Church, 202. A
common genius everywhere among people of the same lan
guage, 813.
Gentiles (the ancient) acknowledged a supreme Deity,
which was called Jove, a word derived, perhaps, from
Jehovah, 9, 275. Because they thought materially concern
ing God, and thus also concerning the attributes of God, they
not only made three Gods, but many more, even to a hundred,
for of each attribute they made a God, 623. All those who
believe in a God, and live according to the precepts of their
religion, are saved, 107- The Gentiles of every worship are
averse to Christianity, solely on account of the faith of the
three Gods there, 183. Africans and Gentiles in the spiritual
world, 835. See Nations and People.
Geometry teaches that there is nothing complete and per
feet unless it be a trine, 387. There are in geometry various
Beries, which go on to infinity, 32.
Germans. — Their character, 814. They attend little to the
things of judgment, but to the things of memory, 814. They
keep the spiritual things of the Church inscribed on the mem
ory, and seldom elevate them into the higher understanding,
but only let them into the lower Understanding, from which
they reason concerning them : thus they do altogether differ
ently from free nations, 815. A German, a native from Sax
ony, 112.
Germany, 161, 813.
Germination. — Whence is its beginning and continuance
499. '
Glandular substance ofthe brain, 351.
Glaucoma, 346.
Globe (terraqueous). — Wherein it consists, 33. By what
it is held together and made to revolve, 30. See Ether.
Glorification (the) ofthe Lord is the unition ofthe Human
ofthe Lord with the Divine of his Father ; this was done suc
cessively, and was completed by the passion of the cross, 126,
128, 97. State of the glorification of the Lord, 104. See Ex
inanition. The Lord was in this state, when he was trans
figured before his three disciples, 104. Glorification or cele
biation ofthe Lord, 625, 738.
Glorify. — To glorify the name of the Father— that is, his
Human — signifies to make divine by unition with Himself,
110. The Lord glorified his Human, that is, made it divine.
in the same manner that the Lord regenerates man, that is,
makes him spiritual, 105, 684. To make man spiritual, is to
glorify him. 599.
Glory (the) signifies the spiritual sense of the Word, 198,
271, 776 ; and the transparence of this sense through the sense
ofthe letter, 271. When it isused concerning the Lord, glory
Bignifies the Divine Truth conjoined to Divine Good, 128. The
glory in which the Lord is to come signifies Divine Truth in

its light, in which is the spiritual sense, 780. Why it is said
in Isaiah, iv. 5, upon all the glory a covering, 213.
Goats.— To separate the goafs from the sheep, means to
separate the evil from the good, 95. Comparisons with he-
goats, which stink, 316.
God is one in person and in essence, 2. The whole Sacred
Scripture teaches that there is a God, and that he is one, 6, 7-
There is a universal influx into the souls of men that there is
a God, and that he is one, 8. All nations possessed of reli
gion and sound reason acknowledge a God, and that God is
one, 9, 10. As to what the one Cod is, nations and people
have differed, and still differ, from several causes, 11. Hu
man reason may, if it will, perceive that there is a God, and
that he is one, 12. The existence and unity of God are evi
dent from the phenomena oF the universe, 12. God dwells in
every use, because he dwells in the end. 13. See Uses. Gcd
is the all ofthe Church, 14, 170, 297. God is Substance itself
and Form itself, 20, 76. His form is the very Human, 20. He
is Esse in itself and Existere in itself, 21. He is Hie Itself,
the Only, and the First, 22. A God begotten by God or pro
ceeding from God is not possible, 23, 188, 364. God is infi
nite, since he is and exists in himself, and all things in the
universe are and exist from him, 28. God was befoie the
creation ofthe world, 29, 31, 67- It is vain to wish to know
what God is in his esse or in his substance ; but it is enough
to acknowledge him from finite, that is, created things, in
which he is infinitely, 28. Since the world was made, God
is in space without space, and in time without time, 30, 280.
He is Love itself and Wisdom itself, consequently flood itself
and Truth itself, 37, 38 ; thus he is Life itself, which is Lite in
itself, 39. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent by
the wisdom of his love, 50. His power and will are one ; and
because he wills nothing but what is good, therefore he can
do nothing but what is good, 56. He is the same from eter
nity to eternity, not the same simple, but infinite, aud all
variableness is in the subject in which he is, 366, 25. He is
Order, and at the creation he introduced order into the uni
verse, and into all and every part of it, 52. He perceives,
sees, and knows all and every thing whicli is done according
to order, and thence also what is done contrary to order. 59,
"?. He is omnipresent from the firsts to the lasts of his order,
I, 64. God, who is one, descended and became man, for the
purpose of accomplishing a work of redemption, 83, 224. God
could not accomplish the work of redemption except by
means of the Human, 84. God himself, the Creator of
he universe, descended that he might become Redeemer,
and thus Creator anew, 637- Although he descended as di
vine truth, he still did not separate the divine good, 88. He
assumed the Human according to his Divine Order, 89.
He came into the world as the Word, and by the Human,
which was divine truth, put on all power, 224. He thus be
came Man, and Man God, in one person, 101, '838. In Christ,
Man is God, and God Man, 101, 102, 170. Besides the Lord
Jesus Christ, there is no other God, 294. Jesus Christ is the
visible God, in whom is the invisible God, 339, 647, 786. All
who acknowledge and worship one God, the Creator of the
universe, entertain the idea of a man respecting God, 836. ¦
He who forms to himself an idea cencerning God, that he is
the sun of the universe, will from that idea see and acknowl
edge his omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence, 837.
God is angry with no one, he does not avenge, tempt, punish,
cast into hell, or condemn ; these things are as far from God
as heaven is from hell, and infinitely farther, 135. The grace
of God is infinite and eternal, 161. He is mercy itself, 256.
Every one obtains his place in the heavens, according to the
idea of God, 163, 621. This idea is, as it were, the touchstone
by which the gold and silver is tried ; that is the good and
the true, as to their quality with man, 163. Unless God be
approached in thought as man, all idea concerning God is
lost ; it falls like the sight into the universe, thus into empty
nothing, or into nature, 538, 621, 787. In God and from God
we live, we move, and exist, 679.
Godosciialcus, 486.
Gods (the) of the nations were men, some of whom were
worshipped first as saints, afterwards as divinities, and lastly
as gods, 292.
Gog signifies external worship without internal, 200.
Gold signifies good, 203 ; heavenly good, 205 ; celestial good
which is the good of the hicrhest heaven, 609 : internal good,
595, The Gold of Sheba, Ps. lxxii. 15, signifies the wisdom
which is from divine good, 706. Mice of gold, 203, 595.
Good. — All that proceeds from love is called good, 38.
The delight by which love manifests itself is every one's
good, 38. Every good forms itself by truths, and also clothes
itself with them, and thus distinguishes itself from other
goods, 38. What good without truth is, 87. All the good
of love and of charity is from God, 41, 69. God is Good
Itself, 38. God is omnipresent in good, and continually urges
and enti eats that he may be received: and if he is not re
ceived, still he does not recede, for if he should recede man
would die in an instant, 490, 766, 774. No one can do any
good from the love of good except from Ood, 333. There me
many kinds of good ; in general, there is spiritual goud and
natural good, and both are conjoined in genuine moral good,
398. Man should be loved according to the quality of the
good which is in him, wherefore good w essentially the neigh
bor, 410, 417-419, See Neighbor. Good is in mun, and
every work which proceeds from him is good when the Lord,
charity, and faith reside in his internal man, 373. Eveiy
good with man has conjunction with such in heaven as are
in the like good, 613. Good, which is good only in the ex
ternal form, is not good in itself, 655. Those who deny God

590

IIEA

INDEX.

HEL

are not willing, and therefore are not able, to receive any
good from any other source than from their proprium ; and
whatever proceeds from this is spiritually evil, however nat
urally good it appears, 382. Evil and good cannot be to
gether, and as far as evil is removed good is looked to and
felt, 331. He is a good man whose will is good, and still bet
ter if the understanding favors it, 601. See Divine Good.
Observation. — When we simply say good, spiritual good is
always meant ; when the question is of another good, we
either say natural good, or moral good, or civil good.
Good and Truth, — Good resides in the will, and truth in
the understanding, 87. The understanding is the receptacle
of truth, and the will is the receptacle of good, 249. Good is
of the will, and truth is of the understanding, 660. Good is
the essence of truth, and truth the' form of good, and these
two are in each and every thing that exists essentially, 367,
397, ^98- It is according to divine order, thatgood and truth
should be conjoined, not separated, so that they may be one,
and not two,- 398. The Lord continually wills to implant
truth and good, or faith and charity, in every man, 145. Mar
riage of good and truth, what is meant by it. 624. The mar
riage ofthe good and the true in every part of the Word, 249 ;
with man, 249. Good loves the truth, and reciprocally the
truth loves good, and the one desires to be conjoined with
the other, 398. Good alone, or truth alone, is not any thing ;
but by marriage, they exist and become something, such as
is the marriage, 624. See Divine Good and Divine Truth.
Goodness.— Natural goodness is of the flesh alone, born of
patents ; but spiritual goodness is oT the spirit, born anew of
the Lord, 537. Those who do good from natural goodness
only, and not at the same time from religion, are not accept
ed after death, 537.
Good Works are to do well from willing well, 374. Char
ity and faith are together in good works, 3/3-377. Charity
and good works are two distinct things, like willing well aDd
doing well, 420, 421. See Works.
Government (the) of three divine persons in heaven
would be similar to the government of three kings in one
kingdom, 141.
Grace, Divine, is an attribute ofthe Divine Essence, 161
It is infinite and eternal; it remains on the part of God to
eternity, on the part of man it may be lost, if he does not re
ceive it, 161.
Great Heaven and Great World.— It is a law of order
that man, from his little heaven, or little spiritual world,
should govern his little world, or little natural world, as God
from his great heaven, or spiritual world, governs the great
world, or natural world, in all and every part of it, 71.
Gueece, 202, 275.
Gbehk (Church) its error, 153, 647. See Church, Greek.
Grikf. — While a man suffers as to the body his soul does
not suffer, but only grieves, 126. God wipes away grief after
the victory, as one wipes away tears from the eyes, 126.
Grind in a mill (to) signifies to search the Word for
things serviceable for doctrine, 161.
Gkove signifies intelligence, 200, 205.
Gulf. — A great gulf between heaven and hell, 56, 455, 569;
¦what it is, 475. By this gulf He sepaiates the societies in
heaven from the congregations in hell 74.
Gutta Serena.— Bigoted or blind faith may be compared
to gutta serena, 346, 620, 645.
Gymnasiums in the spiritual world, 35, 136, 459, 694, 697.
H.— The letter H, which was added to the names of Abi ara
and Sarai, signifies infinite and eternal, 278.
Habit makes a second nature, 563. Disuse renders man
inveterate, and induces unwillingness, 561.
Hail signifies the infernal (aLse^GSd.
Hair signifies truth in ultimates, and so the sense of the
letter of the Word, 223.
Hamburg (people of), 816.
Hand.— The right hand of God, in the Woi'd, signifies
Omnipotence, 136. The two hands are ultimates of man ;
the interiors are continued to them, 462.
Happiness of eternal life, 731 et infra. Eternal happiness
is not of any particular place, but it is of the state of man's
life, 739. The delights or the soul with the thoughts of the
mind and the sensations ofthe body make eternal happiness,
744. Iiappiness from the sensations of the body alone is not
eternal, but temporal, which comes to an end and passes
away, and sometimes becomes unhappiness, 744.
Harlot signifies falsification, 277.
Harmony, Pre-established, 696.
Hathed breathes revenge, which inwardly cherishes mur
der, 612. Unless the internal man be regenerated, there is
nothing but hatred against all things which are of charity,
593. Head (the) signifies the intelligence whicli angels and men
have from the Lord, by divine truth, 223.
Head (the back part of the).— In the spiritual world, the
back parts ofthe heads of thn.se who aie in the delight of do
ing evil are hollow, 160, 565.
Heart and Lcngs. — The heart and lungs are the two es
sentials and universals, by which human bodies exist and
subsist, 37. They oporate in all and every thing Uiere, be
cause the heart enm^ponds to love, and the lungs to wisdom,
37. The heart coiTespuniK to the will, and thence also to
charity unrl to good, ami tho respiration of the lungs to the
understanding, and thence also to faith and truth, 87, 367,
601. The heart without the respiration of the lungs does not
produce any motion or any sensation, but the respiration of
the lungs fiora the heart does both, 87, 154, 367. Conjunc
tion of the heart with the lungs, and of the lungs with the

heart, 371. The heart acts, and the artery, from its cover
ings or coats, co-operates : thence is circulation. The case
is similar with the lungs ; the air acts from its incumbency
according to the height of its atmosphere, and the ribs with
the lungs first co-operate, and presently afterwards the lungs
with the ribs ; thence is the respiration of every membrane
in the body, 577. In the Word, heart signifies the will ; a
new heart is a new will, 601 ; or the will of good, 143. See
Lungs. .
Heat and Light.— From the sun of the spiritual world
proceeds heat, which, in its essence, is love ; and light,
which, in its essence, is wisdom, 39. The spiritual heat and
light proceeding from the Lord, as a sun, contain in their
bosom all the infinities that are in the Lord ; the heat, all
the infinities of his love, and the light, all the infinities of
his wisdom, 365. Heat and light are in the natural world,
because they correspond to the divine love and to the divine
wisdom, 37. The natural heat and light serve for clothing
and support to spiritual heat and light, that they may pass
to man, 75, 360. The light and heat, in which the angels
are, are in their essence nothing else but affection of love
and trnth of wisdom, 386. Spiritual heat, also, in its essence,
is good, 392. The heat of the spiritual world does not breathe
after any thing else than generation, and by this the continu
ation of creation, 585. Spiritual heat, which is love, pro
duces natural heat with men to such a degree that it enkin
dles their faces and limhs, 35. The heat of the blood, or the
vital heat of men and of animals in general, is from no other
source than from the love which makes their life, 35, 496.
The heat of polygamical love, 834,
Heaven makes the body of the Lord, 719. Heaven, in
the complex, is a form of Divine Order, 65. The angelic
heaven is as a head to the Church upon earth, in both which
the Lord is the soul itself, 10, To form an angelic heaven
from the human race was the end of creation, 13, 66, 773.
The angelic heaven is arranged into societies according
to all the varieties of the love of good, 15. 32, 447. The
whole angelic heaven is arranged into its form, and pre
served in it, from the Divine Love by the Divine Wisdom,
37- Heaven is in the sight of God as one man, 65, 68, 119,
268, 354, 608. There is a plenary correspondence between
heaven and man, 65. There are three heavens ; the highest
or third, the middle or second, and the lowest or first, 119.
212. 580. They are distinguished from each other according
to the three degrees of love and wisdom, 608. The three
heavens are like the head, body, and feet in man ; the '
highest heaven makes the head, the middle makes the
body, and the last makes the feet, 608. The essence of the
heavens is love, and their existence is wisdom, 386. The
Lord at this day is forming a new angelic heaven, and com
poses it of those who believe in the Lord God the Saviour,
and go immediately to him, 108, 781-784. The delights of
heaven are the delights of love towards the neighbor and of
love to God, 454. If any wicked person is introduced into
heaven, his eyes are seized with darkness, his mind with
dizziness and insanity, his body with pain and torment, and
he becomes as it were lifeless, 641. There are administra
tions in heaven, and dignities annexed to them, but those
who are employed in them love nothing more than to do
uses, because they are spiritual, 403, 694, 736. There is in
heaven most pleasant intercourse, 734, 745 ; repasts, 735 ;
feasts, games, and shows, 745. Eastern heaven, southern
heaven : in the eastern heaven are those who are in love
from the Lord ; and in the southern heaven those who are in
wisdom from the Lord, 386. Of infants in heaven, 729. The
heaven ofthe Mahometans. 832. Artificial heavens, 818.
Hebrew letters, 241, 278.
Heirs of the Lord are those who have faith in him, and
are not in evils of life, 729.
Heliconj:um, 692, 693.
Hell exists from men, who, by aversion from God, after
death become devils and satans, 78. Hell consists of myri
ads of myriads, since it consists of all those who, from
the creation of the world, by evils of life and falses of faith,
have alienated themselves from God, 123. It is divided
into innumerable societies, according to all the varieties
ofthe love of evil, 32, 68, 447. It is, in the sight ofthe Lord,
as one giant, which is a monster, 68, 123. Those who are
in hell do not acknowledge God, but worship, as gods, those
who have power over others, 45. Those who are in hell
were once men, 589. Many in hell are skilled in arts un
known in our world, in which they exercise themselves with
each other, how they may attack, ensnare, beset, and assault
those who are from heaven, 123. When the Lord came into
the world, the power of hell prevailed over the power of
heaven, 3, 579. Then the hells had grown up to such a
height that they filled all the world of spirits, and not only
confused the heaven which is called the last, but also'as-
satilted the middle heaven, which they infested in u thousand
ways, 121, 123, 124, 579. Such has been the case at the sec
ond coming ofthe Lord, 121. The devils and satans are the
spiritual murderers with whom the violators and prostitn-
tors ofthe sanctities of the Church are conjoined, 310. The
man who denies God is excluded from communion with the
angels of heaven, and enters into communion with the satans
of hell, 14. In hell aie all those who have loved themselves
and the world above all things, 293. Hell is under the
earths of the spiritual world, which also are of a spiritual
origin, and thence not in what is extended, but in the appear
ance of what is extended,,475. It consists of caverns which
are eternal workhouses. 281. The smoke, seen in the hells,
arises from falses confirmed by reasonings, and the fire ia

HOL

INDEX.

HUM

591

anger kindling against those who contradict, 159. The fire
of hell is the fire of hatred and vengeance, 309.
Hemipi.egy, 367.
Hemorrhoids (the) signify natural loves, which, separate
from spiritual love, are unclean, 203.
Heraclitus, 693.
Hereditary.— Every man hereditarily derives from his
parents an inclination to do what is good and just, for the
Fake of self and the wo Id, and no one for the sake of what is
good and just, 423. Hereditary evil is from parents, by
whom the inclination to evil, in which they themselves
were, is communicated to their children, 469, 520, 521, 822;
but it depends upon each one whether he will accede to this
evil or recede from it, 469. Hereditary evil acts in roan and
into man ; if it should act by man he would not be capable of
being reformed, nor would he be a subject of blame,. 154.
The hereditary evil, into which man is born, arose princi
pally from the love of ruling over all, and from the love of
possessing the wealth of all, 498, 662, 822, 823. In these two
loves hereditary evil dwells in its fulness, 822. Man is not
born into evils themselves, but only into an inclination to
evils, yet with a greater or less bias to particular ones ;
wherefore, after death, no one is judged from any hereditary
evil, but from the actual ones which he himself has commit
ted, 521. This hereditary bias to evil is broken only by a new
birth from the Lord, which is called regeneration, without
which it increases in every successive generation, 521. All
the evils to which a man inclines from nativity are inscribed
on the will of his natural man ; these evils, as far as man
takes from them, flow into the thoughts, 659. See Evil.
Heresies. — From this, that appearances of truth may be
taken for naked truths, and confirmed, have sprung all the
heresies which have been and still are in the Christian
world, 254. Heresies themselves do not condemn men, but
confirmations of the falsities, which are in a heresy, from the
Word and by reasonings from the natural man, and an evil
life, do condemn, 254. Heretical things have flowed chiefly
from such as were sensual, 402. The causes of so many di
visions and seditions in the Church are principally three :
first, that the Divine Trinity was not understood; second,
that there was no just knowledge of the Lord ; third, that
the passion of the cross was taken for redemption itself, 378.
It is from the faith in three Divine Persons that such enor
mous heresies concerning God have originated, 23.
Hero. — The Lord is called hero and hero of war — Isaiah
xliv. 13, ix. 5— since he alone conquered the hells without
help from any angel, 116.
Heterogeneous.— What is heterogeneous, tortures a devil
in heaven and a devil in hell, 622.
Hieroglyphics of the Egyptians. They are from the
science of correspondences, 201, 205, 833.
Highest Things (suprema).— The highest things in roan's
mind are turned upward to God, the middle things, there,
ontward, to the world, and the lowest things there, down
ward, into the body, 507- God is in the highest parts of
man, even if he does not live to divine order, and gives him
the power to understand truth and to will good, 70, 366.
Hill (the) signifies the heaven which is below the highest
heaven, 205; signifies the lower things ofthe Church, 200.
Hirelings (by the), to whom services of the lowest kind
in the temple were allotted, are meant those who claim re
compense for their merit in the things of salvation. See
Merit. Holiness (sanctum). — In the Word there is holiness in
every sentence, and in every word, yea, in some instances,
in the very letters, 191. The name of God is holiness itself,
297- To pervert and falsify what is holy in the Word, 165.
Observation. — Holiness with man is in his internal ; and
that is called holy which with man flows in from heaven—
that is, from the Lord through heaven. Arcana Caslestia,
10,472. Holy of Holies (the), where was the ark of the covenant,
represented and signified the inmost of heaven and the
Church, 220.
Holy One of Israel (the) is the Lord as to his Human,
93. In the Word, by Jehovah is meant the Lord as to the
Divine Good of Divine Love, and by the Holy One of Israel,
the Lord as to the Divine Truth of Divine Wisdom, 253.
Holy Spirit.— The Holy Spirit is not a God by itself, but
in the Word is meant by it the divine operation, proceeding
from the one and omnipresent God, 138, 139. The divine
operation is, in general, reformation and regeneration, 142.
By the Holy Spirit is properly signified the Divine Truth,
thus also the Word ; and in this sense the Lord is also him-
Belfthe Holy Spirit, 139. The Lord operates those thiDgs,
which at this day are ascribed to the Holy Spirit as to a God
by itself, 153. In the Word of the Old Testament, the Holy
Spirit is nowhere named, but only the Spirit of Holiness, in
three places, 158. The Holy Spirit was then for the first
time, when the Lord came into the world, 158. The life
proceeding from the Lord is called the Spirit of God, and in
the Word, Holy Spirit, 461. By the spirit of prophecy is
meant the truth of doctrine from the Word, 149. The spirit,
which vivifies the letter, is the internal or spiritual sense,
192. Holy Supper (the) was instituted for the sake of consocia'
tion with angels, and, at the same time, consociation with
the Lord ; the bread becomes, in heaven, divine good, and
the wine becomes divine truth, both from the Lord, 238,
702-710. Such correspondence is from creation, to the end
that the angelic heaven, and the Church upon earth and the
spiritual world in general, may make one with the natur,"1

world, and that the Lord may conjoin himself with both at
the same time, 238. By the flesh or the Lord, as also by
bread, is meant the divine good, and by his blood, bb also by
wine, is meant the divine truth, 372, 702-709. The Holy Sup
per is the most holy thing of worship, 699, 709. It is a sac
rament of repentance, and thence of introduction into heaven,
567. The man who looks to the Lord, and performs actual
repentance, by the Holy Supper is conjoined to the Lord, and
introduced into heaven, 621. .The bread and wine do not
effect this, but love and faith, which correspond to them,
621, 705, 727- Without information concerning the corre
spondences ofnatural things with spiritual, no one can know
the uses of the Holy Supper, 698-701. Because Christianity
itself is now first beginning to dawn, and a New Church—
which is meant by the New Church in the Revelation — is
now-being established, it has pleased the Lord to reveal the
spiritual sense of the Word, that this Chinch may come into
the very use of the Holy Supper, 700. Bread aud wine, in
the natural sense, as well as flesh and blood, signify the pas
sion of the cross, 704 ; but in the spiritual sense, by flesh and
bread is meant the good of charity, and by wine and blood
the truth of faith ; and in the supreme sense the Lord as to
the Di vine Good of Love, and as to the Di vine Truth of Wis
dom, 705. There are three essentials which the Holy Supper
involves, namely, the Lord, his divine good, and his divine
truth ¦ thence it includes and contains the universals and par
ticulars of all the things of heaven and ofthe Church, 711-
715. The whole of the Lord is in the Holy Supper, and the
whole of his redemption, 716-718. All those who worthily
go lo the Holy Supper become the redeemed ones of the
Lord, 717. The Lord is present with them, and opens heaven
to them ; he is also present with those who come unworthily,
but he does not open heaven to them, 719-721. Those come
to the Holy Supper worthily who are in faith in the Lord and
in charity towards the neighbor, thus who are regenerate,
722-724. By the regenerate who come worthily, are meant
those who ave internally in those three essentials of the
Church and heaven, viz., the Lord, charity, and faith, but not
those who are only externally in them, 723. Those who come
to the Holy Supper worthily are in the Lord, and the Lord in
them ; consequently conjunction with the Lord is effected by
the Holy Supper, 72S-727. The Holy Supper is to those who
come to it worthily as a signing and seal that they are the
sons of God, 728-730. As baptism is an introduction into the
Church, so the Holy Supper is an introduction into heaven,
719-721. Homogeneous affection conjoins, and heterogeneous affec
tion separates, 622.
Honor (to) one's father and mother, means, in a wider
sense, to honor the king and magistrates, since they provide
necessaries for all in common, which parents do in particular.
In the widest sense, it means that men should love their
country, because this nourishes and protects them, 305 ; in
the spiritual sense, by father is meant God, who is the father
of all, and by mother, the Church, 306 ; in the celestial sense.
by father is meant our Lord Jesus Christ, and by mother,
his Church, spread over all the world, 307-
Horse (the) signifies the understanding of the "Word, 113,
277, 623, 776. The white horse signifies the understanding of
the Word as to truth and good ; the red horse signifies the
understanding ofthe Word, lost as to good ; the black horse,
the understanding of the Word, lost as to truth, 113. The
dead horse signifies no understanding of truth, 277- See Pe
gasus. House (a), Bimilar to the house in which they lived in the
world, is prepared, in the spiritual world, for most of the
new-comers, 797.
Human. — The Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, came
into the world that he might subjugate the hells and glorify
his Human, 2. This Human was the Divine Truth, which he
united with Divine Good, 3. As the Divine itself, which
was from eternity, so also the Human, which it assumed
in time, lives in itself, 40. God could not have made his
Human Divine; unless bis Human had been, at the first, as
the human of an infant, and afterwards as the human of a
boy, and unless the Human afterwards had formed itself into
a receptacle into which its Father might enter, 73, 89. The
Human, which he assumed in time, was not the Divine Esse,
81. The soul of this Human, or the Lord, was the Divine it
self, or' Jehovah God, 82, 538. God assumed the Human
according to the laws of order ; thus in order that he might
actually become Man, he could not but be conceived, carried
in the womb, brought forth, educated, and successively learn
the sciences, and by them be introduced into intelligence
and wisdom, 89. Wherefore, as to the Human, he was an
infant as an infant, a boy as a boy, Ac. with this difference
only, that he perfected those progressive stages sooner and
more perfectly than others, 89. By the acts of redemption,
the Lord put off the Human from the mother, and put on a
Human from the Father ; thence it is that the Human of the
Lord is Divine, and that in him God is Man, and Man God,
102. The Divine ofthe Father is the soul ofthe Son, and the
Human of the Son is the body of the Father, 112. The om
nipotent God could not have entered the battle with the hells
unless he had before put on the Human, 124. The Lord did
not suffer as to the Divine, but as to the Human, 126. By
his Human, the Lord is in lasts as well as in firsts, 136.
Since the Divine of the Father is the soul of the Human of
the Lord, and the Human is his body, the Human does not
ask of its Divine to tell what it shall speak or do, since the
body does not ask thesonl what it shall do, 154. The Lord, as
to the Divine Human, should be approached ; and thus, and

592

EMM

INDEX.

INF

not otherwise, the Divine mny be approached whicli is called
the Father, 188, 538. The one God, who is invisible, came
into the world and assumed the human, not only thai he
might redeem men, but also that he might become visible,
and thus capable of being conjoined, 786. This human is
what is called the Son of God ; and this is what mediates,
intercedes, piopitiates, and expiates, 135, 538. Concerning
the Divine Human, see, also, 111, 691. The Lord rose from
the sepulchre with his whole body which he had in the world,
nor did he leave any thing in -the sepulchre ; consequently,
he took thence with him the natural Human itself, from the
firsts to the lasts of it, 109. The glorified Human ofthe Lord
is the Natural Divine, in which the Lord is present with men,
and from which he illustrates not only the internal spiritual
man, but also the external natural, 109.
Humble-Bees. — Wonders about them, 335.
Humiliation of the Lord before the Father, is what is
called his state of exinanition, 104. See Exinanition.
Hunchback. — Comparisons with a hunchbacked man,
404, 507-
Husband (the) signifies the good of charity, 377. Love, or
charity, is as the husband, and wisdom, or faith, is as the
wife. 41. After marriage, the husband represents wisdom,
and the wife represents the love of the wisdom of the hus
band, 748.
Hypocrisy in worship, 517-519. Origin of all hypocrisy,
HI, 592.
Hypocrite. — Everyman who is not inwardly led by the
Lord is a dissembler, a sycophant, and a hypocrite, 662. A
hypocrite, among natural men, is to the lowest degree natural,
fur he is sensual, 381. When the internal man wills evil, and
still the external man acts well, then, nevertheless, both act
from hell ; for his willing is thence, and his doing is hypo
critical, and his will, which is infernal, lurks inwardly in
every hypocritical deed, 340. With consummate hypocrites,
there is intestine enmity against truly spiritual men ; that it
is so is not sensibly perceived by them while they live in
the world, but it manifests itself after death, 381.
Hypotheses concerning faith and free agency, 371-
L— In the third heaven the angels cannot pronounce the
vowel i; they replace it by y, 278.
Idea is of thought ; where there is no thought there is no
idea, 335. A merely natural idea is formed from such things
as aie in the world, and in this idea there is space and time,
30, 31, 280. The spiritual idea derives nothing from space,
but it derives its all from state, 30. Spiritual ideas are super
natural, inexpressible, ineffable, and incomprehensible to
natural men, 280. Without a just idea concerning the rela
tion between the spiritual and natural world, man falls easily
into naturalism, which denies God, 75. No idea of natural
thought is adequate to any idea of purely spiritual thought,
280. One natural idea is the continent of many spiritual
ideas, and one spiritual idea is the continent of many celes
tial ideas, 280. Ideas fix themselves in the mind, and remain
there as they have been received and confirmed, 351. lueas
of thought become words of speech, 280. Ideas of thought,
which flow from acknowledgment, make one with the words
ofthe tongue, with those who are in the spiritual world. 111.
That men have not any connate ideas, and that beasts have
not any ideas, 335. The idea of three Gods cannot be abol
ished by the oral confession of one God, 172, 173. The idea
which is to be formed of God, 20, 621, 837. Every one ob
tains his place in the heavens accoiding to his ideas of
God, 163.
Id en tit y< — In the created universe then: jire not two things
which are identical ; nor is therean identity of two effect* in
things which are successive in the world, 32. An iiieniity
of three Divine Essences is an oflence to reason, 23.
Idle. — In the spiritual world, no food is given to the idle,
except when they woik, 281.
Idolatries (origin of), U, 205, 233, 275, 291, 833.
Idols (worship of), whence it arose, 291.
Illustration- is from the Lord, and with those who love
truths because they are truths, and make them uses of life,
231. What it is to he in illustration, in reading the Word,
231. When man does not immediately go to the Lord, illus
tration, which is spiritual, being from the Lord alone, be
comes more and moie natural, and at length sensual, 176.
Illustration, which is from the Lord, is turned into various
lights and into various heats, with every one according to
the state of his mind, 155. State of illustration with those
who are about to come into the new Church of the Lord,
354. Observation.— Between illustration and illumination, which
words express the action of enlightening, there is the same
difference as between light (lux), and light {lumen). Illus
tration is a derivative of tux, mid illumination is a derivative
of lumen : for instance, light (lux) of the sun ; light (lumen)
of the moon.
Imagk and Likeness of God.— What is meant bv it, 33,
34. Tin- infinite is, in men as in its images, 33, 34. Men are
called images and likenesses of God, 20, 34, 41, 48. 65, 74,
092 Every good of Love is the image or the Lord, 767. The
image of the father is in its fullness in the seed, 103. In the
spiritual woi Id, when the inmost sight is opened, they know
their image in the surrounding objects ; why? 66. The an
cients made for thenr-elvcs images whicli corresponded to
heavenly things, and signified them, 205.
Immensity is the origin of spaces, 27. Infinity with re
spect to spaces is called immensity, 31. In heaven, the an
gels understand by the immensity'of God, his Divinity as to
Esse, 31.

Immortality of the Soul. — Man lives to eternity because
he can be conjoined to God by love and faith, 621. See, also,
Memorable Helatvm, No. 697-
Implant. —Tendency and effort implanted in man, 767.
Observation.— Implant means to ingraft, to innoculate.
That which with man is horn the common influx is said to
be implanted in him.— Apoc<dypse Explained, 935. The
common influx is the continual effort of the Lord in all that
is of man's life, in order that he may act according to order.
Impossible.— It is impossible for God to condemn any one
who lives well and believes aright; and, on the other hand, it
is impossible for God to save any one who lives wickedly,
and thence believes falses; this is contrary to the omnipo
tence of God, 341. It was impossible for God to effect the
redemption without assuming the Human, 84. See Omnipo
tence. Imputation is to those who know, and not to those who
know not, 107. The imputation of the merit and righteous
ness of Christ is impossible, 134, 640-642, 649. The Lord does
not impute to any one his sins, because he is Love itself and
Good itself, 409, 651, 652. Without reciprocal conjunction of
man with the Lord, and of the Lord with man, there would
not be any imputation, 485. Without free agency in spiritual
things, God would be the cause of evil, and thus there would.
be no imputation, 489-492. Imputation at this day takes ,
away from man all power from any free'agency in spiritual
things, 630. The faith ofthe present Church, which alone is
said to justify, and imputation, make one, 626, 627- This
imputation is two-fold— one part of the merit of Chriot, and.
the other of salvation thence, 628-631. Unless the error con
cerning imputation should be abolished, Atheism would in
vade the whole of Christendom, 628. The faith imputative
of the merit of Christ was not known in the Apostolic
Church, and is nowhere meant in the Word, 636-fi39 ; it first
arose from the decrees of the Nicene Synod concerning three
Divine Persons from eternity, 632-635. When this faith was
introduced and had pervaded the whole Christian world, all
other faith was rejected into darkness, 639. This faith bor
rowed a light, such as there is from a fire in the time of
night, from which light it was seen as the very theological-
truth, 644. If the leaders had thought ,of any other faith
than imputative faith, when they read the Word, that light,
together with e\ery thing of their theology, would have
been extinguished, and darkness would have arisen, by
which the whole Christian Church would have vanished,
644. Whenever imputation is mentioned in the Word, the
imputation of good and evil, and at the same time of faith, is
meant, 643. There was no other law of imputation at the be
ginning of the Church, nor will there be any other at the end .
ot it, 643. Good, which is charity, and evil, which is ini-
tiuity, are imputed after death, 646. The faith and imputa
tion of the New Church cannot be together with the faith
and imputation ofthe former Church, without every thing of
the Church perishing with man, 647-649. The Lord imputes
good to every man, and hell imputes evil to every man,
650-653. Thought is imputed to no one, but will, 658-660.
Imputation corresponds to estimation and price, 6(30. Con
cerning imputation see. also, the Memorable Relation, 72.
Incense signifies spiritual good, 205.
Inclination to evil is communicated by parents to their
children, 469, 521, 612. Man is not born into evils them
selves, but only into an inclination to evils, yet with a
greater or less bias to particular ones, 521. All the evils to
which a man inclines from nativity are inscribed on the will
of his natural man. 659.
Indies. — From the ancient Word and the Israelitish Word
religions emanated into the Indies and their islands, 275.
Those in the Indies who believe in one God, and live accord
ing to the precepts of their religion, are saved by means of
their faith and life, 107.
Infancy (the) of the Christian Church was in the time
when the apostles lived, and preached repentance and faith
in the Lord God the Saviour throughout the world, 4.
Infants. — How thought is formed and ideas exist with in
fants, 335, Those who die when they are infants have a he
reditary inclination to evils, so that they will, hut still do
notdo them, for they are educated under the auspices of the
Lord, and saved, 521. Angels are assigned to them by -the
Lord, to take care of them (after baptism), 677. Infants and
children, born out of the^ Christian Church, are introduced
into the heaven designated for their religion, after the recep-.
tion of faith in the Lord, 729. Infants in the heavens know,
no other father and no other mother than the Lord and the
Church, 306. The love of parents towards their children
exists with the bad equally as with the good, and sometimes
it is stronger with the bad, 431. See Storge.
Infinite. — God is infinite, since he is and exists in him
self, 28; and since he was before the world, thus befoie
spaces and times, 29. The infinite is in finite things as in
receptacles, and in men as in its images, 33.
Infinity and eternity apply to the Divine Esse, 21. In
finity comprehends both immensity and eternity, 27, 31. In- ,
h'nity, in relation to spaces, is called immensity, and in
relation to times, eternity, 31, The infinity of God is repre
sented, in perpetual types, in the universals of the woild ;
instances, 32. How God made his infinity finite, 33. As
the esse of God is more universal than the essence of God, .
so also the infinity of God is more universal than the love
of God; wherefore infinite is an adjective belonging to.
the essentials and attributes of God, all of which are called
infinite, 36. Heat and light, proceeding from the Lord, as a
sun, contain in their bosom all the infinities that are in the

INT

INDEX.

JES

593

Lord ; the heat all the infinities of his love, and the light,
all the infinities of his wisdom, 365. In every part of the
Word there is an infinity ; that is, it contains innumerable
tilings which not even the angels can draw out, 290.
Influx.— The universal influx into the souls of men is,
that there is a God, and that he is one, 8. The reason that
many think that the Divinity is divided into several of the
same essence is because, when that influx descends, it falls
into forms not correspondent, and the form itself varies it, 8.
How the Lord flows into the whole universe, 641. The Lord,
with all his Divine Love, with all his Divine Wisdom, thus
with all his Divine Life, flows in with every man, 364 ; con
sequently with all the essence of faith and charity, 365 ; but
all those things are received by man according to his form,
366. God flows in with every man with an acknowledgment
of Him into the knowledges concerning Him, and at the
same time He flows in with his love towards men, 457- The
man who only receives the former and not the latter, receives
that influx in the understanding and not in the will, and re
mains in knowledges without interior acknowledgment of
God ; but the man who receives both the former and the lat
ter receives the influx in the will, and thence in the under
standing, thus in the whole mind, 457. The delight of evil
is exhaled from hell, and it flows into every man, hut into
the soles of the feet, the back, and the hinder part of the head ;
if it is received by the head in the fore part, and by the body
in the breast, the man is then enslaved to hell, 564. If the
delight of charity and the pleasantness of faith should flow
into the spiritual organism of the mind of those who are in
the delight of evil and the false, these, if those delights and
pleasantnesses should be intruded, would be distressed and
tormented, and at length would fall into aswoon, 578. With
animals the spiritual world flows into the senses of tneir
body immediately, and thereby determines the actions, 335.
See Instinct. At the present day nothing is known of any
influx from the spiritual world into the natural world, but
an influx from nature into the things derived from nature is
spoken of, 695. The learned of this age reason in different
modes concerning the influx of the sonl into the body, and
of this into the soul ; and respecting this they are divided
into three parties, 695, 696. Wonders which owe their ex
istence to the influx of the spiritual into the natural world,
695. Influx adapts itself to efflux, 814. See Efflux.
Infralapsarians, 486.
Iniquity, being once rooted as to the inclination to it, is
transmitted to posterity, and it is not extirpated, except by
regeneration, 756. Bearing the iniquities, in the Word, does
not mean to take them away, but to represent the profanation
of the truths of the Word, 130.
Inmost Things (the) of all things in the universe are in
order, 70. The Lord governs those things which are without
from the inmost, 56.
Insects (wonders about them), 12, 335.
Inspiration is an insertion into angelic societies, 140.
Aspiration, or breathing upon, was an external sign of divine
inspiration, 140. Inspiration granted to Swedenborg, 851.
Instinct (the) of the animals is from the influx of the
spiritual world with them ; it is called instinct because it
exists without the medium of thought, 335. The things ac
cessory to instinct are from habit, 335. The instinct of
every animal is according to its essence or nature, 145. If
with man the will could not be perfected by the understand
ing, he would not be able to act from reason, but from in
stinct, 58a
Instruction, principally with the clergy, is an_ effect re
sulting from illustration, perception, and disposition, 155.
See 146. Every man is instructed by the angels after death,
and those are received who see truths, and from truths,
falses; but those only see truths who have not confirmed
themselves in falses, 255. Those who, after instruction, in
the spiritual world, recede from the faith that the Holy
Spirit is a God by itself, are informed afterwards concerning
the miity of God ; these are then prepared for receiving the
faith of the new heavens, 138. Man, without instruction, is
not a man nor a beast, but a form which can receive in itself
that which makes a man, 692.
Instrumental (the) and principal together make one ac
Mon, 576. The instrumental feels the principal as its own, 473.
Intkgrity.— The angels could not have subsisted in a state
of integrity without redemption, 118, 119,579. Theintegrity
of the universe has been preserved from the creation, 714.
Intelligence is from the Lord, and not from man;
man has only the faculty of receiving. 663. Intelligence
resides in the understanding, 658. It is the light of life,
41. Those with whom the internal spiritual man is opened
into heaven to the Lord are in the light of heaven and in il
lamination from the Lord, and thence intelligence and wis
dom, 401. They see truth from the light of truth, and per
ceive good from the love of good, 401. According to the
affection of sciences, every one has intelligence, 694. Hu
man intelligence, which is truly intelligence, is from divine
truths, analytically divided into forms, by means of light
flowing ih from the Lord,' 350. By his own intelligence man
cannot procure for himself knowledges concerning God, con
cerning heaven and hell, and concerning the spiritual things
which are ofthe Church, 276. See Wisdom.
Intelligent.— It is not the part of an intelligent man to
be able to confirm whatever he pleases, but it is the part ot
an intelligent man to be able to see that the true is true, and
the false is false, and to confirm it, 334.
Intention enters into the will, and allurement enters only
Into the understanding, 313. All that is of intention ib also
38

ofthe will, and thus in itself of the deed, 309. Through the
intention, the end, which is of the will, enters the under
standing, and causes it to consider and revolve the means,
and to conclude such as tend to effects, 658. In the spiritual
world the good are distinguished from the wicked according
to purpose, intention, and end, 523. A man explores the
intentions of his will, while he explores his thoughts, for
the intentions manifest themselves in them, 532.,
Intercession signifies a perpetual mediatio'n, 135. See
Mediation. Intercourse, mutual, ofthe soul and body, 154.
Interiors.— AU the interiors of man proceed and are con
tinued to the exteriors, and even to his extremes, that they
may produce their effects and perform their works, 462.
Internal and External.— In every created thing in the
world, whether living or dead, there is an internal and an ex
ternal ; one is not where the other is not, as no effect is with
out a cause, 595, 785. The external depends on the internal,
as the body on the soul, 785. The internal is to be formed
before the external, and afterwards the external by the in
ternal, 784. The internal is as the soul in the external, 593.
In all the will and thought, and thence in al) the action and
speech of man, mere is an internal and an external, 147-
Tlie internal and external are distinct, but still reciprocally
united, 154. The internal acts in the external and into it,
but it does not act by the external ; for the internal involves
a thousand things, of which the externa! takes only such as
are accommodated to use, 154. By the internal man is in
the spiritual world, and by the external he is in the natural
world, 401, 454. The internal with the good is in heaven
and its light, and the external in the world and its light,
and this light with them is illuminated by the light of heav
en ; and thus, with them, the internal and the external act
as one, like cause and effect, 401. With the evil the internal
is in hell and in its light, which light, with respect to the
light of heaven, is thick darkness, 401. This internal and
external are the internal and external of the spirit of man ;
his body is only an external superadded, within which they
exist, 401, 420.
Internal Man and External Man.— The internal man
is what is called the spiritual man, because it is in the light
of heaven, which light is spiritual ; and the external man is
what is called the natural man, because it is in the light of
the world, which light is natural, 401. The internal man is
first to be reformed, and by this the external, and man i«
thus regenerated, 591-595. The external man does not be
come internal, nor does not make one with the internal un
til lusts are removed, 326. When the internal man wills
well, and the external acts well, then both make one, 340.
The causes of all things are formed in the internal man, and
all effects are produced thence in the external man, 374. Man
is Buch in himself, as he is to his internal man, but not as he
is to his external, 455.
Introduction into the New Church by baptism, 677-680.
Introduction into heaven by the Holy Supper, 719-721.
Invocations of the saints are only mockeries, 825, 560.
See Catholics. Rohan.
Israel signifies the spiritual Church, 200. By the land of
Israel is meant the Church, 594.
Italy, 275.
Jacob signifies the natural Church. 200.
Jasher (Book of), or of the just, 265, 279.
Jehovah God is Love itself and Wisdom itself, or Good
itself and Truth itself, 3, 37. It is the only God, the Lord
God the Saviour Jesus Christ, in whom there is a Divine
Trinity, 3. The one God is called Jehovah from Esse, be
cause he Is, has Been, and will Be, 19. Jehovah signifies
the supreme and only Being, from whom every thing is that
is and exists in the universe, 9. He is Substance and Form
itself, and angels and men are substances and forms from
him, 20. In the New Testament Jehovah is called the Lord,
81 ; why? 297. The Lord our Saviour is Jehovah the Father
himself in a human form, 370. Jehovah is Man in the firsts
as well aB in the lasts, 102. Jehovah has assumed the Hu
man in order to redeem and Bave men, 82-84, 101, 188, 370,
641, 786. He descended as the Divine Truth, which is the
Word, and yet he did not separate the Divine Good, 85, 86.
He could not redeem men, that is, deliver them from damna
tion and hell, except by the assumed Human, 84. He be
came Man that he might be able to come to man and man to
Him, and thus conjunction might be made, and by conjunc
tion man might have salvation and eternal life, 370. In the
Word, by Jehovah is signified the Divine Love or Divine
Good and by God Divine Wisdom or Divine Truth, 85, 253.
Jerusalem signifies the Church, 782. Since the judgment
it signifies the Church as to doctrine, in which the Lord alone
is adored, 841. The holy new Jerusalem described in the Rev
elation signifies the New Church, 789. See New Jerusalem.
Jesuits, 146.
Jesus (the name of) is so holy that it cannot be pronounced
by any devil in hell, 297. The name of Jesus signifies allof
salvation by redemption, and the name of Christ nil of salva
tion by hlB doctrine, 298, 150. 726. The Lord, from the office ol
priest, is called JesuB, and from the office of king, Christ, 114.
Jesus Christ is the Lord Jehovah, from eternity Cre
ator, in time Redeemer, and to eternity Regenerator, thus
the Father, the Son. and the Holy Spirit, 26, 188, 294-296,
683. No other God but the Lord Jesus Christ is to be
worshipped, 294. We should have faith in God the Saviour
Jesus Christ, because it is the faith in a visible God, in whom
is the Invisible God, 339. The first thing of this faith is an
acknowledgment that he is the Son of God, 342. The body

594

KNO

LNDEX.

LLB

of Christ is the Divine Good and the Divine Truth, 372. By
the name ofthe Lord Jesus Christ, nothing else is meant in
the Word than an acknowledgment of him, and a life accord
ing to his commandments, 682.
Jews (the) were called an adulterous nation because they
had adulterated the Word, 122. A general image of Jacob
and Judah still remains in their posterity, because they have
hitherto adhered firmly to their religious principles, 103, 521.
Their worship consisted of mere correspondences, and thence
it was representative of heavenly things, but they had no
knowledge of the science of correspondences, 204, 205. Their
hereditary disposition, in process of time, has increased with
them to such a degree that they cannot, with a faith of the
heart, embrace the Christian religion ; the interior will of
their mind is averse to it, 521. The Jews did not dare to
pronounce the name of Jehovah, on account of its holiness,
81. The Jewish nation is represented by the rich man in the
parable of Lazarus, because it was in possession of the Word,
in which are spiritual riches, 215, 246. The Jews, before the
last judgraentt appeared, in the spiritual world, at the left
side of the middle, occupied by the Christians, in a valley
there ; after that they were transferred to the north, and were
forbidden to have intercourse with Christians, 841. Some
of them allowed themselves to be instructed concerning
Christ ; these, for the most part, among the Jews called Por
tuguese, 841, 842. The Jews are more ignorant than others
that they are in the spiritual world, but believe that they are
still in the natural world ; the reason is that they are alto
gether external men, and do not think any thing concerning
religion from within, 844. There sometimes appears to the
Jews in the spiritual world au angel above, of a middling
stature, with a rod in bis hand, and he makes them believe
that he is Moses, and exhorts them to desist from the folly
of expecting the Messiah, even there, 842.
Job (the book of), which is a book of the ancient Church,
is full of correspondences, 201, 846.
John the Baptist, 510, 688-691.
Jordan (the) signifies introduction into the Church, he-
cause this river was the first boundary of the land of Canaan,
where the Church was, 510, 675, 677- See Canaan.
Joy and Gladness. — These two expressions are used to
gether in the Word, because joy is predicated of good and
also of love, and gladness of truth and also of wisdom ; for
joy is of the heart or of the will, and gladness of the Bpirit or
the understanding, 252. Heavenly joy and eternal happiness,
731, Ac. Heavenly joy is the delight of doing something,
which is of use to one's self and to others, 734.
Judah signifies the celestial Church, 200.
Judas represented the Jewish nation ; his treason signifies
that the Lord was betrayed by this nation, with whom the
"Word then was, 130.
Judges (conscientious), 422, 459. Unjust judges, 317,
332, 666.
Judgment.— See Justice and Judgment.— All the judg
ment which is done to man after death, is according to the
use which he makes of his free agency in spiritual things,
497- By judgment in the Word, is meant judgment to hell,
which is condemnation ; hut resurrection to life, and not
judgment, is predicated of salvation, 652.
Juno, 17, 178.
Jupiter, 9, 17, 178, 275.
Justice and Judgment. — Justice is said of love, and judg
ment of wisdom, 50, 51. It is contrary to justice and to judg
ment that one should take upon himself the crime of another,
134. All love of justice with judgment is from do other
source than from the God of heaven, who is the Justice, and
from whom man has all judgment, 459.
Justification by faith alone; whence it derives its origin,
206. The doctrine of justification by faith alone makes those
who embrace it, as it were, intoxicated, and prevents them
from seeing the most essential point of the Church, 98. Al
though it is not faith, but a chimera, it gains every point in
Christian Churches, 181, 389. This erroneous and even
-absurd doctrine induces carelessness, blindness, sleep, and
night, in spiritual things, and thence the death of the soul,
182. See the Memorable. Relations, 389, 505.
Kidneys (the) secrete in freedom, 496.
Kill (to) signifies, in the spiritual sense, to destroy the soul
nf man ; and in the celestial sense, to cherish hatred towards
the Lord and the Word, 236, 310, 311.
King, in the Word, signifies Divine Truths; why? 114;
signifies the truth of the Church, 219. The king of Tyre
signifies the Word, where are the knowledges of truth and
good, 260. The king of the abyss signify those who destroy
souls by falseB, 310. Kings in the world, 422, 533.
Kingdom (the) of the Father then is, when the. Lord is
approached immediately, and not when God the Fathei is
approached immediately, 113. Celestial kingdom, spiritual
kingdom, natural kingdom of the Lord, 212. Ends are in the
•celestial kingdom, causes in the spiritual kingdom, and ef
fects in the natural kingdom, 236. In the Word, the king
dom ofthe heavens signifies heaven and the Church, 199.
Knowledge. — Without revelation, no knowledge of God
is attainable, 11. It is vain to wish to know what God is in
his esse or in his substance. ; it is enough to acknowledge him
from created things, in which he is infinitely, 28. The faith
of God enters into man through a prior way, which is from
the soul into the superior parts of the understanding ; but
knowledges concerning God enter through a posterior way,
because they are imbibed from the revealed Word, through
the understanding, through the senses ofthe body, 11. Knowl
edge concerning the Lord exceeds in excellence all the

knowledges which are given in the Church, 81. When
knowledges are wanting, the understanding is incapable lo
form a judgment concerning God, 24. The Lord teaches
every one by the "Word, and he teaches them from those
knowledges which are with man, and doe? not immediately
infuse new oueB, 208. Without any general knowledges con
cerning the creation, man may easily fall into naturalism, 75.
Knowledges of good and truth are meant in the Word by
the stars which will fall from heaven, 198. The knowledge
of sins and the searching out of some one sin in one's self,
begins repentance, 526-527-
Koran (the), 833.
Labor (the six days of) signifies the spiritual labor of man
in regeneration, 302. In tbe Word, the combats of the Lord
against the hells are called labors, 302.
Ladder of Jacob, 24.
Laity (with the) the love of dominion, from the love of self,
mounts aloft until they wish to be kings, 405.
Lake (the) of fire and brimstone signifies hell, 635.
Lamb signifies innocence, 200. The Iamb which John saw
on the mountain of Sion, Apoc. xiv. 1, was the representation
of the innocence of the Lord, 144.
Lamps (the) signify the things which are of faith, 199, 396 ;
signify the things which are of the understanding, 606.
Language.— There is a universal language in which all
angels and spirits are, and which has nothing: in common
with men in the world, 19, 280. Every man comes into this
language after death, for it is implanted in every man from
creation, 19, 280. Every spirit and angel, speaking with
man, speaks his own language, 280.- The very sound of spir
itual language, differs so mnch from the sound of natural
language, that a spiritual sound, however loud, cannot be
heard by a natural man, nor a natural sound by a spiritual
man, 280.
Lares (the), household gods, see 205.
Last. — In every thing divine there is a first, a middle, and
a last, 210. The last is the basis, the continent, and the fir-
mamentof the whole, 210. The ultimate of the understanding
is what relates to natural science, and the ultimate of the will
is what relates to sensual delight, 565.
Last Judgment (the) took place in the spiritual world in
the year 1757, 115. 792, 796, 818, 841. Since the last judg
ment the state of all is bo changed in the spiritual world that
it is not lawful for them to gather themselves into companies
as before ; but for every love, both good and evil, there are
appointed ways which those who come from the world imme
diately enter, and go to the societies corresponding to their
loves, 818.
Layer of Regeneration.— Why baptism is called so, 685.
Law. — The spiritual law is this of the Lord : " All things
whatsoever you would that men should do to you, so also do
ye to them," 444, 411. This same law is the universal law of
moral life, 444. The primary thing of Divine law is, that
man should think of the law, do it, and obey it from himself,
although from the Lord, 497- The universal law in the spir
itual world, and thence also in the natural world, is, that so
far as any one does not will evil, so far he wills good, 437.
The laws of justice are truths which cannot be changed, 341.
In a state, the laws of justice are in the highest place, politi
cal laws in the second, and economical laws in tbe third, 55.
If no fear of punishments inflicted from tbe laws restrained
men, the whole human race would be destroyed, 498. Laws
of order, 55, 56, 71, 73, 87 ; they are as many as there aie
truths in tbe Word, 55, 73. It is a law of order that as far as
man accedes and approaches to God, which he should do al
together from himself, so far God accedes and approaches to
man, and in the midst of him conjoins himself with him, 89,
100, 110. The law engraved on the two tables signifies the
Word, 220, 262. By the law is meant the whole Sacred Scrip
ture, 262, 288. By the law, in a strict sense, is meant the
Decalogue ; in a wider sense, are meant the statutes given by
Moses to the sons of Israel : and in the widest sense, is meant
the whole Word, 288. The law and the prophets signify the
whole Word, 287.
Lazarus, the poor man, signifies the Gentiles, because
they had not the Word ; Lazarus layed at the rich man's gate,
signifies that they were despised and rejected by the Jews ;
Lazarus full of sores, signifies that the Gentiles, from igno
rance of the truth, were in many false&. The Gentiles are
meant by Lazarus, because the Gentiles were loved by the
Lord ; as Lazarus, who was raised from the dead, was loved
by the Lord, 215.
Learned (the), 77, 159, 333, 671.
Leaves (the) in plants, perform the office of the lungs in
animals, 585.
Leibnitz, 335, 696.
Leopards (the) represent cupidities of diabolical love, 45.
Letter ofthe Alphabet (every), in thespiritual worlds,
19. In the third heaven writing consists of letters, inflected,
and variously curved, of which each contains a certain
sense, 278. Letters with the angels of the spiritual kingdom
are like the letterR used in printing in our world, and the
letters with the angels of the celestial kingdom are, with
some like Arabic letters, and with some like the old He
brew letters, but inflected above and below, with marks
above, between, and within ; each of these also involves an
entire sense, 241.
Leviathan, 74, 182.
Liberty (Hbertus).— In the state of reformation, man is in
full liberty of acting according to the rationale of his under- .
standing ; and in the state of regeneration he is also in simi
lar liberty; but then he wills and acts, and thinks and

LIG

INDEX.

LOV

595

speaks from a new love, which is of the Lord, 105. - When
the liberty of speaking and writing is restrained, the liberty
of thinking— that is, of viewing things in their amplitude-
is also at the same time held under restraint, 814,
Libraries in the spiritual world, 692, 694.
Lie, in the Word, signifies what is false and false-speak
ing, 322.
Life.— God alone is life, 364. God or the Lord is Life it
self, which is Life in itself, 21, 39, 461, 474. Life in itself is
Divine Life, 25. Divine Love and Divine Wisdom make the
Divine Life, 364. Life in itself is the very and the only life,
from which all angels and men live, 40, 362. Life is the in
most activity of love and wisdom, which are in God, and
are God, which life also may be called the very living force,
471. — Life with Man. Because God is life in himself and in
finite, he cannot create this and transcribe it into man, for
this would be to make him God, 470. God flows in with
every man with all his divine life, 364. As fur as man re
ceives love and wisdom or charity and faith from God, so
far he receives life from God, who in himself is life ; hut as
far as any one does not receive them, so far he receives life
from hell, which is no other life than inverted life, which is
called spiritual death, 471. The life of mail is God in him,
and death of man is the persuasion and belief that the life of
man is not God, but himself, 48. Life, with all the things
of it, flows in from the God of heaven, who is the Lord, 362.
The life of God, in all its fulness, is not only with good and
pious men, but also with had and impious men ; the differ
ence is, that the bad stop up the way and shut the door, that
God may not enter into the lower parts of their mind ; but
the good clear out the way and open the door, 366. The
life of God is in the spiritual of man, 369. God gives to man
to feel the life in himself, as his own, and God wills that
man should feel so. in order that he may live as of himself,
according to the laws of order, 504.— The Life of Man. Man
isnotlite, but a receptacle of life from God, 470-474. Thesoul
of man is not life, but it is a recipient of life, 25, 461. Life
is no other than love and wisdom, 35. The good of love and
the truth of wisdom make life, 461. Life is properly the light
which proceeds from the sun of the spiritual world ; Divine
Love forms life, as fire forms light, 39. The very life of
man is his love, and as the love is, such is the life, yea, such
is the whole man, 399. The two universals of the life of
every man are the will and the understanding, 778. The life
oF man dwells in his understanding, and is such as his wis
dom is, and the love of the will modifies it, 39. The will and
understanding are the human mind; and all the life of man
is there, in its principles, and thence in the body, 397. The
life, the will, and the understanding make one in man,
362. Life is with man from spiritual light, and the un
derstanding of man is from this light, 334. Every one re
ceives the life proceeding from God according to his form,
366. It is of life to be affected and to think, and it is of
love to be affected, and of wisdom to think, 35. The de
light of one's love, together with the pleasantness of his
thought, makes his life, 569. The perfection of life does not
consist in thought, but in the perception of truth from the
light of truth, 42. The life of man is to be able to think and
will, and theuce to speak and act with freedom, 482. There
are in every man, from creation, three degrees of life— the
celestial, the spiritual, and the natural, 239, 42. There are
four periods of life through which man passes from infancy
to old age : the first is that in which he acts from others, ac
cording to instructions ; the second is that in which he acts
from himself, according to the direction of the understand
ing ; the third is that in which the will acts into the under
standing, and understanding modifies it ; the fourth is that
in which he acts from a confirmed principle and from pur
pose, 443 ; but these periods of life are periods of the life of
the spirit of man, and not in like manner of his body, 443.—
Spiritual Life of Man. Life in faith and charity is the o^.ir-
itual life, which is given by the Lord to man In his natural
life, 358. Man has life from the Word ; but those only have
life from the Word who need it for the purpose of deriving
divine truths from it, and, at the same time, to apply them
to life, 191. The life of the spirit of man consists in his free
agency in spiritual things, 482. Spiritual life is according to
truths, 347. The spiritual life itself of man is in true con
science, 666. Moral life, If it is at the same time spiritual, is
charity, 443-445, 460. Civil life is temporary which has an
end, and then it is as if it had never been ; but spiritual life,
because it has no end, is eternal, 415. — Life of the Body.
Tbe human body Ib only an organ of life, 35. 362, 364, 461.
Life is in every substantial and material part of roan, al
though it does not mingle itself with them, 30. The life of
the whole body depends entirely upon the reciprocal con^
junction ofthe heart and the lungs, 371.
Light (the) of heaven is, in its essence, divine truth, from
which is all the intelligence of angels and men, 269. In the
Word we read that Jehovah dwelleth in inaccessible light ;
by the Human of the Lord he sent himself into the world,
and made himself visible to the eyes of men, and thus
accessible, 176, 188. The light of heaven discovers the
quality of every form, 187 ; it is Divine Wisdom, 242. The
light of heaven, in which the spiritual sense of the Word
Is. flows into natural light, in which the sense of the letter
of the Word is, and illuminates the intellectual or rational
of man, 215, 334, 401. It is the spiritual light from which
the understanding sees and perceives rational things analyt
ically, as the eye sees and perceives natural things symmet
rically, 365. Light proceeding from the sun of the natural
"world is not creatable. but forms, receiving it, are created, 40.

Fatuous light is no light ; it is mere darkness, compared
with spiritual light, 334, 335 ; this light of infatuation is the
light of the confirmation of the false, and corresponds to the
lightin which owls and bats are, 162. By light, in the Word,
is meant wisdom ; when spoken of God, the Divine Wisdom,
59, 76; and also Divine Truth, 85. See Heat and Light.
Likeness of God.— See Image and Likeness. Likeness
ofthe father in his children, 103.
Limbus, OR Border. — Limbus, which man retains around
s spiritual after death, and which is from the purest things
of nature, 103.
Linen (the fine) signifies truth from a spiritual origin, 220 ;
signifies the truth ofthe Word, 215 ; signifies the righteousness
ofthe saints ; fine linen garments signify Divine Truth, 686.
Lips. — A confession ofthe lips alone, that one is a sinner,
is not repentance, 516-519.
Little Heaven and Little World.— See Great Heaven
and Great World; Microcosm.
Live (to). — Man lives, that is, feels, thinks, speaks, and
acts, entirely as from himself, 470. To live according to or
der, is to live according to the commandments of God, 96.
Man is so far iu God, as he lives according lo order, 70.
Livek. — The liver performs its functions in freedom or
equilibrium, 496.
Locusts signify falses in the outermost things, 635.
London. — There are two great cities called London in the
spiritual world, 809, 811.
Lord (the) from eternity, who is Jehovah, came into the
world to subjugate the hells and glorify his Human, 2. In
him is the Divine Trinity, and he is the only God aud Sa
viour, 2, 608, 615. The only God is Jesus Christ, who is
Jehovah the Lord, from eternity Creator, in time Redeemer,
and to eternity Regenerator ; thus who is the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, 26. By the Lord Redeemer is meant
Jehovah in the Human, 81. He is called Lord and not
Jehovah, because Jehovah of the Old Testament is called
the Lord in the New, 81, 297- He himself has commanded
his disciples to call him Lord, 81. He came into the world
to fulfil all things of the Word, 85, 261-263 ; and by the acts
of redemption he made himself Righteousness, 95, 102. The
Lord is no more the son of Mary, 102. He glorified his
Human— that is, made it divine— in the same manner that
the Lord regenerates man, that is, makes him spiritual, 105.
The Lord, in the world, put on the Natural Divine, whieh is
his glorified Human, 109.' He alone, in the spiritual world,
is fully man, 109. The Lord, while he was in the world,
fought against the hells, and conquered and subjugated
them, aud thus reduced them under obedience, 116, 224. He
redeemed not only men, but also angels, 121, 579. The Lord,
with divine power, at this day fights against hell in every
man who is being regenerated, 123. The Lord is the Word ;
how ? 263, 384, 778. The Lord, as the Word, is the Holy
Spirit, 139, 142. He is Divine Truth itself, and all that pro
ceeds from him is this truth, 142. The Holy Spirit proceeds
out of the Lord from the Father, 158, 188. He alone is holy,
158. The Lord alone, when he was in the world, was wise
from himself, and did good from himself, because the Divine
Itself, from nativity, was in him, and was his, 48. He is the
Lord of heaven and earth, light itself, truth and eternal life,
354. He is Jehovah the Father himself, in a human form,
370, 379. The Lord is called Creator, Former, and Maker,
because he creates anew and regenerates man, 573. He is
Redeemer, Regenerator, and Saviour to eternity, 579, 599.
He is the life and salvation of all those who believe in him
as the visible God, 159. Those who go to the Lord imme
diately can see doctrinal truth, but those who approach God
the Father immediately cannot see it, 162. The Lord has
commanded many times in the new covenant that men should
addresB, worship, and adore htm, 538. The Lord, in the spir
itual world, is the sun whence all spiritual light and heat
proceed, 618, 641, 661. See Spiritual Sun. The Lord is
present with every man, and urges and insists that he may
be received, 766, 774 ; but his coming is only with those who
receive him — they are those who believe in him and do his
commandments, 774. The Lord, who is Light itself, flows in
with every man ; and in him, in whom there are truths from
the Word, he causes them to shine, and thus to become of
faith, 349- He flows in with every man with all his Divine
Love, with all his Divine Wisdom, thus with all his Divine
Life, 364. He flows in with every man with all the essence
of faith and charity, 365. But all things which flow in from
the Lord, are received by man according to his form, 366.
The man who divides the Lord, charity, and faith, is not a
form receiving but destroying them, 367. Conjunction with
the Lord is reciprocal, which is that the Lord iB in man and
man in the Lord, 371 ; but man himself cannot be in the Lord,
but charity and faith, which are with man from the Lord, from
whieh two man is essentially man, 368. The"Lord does goods
or uses,mediately by the angels, and in the world by men, 736.
Lord's Prater (the). — This prayer was commanded for
this time, in order that God the Father may be approached
through his Human, 112. The very essential of the Church
and of religion is in the manner of the understanding of these
words, Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be thy
name, thy kingdom come, 113. The angels read the Lord's
Prayer every day, and then they do not think concerning God
the Father, because be is invisible, hut concerning him in his
Divine Human, because in this he is visible, 113. In the
New Church will be fulfilled all that is contained in the
Lord's Prayer, from the beginning to the end, 113.
Love, in its essence, is spiritual fire, 35. Love, originating
from the Lord, as a aim, is the heat of the life of angels and

596

LOT

INDEX.

MAN

men, thus the esse of their life, 386, 41. The essence of love
is to love others out of itself, to desire to he one with them,
and to make them happy from itself, 43-45. Love is not
only the essence which forms all things, but it also unites
and conjoins them, and thus keeps them, when formed, in
connection, 37. Love is the complex of all goodnesses, 38.
Love, abstracted from form, cannot exist ; it operates in a
form and by a form, 37. Love is not any thing without wis
dom, but in wisdom it is formed to something ; this some
thing to which it is formed is use. 387. The derivations of
love are called affections, and by these are produced percep
tions and thus thoughts, 386. Love in the will is the end,
and in the understanding it seeks and finds causes by which
it may promote itself to the effect, 658, Love sounds, and
thought speaks, 388. Love produces heat, to which natu
ral heat corresponds, 496.- Every love with man exhales a
delight, by which it makes itself felt, and it exhales it first
into the spirit and thence into the body, 569. Natural love,
which is that of a beast, cannot be elevated into spiritual
love, which, from creation, was implanted in man. 32,
Love (to). — To love others out of one's self is the essence
of love, 43. To love the Lord is to live according to his Di
vine Truths, 231. To love the neighbor is not only to will
and to do good to a relation, a friend, and a good man, but
also to a stranger, an enemy, and a bad man, 407. To love
the neighbor, viewed in itself, is not to love the person, but
the good which is in the person, 417-419. To love the good
in another, from good in one's self, is genuine love towards
the neighbor, 418. To love the neighbor as one's self is not
to despise him in comparison with one's self, and to deal
justly with him. and not to bear a bad judgment concerning
him, 411.
Love and Wisdom. — Love and wisdom, in God, make one,
41. Love and wisdom are the two essentials, to which all
the infinite things which are in God, and which proceed
from him, refer themselves, 37. Love and wisdom are the
two things which make life ; they flow in from God, and are
received by man as if they were his, 461. So far as love and
wisdom are- conjoined in man, so far man is an image of
God, 41. There are three degrees of love and wisdom, and
thence three degrees of life, 42. Love and wisdom do not
exist, except ideally, when only in the affection and thought
of the mind; but in use they exist in reality, because they
are at the same time in the act and work of the body, 744.
All that proceeds from love is called good, and all that pro
ceeds from wisdom is called true, 38.
Love of Heaven. — By love of heaven is meant love to
the Lord, and also love to the neighbor, 394. The love of
heaven may be called the love of uses, 394. See Uses. If
the love of heaven is inwardly in the love of'lhe world, and
by this in the love of self, man does uses in each, from the
God of heaven, 395. Heavenly love is to love the uses for
the sake of uses, or the goods for the sake of goods, which
a man performs for the Church, for his country, for hitman
society, and for a fellow-citizen, 400.
Love of Self is to wish well to one's self alone, and to no
other except for the sake of self, 754, 400. The love of self is
not only the love of honor, glory, fame, and eminence, but
also the love of meriting and procuring offices, and thus of
reigning over others, 394. The love of self, when it is pre
dominant, is opposed to love to the Lord, 754, 400. Love of
self, viewed in itself, is hatred ; a man who is in the love of
self does not love any one out of himself, nor does he desire to
be conjoined to others, that he may do good to them, but only
that he may do so to himself, 45. The love of self Ib such
that, as far as the reins are given to it, so far it rages, even
to such a degree that it wishes to rule not only over all the
world, but also over heaveu, yea, over God himself; it has
nowhere any bound or end, 400, 598, 661, 822. Those who
are in the love of self desire to rule over the universe ; yea,
to extend the limits of it, in order to enlarge their dominion,
662. The evils which are with those who are in the love of
self, are, in general, contempt of others, envy, enmity against
those who do not Favor them, hostility thence, hatred of va
rious kinds, revenge, cunning, deceit, un mercifulness, and
cruelty : and where such evils are there is also a contempt
of God and of Divine things, which are the truths and goods
ofthe Church, 400, 405. A. man who is ruled by the love of
self regards himself as a God, and the world as heaven, and
he perverts all the truth ofthe Church, 754.
Love of the World is to wish to appropriate to one's
self, by any arts whatever, the wealth of others, and to cover
it, 400. The love of the world iB not only the love of wealth
and possessions, but also the love of all the things which the
world affords, and which please the senses of the body, 394.
The love ofthe world is not opposed to heavenly love to such
a degree as the love of self is, 400. The love of the world,
when it is predominant, is opposed to love towards the
neighbor, 754. The love of the world is in much variety;
more pernicious in the degrees in which it inclines to avarice,
404. Those who are in the love of the world desire to pos
sess evei y thing in it, and they are sorrowful and envious if
any treasures are concealed by any, 662. If a man whose
ruling love is love of the world worships God, he places
merit in all worship ; and if he does good to the neighbor, it
is for the sake oF rewards, 404.
Love to the Lord is a universal love, and thence it is
in all aud every thing of spiritual life, and also in all
and every thing of natural life, 416. The first thing of
love to the Lord and love to the neighbor is, not to do
evil, and the second thing of them is, to do good, 329,
435-438. From love to the Lord and love towards the neigh

bor flow all goods and all truths, 399. These two loves make
heaven, and also the Church with man, 399 ; they open and
form the internal spiritual man, for they reside there, 399.
See Love of Heaven.
Love towards the Neighbor is the influx ofthe love of
God towards men, and the reception of this influx by man,
and co-operation on his part, 458. See Charity, Love to
the Lord, Neighbor.
Lower Earth (the) is immediately above hell, 332.
Lowest Things.— The lowest things in man's mind are
turned downward into the body, and because these are turned
downward, man thinks altogether as of himself, when yet
from God, 507.
Lucifer, in iBaiuh, xiv,, signifies those of Babel when
they are hurried away by a zeal which is from infernal love,
146, 276, 507.
Lungs (the) correspond to the understanding, and to the
truths ofthe understanding, 87. See Heart and Lungs.
Lust and deed cohere like blood and flesh, and like flame
and oil, 328. Lust becomes as the deed when it isin the will ;
for allurement enters only into the understanding, but in
tention into the will, and the intention of lust is the deed,
313. Every one is inwardly in lust from nativity. See the
Memorable Relation, 662.
Luther has now renounced his erroneous opinions con
cerning justification by faith in three divine persons from
eternity, and is therefore transferred to a place among the
happy of the new heaven, 137. From the first time, when
he came into the spiritual world, he was a most strenuous
asserter and defender of his dogmas ; however, as the faith
of justification had not been rooted In his internal spiritual
man, because in his youth he was imbued with the doctrine
of the pre-eminence of charity, he has received the faith of
the new heaven, 796.
Machiavelians. — Their society in the spiritual world, 462.
Macrocosm.— See Great Heaven and Great World.
Magpies represent those who believe that a thing is true,
because it was said by a man of authority, 42.
Mahomet presided at first in the spiritual world over the
Mahometans ; but because he wished to rule over all things
of their religion as a god, he was cast out of his seat, 830.
See Mahometans.
Mahometanism.— A false and infamous accusation of Ma-
hometauism, 137.
Mahometans (the), in the spiritual world, appear behind
the Roman Catholics in the West, and make, as it. were, a
circle around them. 828, 678. They are hostile to the Chris
tians, on account of the faith of three divine persons, and
thence the worship of three Gods, as so many Creators ; and
to the Roman Catholics, moreover, on account of their bend
ing the knee before images, 831. The Mahometans, like all
the nations who acknowledge one God, and love what is
just, and do good from religion, have their own heaven, hut
out of the Christian, 832. Their religion, accommodated to
the genius of the Oriental nations, was raised up by the Di
vine Providence of the Lord, io destroy the idolatries of
many nations, and to give them some knowledge concerning
the Lord, before they should come, as they do after death,
into the spiritual world, 833. This religion would not have
been received by them, unless polygamy had been permitted,
833. Some Mahomet is always placed, in the spiritual world,
in the view of the Mahometans ; it is not Mahomet himself,
who wrote the Koran, but another who fills his place ; nor is
it always the same ; but he is changed.
Mammon. — The ancients called those MammonB with whom
love ofthe world was the ruling love, 404.
Man was created a form of divine order, 65-67- Man is
not life, but a receptacle of life from God, 470-477, 692. He
is thus a receptacle of love and wisdom, and he becomes an
image of God according as he receives them, 48, 692. Man
is an organ recipient of God, and he is an organ according to L
the quality of his reception, 34. The whole man is nothing
else than a form organized for the reception of heat and light,
as well from the natural world as the spiritual world, 472.
Man is not man from a human face and from a human body,
but from the wisdom of his understanding and the goodness
oF his will, 417- Man from creation is the least effigy, im
age, and type of the great heaven, 739. From his parents he is
born Into evils of every kind, 574. When he is born he is more
brutish than any animal ; but he becomes a man by instruc
tions, and as these are received his mind is formed, 417-
Man is born that he may not live for himself alone, bnt for
others, 406. Every man consists only of such things as are
in the earth, and from the earth in the atmospheres, 470.
Man in the earthly state may he compared to a worm, and
in his celestial state to a butterfly, 12, 449, 571. Man is so
created that he is at the same time in the spiritual world and
in the natural world, 401. He has, therefore, an internal, by
which he is in the spiritual world, and which is called the
internal man, and an external, by which he is in the natural
world, and which is called the external man, 401. The in
ternal constitutes the man, which is called the Rpirit, and
lives after death, 14. Every man, as to his spirit, is conso
ciated with his like in the spiritual world, and is as one with
them, 14, 454, 607. The spirit of man is his mind, and all
that proceeds from it, 156, 157. See Mind. Man, us to the
interior of his mind, is bom spiritual, consequently for
heaven ; and yet his natural or external man is a hell in
miniature, 612. The internal man with the wicked Ib con
joined to devils in hell, and with the good it is conjoined to
angels in heaven, 456, 607, 610. The conjunction between
men and angels and spirits is very close, 607. If the angels

MEA

INDEX.

MIN

597

and spirits were removed from man, he would fall down dead
as a stock, 118, 607- God is continually operating the con
junction of love and wisdom in man, but man, unless he
looks to God and believes in him, continually operates to
effect their division, 41. God is in every man, evil as well
as good, but man is not in God, unlesB he lives according to
order, 70, 74. The absence of God from man is no more pos
sible than the absence of the sun from the earth, by the heat
and light, 70. Man alone receives spiritual light and heat-
that is, wisdom and love— immediately from the Lord, 473.
Man has the power of shutting and opening the door between
his thoughts and words and between his intentions and ac
tions, 566. All the things which man wills, and all the
things which he understands, flow in from without ; the
goods, which are of love and charity, and the truths, which
are of wisdom and faith, from the Lord ; but all the things
contrary to those, from hell, 362. Every man enjoys the
faculty of understanding truths, and of willing goods, 417.
Man from himself wishes not to understand any thing else
than what is from the proprium of his will, 273. Man can
procure faith for himself, 356 ; he can procure charity for
himself, 357 ; he can also procure for himself the life of faith
and charity, 358; yet still nothing of faith, and nothing of
charity, and nothing of the life of either, is from man, but
from the Lord alone, 359. Man was created that he might
receive love and wisdom from God, and yet in all appear
ance as from himself, and this for the sake of reception and
conjunction, and, therefore, man is not born into any love,
nor into any science, nor even into any power of loving and
becoming wise from himself; wherefore, if he ascribes all
the good of love and all the truth of wisdom to God, he be
comes a living man ; but if he ascribes them to himself he
becomes a dead man, 48. Every man, after death, comes
into the world of spirits, and then is altogether similar to
himself, such as he was before; he is in a perfect human
form, 792, 793. After death the regenerate man comes into
heaven, to the Lord himself; aud although he died an old
man, he is restored to the morning of his life, 766.
Manger in a stable signifies spiritual nourishment for the
understanding, 277-
Marriage. — The conjunction of good and truth is called,
in heaven, heavenly marriage, 398. All the intelligence and
wisdom which the angels have is from that marriage, 398.
All things that are in the whole heaven, and all that are in
the whole world, are from creation nothing but a marriage
of the good and the true, 624. The marriage of the Lord and
the Church, and thence the marriage of the good and the
true, is iu every part of the Word, 248, 253. The spiritual
offspring which are born of the marriage of the Lord with
the Church, are the goods of charity and the truths of faith,
307, 380. Marriage of love aud wisdom in use, 737. Wed
dings in heaven represent tbe marriage of the Lord with the
Church — the bridegroom represents the Lord, and the bride
the Church, 748. But after marriage, both together, the hus-
baud and the wife, represent the Church, 748. Consent is
the essential of marriage, and the other things which follow
are its formalities, 748.
Mary.— The Holy Spirit, or the Divine Truth, proceeding
from Jehovah, the Father, is the virtue of the Most High,
which overshadowed Mary, 140. Nothing is more ridiculous
than to say that the soul of our Lord was from Mary, his
mother, 82. It is believed that the Lord, as to the Human,
not only was, but also is the Son of Mary ; but in this the
Christian world is in a delusion ; that the Lord was the Son
of Mary is true, but that he is so still is not true, 102, 827.
The Lord never called Mary his mother, 102. He was born
of her, but when he became God he put off all the Hu
man which he had from her, 102, 827. By Son of Mary
is properly understood the Human which he hod from her,
92. See Son of Marf, If we consider the Lord merely
as the Son of Mary, we can conceive and cherish no other
idea concerning him than as of a mere man, 94 ; and we im
plant in ourselves various ideas which are dangerous and
destructive of Balvation, 342. The Roman Catholics, more
over, have sanctified Mary, the mother, above the rest, and
have exalted her as a goddess, or queen, over all their
saints, when yet the Lord, when he glorified his Human, put
off all of his mother and put on all of the Father, 94. Mary
says herself, in heaven, that she worships him, now, as her
God, and that she ib not willing that any one Bhould ac
knowledge him for her son, because in him all is divine,
102, 827.
Masses of the Catholics, 159.
Master.— It is not lawful to call any one master, in the
spiritual sense, hut it is lawful iu a natural sense, 226. In
the spiritual world, children are instructed by masters, 623.
Material.— The material derives its origin from the sub
stantial, 694. Substantial things are the beginnings of ma
terial things, 280. In the spiritual world all things are sub
stantial and not material, 694. The material does not enter
into the spiritual, but the spiritual enters into the material,
623. What it is to think spiritually, and what to think ma
terially, 623. Spirits and angels are spiritual men, because
they are substantial and not material, 280, 694. See Sub
stantial, Spiritual.
Matter is an aggregation of substances, 280. Material
things derive their origin from spiritual things, 694. See
Maxim.— It is a maxim of the New Church that falsities
close up the understand! ug, and that truths open it, 508. See
Canons. , , , ,
Meats or Food.— In the world of Bpirits tha food is simi

lar to the food in our world, but it is from a spiritual origin,
and is given from heaven by the Lord to all, according to
the uses which they do, 281. Food, in the spiritual sense,
signifies the good of love and of charity, and drink signifies
the truth of wisdom and faith, 367. See Food.
Means (the) of salvation are numerous, 340, 362, 577, 684,
722. They are given by the Lord to Christians in the Word,
and to the Gentiles in each one's religion, 580.
Mediation is one ofthe attributes of the Human of Jeho
vah God, Index of Memorable Relations, xix. It signifies
that the Human is the medium through which man may
come to God the Father, and God the Father to man, aud
thus teach and lead him, that he may be saved, 135.
Meditate (to).— What it is to meditate spiritually, and
what to meditate materially from the Word, 623.
Medullary substance of the brain, 351. See Fibril
lary. Melancthon.— As Boon as he had entered into the spirit
ual world he continued to write on justification by faith
alone, rejecting charity and good works ; but after the new
heaven began to be established by the Lord, from the light
of this heaven he began to think that perhaps he might be
iu error, and at last he saw that the whole Word was full of
love to God and love towards the neighbor, 79?.
Melchisedek represented the Lord, 715.
Memorable Relations (the) placed at the end of the
chapters are not inventions of the imagination, 851. They
were related, according to command, 188.
Memorandum (a), 791.
Memory (the) of man is the ground of science, intelli
gence, and wisdom, 32. Every man thinks from the things
iu his memory, 173. The memory of man is like the runii-
uatory stomach with birds and beasts ; the human under
standing is like the stomach itself in which food is digested,
173. Whatever is not received by the understanding, this is
not fixed in the memory as to the thing, but only as to the
words, 621. Faith of memory, 344.
Meninges ofthe brain, 60.
Merchants (conscientious), 22.
Mercury, 17.
Mercy.— God is mercy and pity itself, because he is love
itself and good itself, 132.
Merit. — Man in the exercises of charity does not place
merit in works, while he believes that all merit is from the
Lord, 439-442. To place merit in works which are done for
the sake of salvation is hurtful, for therein are concealed
evils, concerning which the doer knows nothing, 439. Enu
meration of these evils, 439. For men to think that they
may come into heaven, and that good should be done for
that reason, is not to regard reward as an end, nor to place
merit in works, 440. Those who think thus are not in the
confident expectation of reward for merit, but in the faith of
the promise from grace ; with these the delight of doing
good to the neighbor is a reward, 440. Merit is easily wiped
away by the Lord with those who imbue charity by acting
justly in the work( business, and office in which they are,
but it is removed with difficulty from those who believe that
charity is procured by giving alms and helping the needy,
442. The merit of our Lord the Saviour is redemption, which
was a work purely divine, 640. This merit cannot be ap
plied, ascribed, nor imputed to any man, any more than the
creation and preservation ofthe universe, 640, 641.
Mesentery, 496.
Messiah (the) was Jehovah God in a human form, 691.
The Jews wished for a Messiah who would exalt them above
all the nations iu the whole world, and not a Messiah who
would provide for their eternal salvation, 205. They did not
acknowledge the Messiah, although all the prophets had an
nounced his advent ; why '( 246. Messiah or Christ signifies
the divjne truth, 85.
Metaphysics, 17, 388. Metaphysical things are in dark
ness, 52.
Meteors in the spiritual world, 335, 697.
Mice signify the devastation of the Church by falsifica
tions of the truth, 203.
Michael signifies a society of heaven, 113 ; signifies those
who, in heaven, are in wisdom concerning the Lord, and
adore him, 300.
Microcosm.— See Great Heaven and Great World.
Why man was called a little heaven and a little world (mi
crocosm) by the ancients, 71, 604.
Middle. — Everywhere there is a first, a middle, and a
last; and the first, by the middle, tends and goes to its last,
214, 210. The first and the middle are together in the last,
as end and cause are in the effect, 210,
Middle (the) or the Midst. — Man, while he lives in the
world, is held and walks in the middle between heaven and
hell, and is there in spiritual equilibrium, which is his free
agency, 383.
Migration of souls among the Jews, 171.
Milcom, 292.
Mill, and grinding fn a mill, signify to search the Word
for things serviceable for doctrine, 161.
Mind (the) of man is composed of the understanding aud
the will, 151, 658; when these two faculties, which make the
life of man, are one, they are called the mind, 397. As the
understanding is the receptacle of divine truth, and the will
of divine good, the human mind is no other than a form of
divine truth and divine good, spiritually and naturally or
ganized, 224. The human mind is organized, inwardly, of
spiritual substances, and outwardly, of natural substance.*,
and lastly of material substances, 38. It is a spiritual organ-

598

MOK

INDEX.

NAT

ism, terminating in a natural organism, 351. It is formed
into three regions, according to the three degrees, 34, 42,
69, 147, 351, 395, 603, 846; as a house is distinguished into
three stories, and likewise as the habitations or the angels
into three heavens, 186. The highest region of the mind is
called celestial, the middle spiritual, and the lowest natu
ral, 147, 603 ; how these regions are opened, 42. The human
mind, organized according to tbe three degrees, is the recep
tacle of the divine influx, 84. The mind of man grows like
his body : the body in stature, but the mind in wisdom, 152.
The latter is exalted from region to icgion, and this exalta
tion is effected as man procures for himself truths, and con
joins them to good, 152. The mind of every man is his in
ternal man, which actually is the man, and is within the
external man, which makes the body, 156. This mind is in
teriorly spiritual, but externally natural, 475. The spiritual
mind looks principally into the spiritual world, and has for
objects those things whicli are there, whether they be such
as are in heaven or such as are in hell ; and the natural
mind looks principally into the natural woild, and has for
objects those things which are there, whether they be good
or evil, 420. The mind of man lives after death ; it is in full
human form, and is then called a spirit ; if good, an angelic
spirit, and afterwards an angel ; if evil, a satanic spirit, and
afterwards a satan, 156. The highest things in man's mind
are turned upward to God, the middle things there outward
to the world, and the lowest things there downward into the
body, 507. The human mind is like ground in which spir
itual and natural truths are implanted, as seeds, and there
may be multiplied without end, 350- The human mind,
however highly analytical and elevated, is itself finite, and
what is finite in it cannot be removed, 28. The minds of all
men who deny the holiness of the Word and the divinity of
the Lord, think in the lowest region, 42. The mind of dis
semblers, flatterers, liars, and hypocrites is divided into two
discordant parts, 443.
Observation. — The mind (mens) is composed of two facul
ties, which cause man to be man ; viz., the will and the un
derstanding. There is a natural and a spiritual mind, be
cause with man there is a natural and spiritual will, a
natural aud spiritual understanding. The spiritual mind is
the internal man; it envelops the inmost man, or the soul
(anima), and is enveloped by the natural mind : this, with a
sort of mind still more external or exterior, called the ani
mus, which is formed by external affections and inclinations,
resulting maiuly from education, society, and habit, is the
external man. The whole, organized in a perfect human
form, is called spirit. The spirit, in our world, is envel
oped by an earthly body, which renders it invisible ; but
when it is disengaged from this body by natural death, it
enters into the spiritual world, where its spiritual body is
perfectly visible and tangible.
Mind (animus). — \iy the mind of man is meant the affec
tion of his love and the thought thence, 373, The mind of
one man is never exactly similar to that of another, 32. See
Mind (mens).
Observation. — Mind (animus) is a sort oF exterior mind,
formed by the affections and external inclinations, which re
sult mainly from education, society, aud habit. See Conju
gial Love, 246.
Minerva, 17, 159.
Ministers of the Church ; how each of them speaks, 154.
Hypocritical ministers, 381. Political ministers, 663. See
Priests. Miracles. — There are divine miracles and magical mira
cles, 91. Divine miracles have been done according to di
vine order— that is, according to the order of the influx of
the spiritual world into the natural, 91. The Lord was in
the state of glorification or union with the Father when he
did miiacleb, 104. Miracles are not done at this day as
formerly, because miracles force and take away tree agency
in spiritual thjtigs, and from spiritual make man natural;
and because, since the coming ofthe Lord, every man in the
Christian Church may become spiritual, and he is made
spiritual solely from the Lord, by the Word, 501. The rea
son that miracles were done beloie the coming of the Lord
was, because then the men of the Church weie nattnal. to
whom spiritual things could not be opened ; for if they had
been opened they would have profaned them, 601, Those
who are not willing to belie\e the Woid of the Lord would
not believe from miracles, any more than the posterity of Ja
cob did in the deseit. Miraculous faith, 344.
Miiiror. — To every one who has formed the state of his.
mind from God, the sacred Scripture is like a minor, in
which he sees God, but each one in his own way. 6; the
truths, which he learns from the Word, and imbues by a life
according to them, compose that mirror, 6. All truths of the
Word are so many mirrors of the Lord. 508, 767. Knowl
edges concerning God are mirrors of God, 11. Works, well
considered, are, as it were, mirrors ofthe man, 373.
Moab signifies adulteration of good, 200.
Money. — In the spiritual world they have also money of
gold and silver, 78.
Monks.— Monks in the spiritual world, 817. When they
come into the spiritual world they inquire for the saints, par
ticularly the saint of their order ; but they do not find them,
8/4. There are also convened monks, 820.
Moral.— There is a spiritual-rational and moral man, and
also a merely natural-rational and moral man, and the one is
not distinguished from the other in the world, 564. He who
lives according to human and divine laws at the same time is
a truly moral man, 445. Moral life, when it is at the same

time spiritual is charity, 443-445. In the first period of life,
moral life is the life of charity in the extremes, 443. Moral
things, theoretically percei ved and contemplated, place them
selves in the middle region of the minds of those who love
truth because it is truth, 186. Spiritual and natural good are
both conjoined in genuine moral good, 398.
Morality, purely natural, is dead in itself, 384. No one
can conclude from the morality ofthe external to that of the
internal man, 443.
Morning, in the Word, is the coming of the Lord, 764.
Morning signifies the first time of the Church, 764. The
Church, by its faith in three divine persons, has precipitated
its morning into night, 177-
Moses.— See Jews. Moses signifies the historical Word,
222. Mother signifies the Chureh ; why? 306; signifies the
communion of saints, by which is meant the Church, over
all the world, 307.
Motion.— In all motion there is an active and a passive,
576. Mountain signifies the highest heaven, 205. By moun
tains are meant the superior things ofthe Church, 200.
Multiplication. — Perpetual multiplication of truth, con
sequently of wisdom, 718.
Murder.— In a wider natural sense, by murders are meant
enmity, hatred, and revenge, which breathe death, for mur
der lies concealed within them, 309. In the spiritual sense,
by mnrders are meant all methods of killing and destroying
the souls of men, 310. In the celestial Bense, by killing is
meant to be angry rashly with the Lord, to hate him, and to
wish to blot out his name, 311.
Muscle. — Its composition, 147, 351. United power of the
muscles in actions, 353.
Music in the heavens, 745.
Myrrh signifies natural good, 205.
Mysteries ofthe faith ofthe present day, 803.
Name.— A name without the thing is nothing hut a vain
word, 683- Name signifies the quality of a person;, why?
682. The name of Jehovah God is holy ; also the name of
Jesus, 297. See Jesus, Jesus Christ. The Divine Human
of the Lord f s the name of the Father, 113 ; this name is ren
dered Holy when the Father is acknowledged in the Human
ofthe Loid, 112. The Word, and whatever of the Church is
thence, and thus all worship, is the name of God, 298. See
Commandments. By the names of pertons and of places,
in the Word, are not meant persons nor places, but things of
the Church, 300. In the spiritual world no man retains the
name which he received at his baptism, nor his family
name ; but every one there is named according to his quality,
and the angels are called according to their moral or spir
itual life, 300, 682.
Nations and People.— In the Word, by nations are meant
those who aie in good, and in the opposite sense, those who
are in evil ; and by people, those who are iu truths, and in
the opposite sense, those who are in falses ; wherefore, those
who are of the Lord's spiritual kingdom are called people,
and those who are ofthe Lord's celestial kingdom are called
nations, 251. Why the Jews were called an adulterous na
tion, 122. Nations or Gentiles iu the spiritual world, 835.
Among the Gentiles some are interior and others exterior,
835. There is no nation on the whole globe that cannot be
saved, if it acknowledges God and lives well, 729. All na
tions who acknowledge one God, and love what is just, and
do good from religion, have their own heaven, 832.
Nativity.— Man from nativity inclines to evils of every
kind, and from inclination he lusts alter them, 612. Man, as
to the first nature, which he derives from nativity, is a hell
in miniature, and as to the other nature, which he derives
dom a second nativity, he is a heaven in miniature, 613.
In the Word, natural nativities signify spiritual nativities,
which are those of good and truth, 583.
Natural (the) was created to envelop the spiritual, 78.
See Word.
Naturalism, 75, 94, 342, 771. Origin of the naturalism
which reigns at the present day, 4, 173, 339.
Naturalists, 35, 178, 333, 639. Atheistic naturalists, 77,
159, 382, 759.
Natural Man.— Those who think from tbe fallacies ofthe
body are natural sensual men, 839. All those who are in
hell aie in the lowest degree natural, 124.
Natural Man (the), viewed in himself, as to his nature,
ditt'eis not at all from the nature of beasts ; he is likewise
wild, 574, 5C6. He cannot perceive the things of God, but
only the things of the world, 11. He attributes every thing
to nature, and thus he thinks sensually and materially, 12.
By his own reason he can apprehend nothing else than what
is of imture, 22. He acts continually against the spiritual
man, and thence he regards spiritual things as ghosts and
phantoms in the air, 133, 276, 381, 474. He cannot be per
suaded that the Word is the Divine Truth itself, in which
there is Divine Wisdom and Divine Life ; for he regards it
from the style, in which he does not see those things, 191,200,
401. The merely natural man does not thiuk concerning
divine truths, except from tht things of the world, thus from
the fallacies of the senses, 296, 402, 470. He regards the
things of the spirit, or spiritual things, us foolishness, 381.
lie beholds every thing spiritual upside down, 501. He can
see evils and goods in others, but does not see any evil in
himself, 564. Truth itself, which in itself is truth, cannot be
known and acknowledged by the merely natural man nor
can it be given to him by God, because it falls into what is
'uverted aud becomes false, 754. Before regeueratiou tho

NIC

INDEX.

OMN

599

natural man is divided into internal and external, 592. The
internal natural man is first to be regenerated, and by it the
external ; the natural man with its lusts is to be subdued,
subjugated, and inverted, 574.
Nature is the receptacle through which love and wisdom
operate their effects aud uses, 35. Nature of itself does not
produce any thing, but God through nature, 12. It was cre
ated to serve as an instrument to the life which proceeds
from God, 77. It is separate from God, and nevertheless
God is omnipresent in it, 30. In itself it is dead and does
nothing from itself, but is actuated by life, 77. The conse
quences of believing that nature is the creator of the universe
are, that the universe is what is called God, and that nature
is his essence, 178. Nature, with its time and space, could
not but have had a beginning, but not God, who is without
time and space ; wherefore nature is from God, not from
eternity, but in time with its time and space, 280. All and
every thing which is in nature corresponds to spiritual
things, 201. 'The spiritual world acts in the natural world,
as the human mind in the senses and motions of the body,
695 All the particular things of nature are, as it were,
coats, sheaths, and coverings, which encompass spiritual
things, and proximately prodoce effects corresponding to the
end of God the Creator, 695. The nature of the spiritual world
is as different and distant from the nature of the natural
world as the substantial is from the material, or the spiritual
from the natural, or the prior from the posterior, 79. Those
who acknowledge nature as God have closed the interiors of
their reason, 9. Those who have averted themselves from the
diviue cannot think rationally concerning the subject of na
ture, still less spiritually, 12. They put off the nature of man,
and put on the nature of beasts, 13. The essence or nature
which each one has appropriated to himself in the world
cannot be changed after death, 651. Wonders of nature, 12.
Nazakites (the) represented the power of the Word in its
ultimates, 223.
Neighbor.— Good itself is essentially the neighbor, 410,
418. Every man, individually, is the neighbor that is to be
loved, but according to the quality of his good, 406-411. To
love the neighbor is not only to will and do good to a rela
tion, a friend, and a good man, but also to a stranger, an
enemy, and a bad man, 407 ; charity is exercised towards
these and those in different ways ; towards relations and
friends by direct acts of kindness, but towards an enemy and
a bod man, by indirect acts of kindneBS, which are done by ex
hortations, discipline, and punish ments, and thus corrections,
407. A smaller and a larger society is a man's neighbor by
preference, 412, 413. One's country is a neighbor more than
a Bociety, 414. See Country. The Church is the neighbor
that is to be loved in a higher degree, and the kingdom of
the Lord iu the highest degree, 415, 416. Love towards the
kingdom of the Lord is love towards the neighbor iu its ful
ness, for those who love the kingdom of the Lord not only
love the Lord above all things, but they also love the neigh
bor as themselves, 416. The conjunction of Love to God and
love towards tbe neighbor is the influx of the love of God
towards men ; the reception of it by man and co-operation
with him is love towards the neighbor, 458. To love the
neighbor, viewed in itself, is not to love the person, but the
good which is in the persou, 417-419. To love the good in
another, from good in one's self, is genuine love towards the
neighbor, 418. The man who loves what is good because it
is good, and what is true because it is true, emiuently loves
tbe neighbor, 419. How it is to be understood that every one
is a neighbor to himself, 406. All the Lord's command
ments refer themselves to love towards the neighbor, which.
in the sum, are not to do him evil, but to do him good, 458.
Neptune, 17, 159, 178, 292.
Nero, 73.
Nerve.— Its composition, 147, 351. Fibril of the nerve
258. Optic nerve, 371.
New Church.— The Lord has foretold that he would come
and establish a New Church, which is the New Jerusalem,
779. It is according to divine order that a new heaven should
be formed before a New Church ou earth, 784. The Lord is
at this day forming a new heaven of the Christians who ac
knowledged in the world, and were able to acknowledge
after their departure out of the world, that he is God of
heaven and earth, 781. As the new heaven increases, so far
the New Church comes down from that heaven, 784. This
New Church is the crown of all the churches that have hith
erto been in the world, 786-790. It is the crown of" all the
churches, because it will worship one visible God, in whom
is the invisible God, aB the soul is in the body, 787. As mauy
as had lived a life of charity, and especially those who loved
truth because it is truth, in the spiritual world suffer them
selves to be instructed, and receive the doctrinals of the
New Church, 799. See Dogmas, Church, Faith of the
New Church, Maxim, Canons.
New Jerusalem.— It is the New Church, which is to be
instituted by the Lord, 197, 781-784. See New Church.
Why this New Church is meant by the New Jerusalem, 782.
Nice (Council of).— It was called together in order to re
ject the pernicious heresy of Arius, 174, 632, 636, 637. The
Council was called together from the divine providence of the
Lord, since, if the divinity ofthe Lord is denied, the Church
dies, 636. The bishops feigned a Son of God from eternity,
who descended and assumed the Human, believing that thus
they should vindicate and restore divinity to the Lord ; not
knowing that God himself, the Creator of the universe, de
scended, that he might become Redeemer, and thus Creator
anew 637 ; see, also, 94. The heretics before the Nicene

Council, and afterwards, extinguished the light in the Word,
and removed the Lord from the Church, 177, 206. It was
the Council of Nice which introduced the doctrine of three
Divine Persons from eternity, 136, 489, 632, 634. The present
faith of justification arose from the deliberations and the de
crees of the Nicene Council concerning three divine persons
from eternity, 206, 338. Those who were in that council did
not understand any other Trinity than a Trinity of- Gods,
472, 177. 632. We ought not to trust to councils, but to the
Holy Word of the Lord, which is above councils, 489, 634.'
Of the Christian Church there have been two epochs— one
from the time of the Lord to the Council of Nice, and the
other from that council to the preseut day, 760, 176. Since
the Council of Nice no one has been admitted Into spiritual
temptation ; why? 597. See Athanasius, Creed.
Night signifies the last time ofthe Church, 761.
Nothing. — Nothing is made out of nothing, 76-
Nyctalopy. — Visionary and preposterous faith, which is
an appearance of the false as if it were true from ingenious
confirmation, may be compared with Nyctalopy, 346.
O. — In the third or inmost heaven this vowel is very fre
quently used, because it gives a full sound, 278.
Oak (the) signifies sensual good and truth of the Church,
200. Oath. — To swear by God and his holiness, by the Word
and by the Gospel, when an oath is required, is not to take
the name of God in vain, unless the swearer afterwards re
jects his engagements as vain, 297-
Obedience to the faith of the clergy, with regard to the
understanding, has hitherto closed up the rational humau,
840. Object (the principal, of thiB work), is to show that the
Divine Trinity is conjoined iu the Lord, 108.
Occasional influx, 696.
Occupations ofthe minds of the angels in heaven, 695.
Ocean. — All whirlpools of water and quicksands of the
ocean revolve spontaneously according to the common prog
ress ofthe sun, 767.
Octavius Augustus, 73.
Odors, into which the delights of the loves in the spiritual
world are turned, 569.
Offence.— The identity of three Divine Essences is an
offence to reason, 23.
Offices.— See Functions,
Oil signifies the things which are of love, 606.
Old Men signify wisdom, 205. In heaven old men are re
stored to the morning of their life, 766.
Olive Tree (the) signifies celestial good and truth of the
Church, 200 ; the good of love, 205 ; man of the celestial
church, 468 ; celestial good, which is the good ofthe highest
heaven, 609.
Omnipotence and omnipresence apply to Divine Love and
to Divine Wisdom, 21, 25. Omnipotence, omniscience, and
omnipresence appertain to the Divine Essence, 49 ; or to the
Divine Wisdom, from the Divine Love, but not to Divine
Love by the Divine Wisdom, 50. These three proceed from
the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, scarcely otherwise
than the power and presence of the sun in this world, by
means of light and heat, 49. God is omnipotent, omniscient,
and omnipresent, by means of the wisdom of bis love, 50.
By omnipresence God perceives all things ; by omniscience
he provides all things ; and by omnipotence he operates all
things, 63. Omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence
make one ; one supposes another, and thus they cannot be
separated, 63. What omnipotence is, 74. The faith of the
present day, with regard to omnipotence, is absurd, 58. The
omnipotence of God operates according to the laws of order,
56, 70-74, 90, 500-502. It cannot proceed otherwise than by
the way of justice, and the laws of justice are truths, which
cannot be changed, 341. It cannot change evil into good,
57, 58, 5UIWJ02. It can by no means go out of itself, to the
contact of any thing evil, nor promote it from itself, for evil
turns itself away, 56. It is not a contradiction to act om
nipotently according to the laws of justice, and with judg
ment, or according to the laws inscribed on love from wis
dom, but it is a contradiction that the Lord can act contrary
to the laws of his own justice and love, 74. Redemption
could not have been performed but by an omnipotent God,
124, 125. God could not effect redemption from his omnipo*
tence, except by means of the Human, as no one can work
unless he has an arm, and in the Word— Isaiah xl. 10 ; Iiii.,
]— the Human is called the arm of Jehovah, 84. The omnipo
tence of God, by means ofthe Human, which he assumed in
the world, is signified also by sitting on the right hand ot
God, 136. Man, who, by falses concerning the spiritual
things of the Church, has become natural, with regard to
Divine Omnipotence, can only think that it is above order,
and thus independent of order, 503.
Omnipresence (the) of God cannot be understood by a
purely natural idea, but it can be understood by a' spiritual
idea, 30. Although God is everywhere present in the whole
world, yet there is not any thing proper to the world in him
— that is, not any thing which is of space and time, 30. God
is omnipresent, from the first to the last of his order, by
means of the heat and light of the spiritual Bun, 63. In
those things which are contrary to order, God is continually
present, by a continual struggle with them, and by a con
tinual effort to bring them back to order, 70. The divine
omnipresence may be illustrated by the wonderful presence
of angelB and spirits in the spiritual world, 64. See Om
nipotence. Omniscience is infinite wisdom, 69. God Is omniscient —

600

PAN

INDEX.

PER

that is, perceives, sees, and knows all things— because he is
wisdom itself and light itself, 59. See Omnipotence.
One.— To make one actually and to make one apparently,
340. Only.— God has revealed, in the Word, that he is the
Only one, who Is in himself, 22.
Operate (to), when it is said of the Lord, means the same
thing as to Bend the Holy Spirit, 153. The Loid operates of
himself from the Father, and not vice versa, 153. The Lord
operates those virtues which are meant by the sending of the
Holy Spirit, in those who believe in him, 149. God is con
tinually operating the conjunction of love and wisdom in
man, but man, unless he looks to God and believes in him,
continually opeiates to effect their division. 41. To operate
of one's self from the Lord is to co-operate, 371.
Operation (the divine) is effected by the divine truth,
which proceeds from the Lord, 139. The Lord is continually
operating in man, that he may be saved, 500. The operation
of man, from the Lord, is imputed to him as his, since he is,
from the Lord, continually kept in free agency, 371- Opera
tion ofthe Holy Spirit, what it is, 142-155. Operation ofthe
heart and the lungs in the body, 87-
Opinion (the common) concerning the state of souls after
death, and thence also of angels and spirits, 29. On heav
enly joy and eternal happiness, 732.
Opposites are without, and contrary to those things which
are within, 62. To will evil and do good are in themselves
two opposites, 435. All the things in hell are opposite to
those which are in heaven, 78. The quality is perfected by
differences relative to things more or less opposite, 763.
There are relatives in each opposite, in the good as well as
in the evil, and in the true as well as in the false, 62. The
relatives in hell are all opposite to the relatives in heaven,
62. By the relatives in heaven God perceives, sees, and
knows all the opposite relatives in hell, 62. See Relatives.
Orchestras in the spiritual world, 697, 745.
Order, in a sort of general definition, is the quality of the
disposition, determination, and activity of the parts, sub
stances, or entities which make the form, whence is the state
whose perfection wisdom from its, love produces, or whose
imperfection the insanity of reason from cupidity forges, 52.
God is order, because he is Substance itself and Form itself,
52, 53, 71, 502. God introduced; order into the universe, and
also into all and every part of ii, at the creation, 52, 53. He
created man from order, into order, and for order, 71. Order
exists and subsists from Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, 65.
Without order there could have been no creation, 500. Vari
ous laws of order, 71, 89, 110. The laws of order in the
Church are as many as there are truths in the Word, 55.
The primary thing of order is, that man should be an image
of God, 500. Man is so far in God as he lives according to
order, 70. To live according to order is to live according to
the commandments, 96. There is in heaven and in the world
a successive order and a simultaneous order, 214 In succes
sive order, one thing succeeds and follows another, from the
highest even to the lowest ; in simultaneous order, one thing
is next to another from the inmost even to the ontermost,
214. In the latter the highest things of successive order be
come the inmost things of simultaneous order, and the lowest
things of successive order the outermost things of simulta
neous order, 214. The consistence of all things depends on
order, 679. All things in the universe were created in their
order, 54, 75, 502. There are manifold orders, general and
particular ; and there is one which is the most universal of
all, and on which the general and particular ones depend iu
a continued series, 679. Order is universal from all the sev
eral parts, 60; and singular orders subsist in the universal
order, 54. Without a knowledge ofthe qualities, order is not
known as order ; for what is order without distinction ?
and what is distinction without indications, and what are
indications without signs by which the qualities are known?
680. Order (sacred).— Brethren of the sacred order in heaven,
138. Organ. — Man is an organ recipient of the life which pro
ceeds from God, 34, 461, 504; and he is an organ according
to the quality of reception, 34. God infuses his life into the
organ and every part of it, as the sun infuses its heat into
a tree an'd every part of it, 504.
Organism (spiritual) ofthe mind, 147, 351, 578 ; it consists
of perpetual spiral lines, 5/8. Spiritual organism of the
brain, 577.
Organization, — The life which flows in with man is va
ried and modified according to the organization induced by
love, 461.
Organs (the) of sense of the body ; how they are com
posed, 577.
Orientals. — The science of correspondences continued
among many of the Eastern nations, even to the coming of
the Lord, 205.
Origin of love and wisdom, 41 ; of man, 103; of faith, 343;
oFevil, 490; of idolatries, 833.
Owls represent the thoughts of those who are not willing,
and then not able, to perceive truth, but only the false, 42.
Ox signifies natural atfection, 200; signifies the affections
and powers ofthe natural man, 205.
Palace.— Description of a palace in heaven, 740.
Palladium, 692, 693, 759. Palladium of the Old Church,
177, 692, 759.
Pallas, 292.
Pancreas, 60.
Pantheon, 503.

Panther.— The man who is not regenerated, is, as to his
Bpirit, like a panther, 642.
Paper Bent down from heaven to the earth, 848-
Paraclete (the), who is also called the Spirit of Truth and
the Holy Spirit, iB the I^ord himBelf as Divine Truth, 139.
Paradise, 74, 461, 661, 732, 737- Paradisiacal delights,
732 737
Observation.— Paradise, in the writings of the Author, is
used in the sense of a delightful garden.
Parisians in the spiritual world, 826.
Parnassus, 692, 693. The virgins of Parnassus, 58.
Particulars taken together are called a general, 60.
See General, The particulars adapt themselves to the
whole, and the whole dibposes them into such a form that
they may agree, 47. „. , . ,
Parties (social), in the primitive Church, were social
meetings of charity, because they were a spiritual fraternity,
434. At this day parties of friendship are given, but as yet
there are not given any parties of charity, 434. The parties,
where a friendship emulating charity does not join minds to
gether, are no other than counterfeits of friendship, and falae
attestations of mutual love, 434.
Passive.— See Active. The passive, or dead force, can
not act of itself, but it must be acted upon by the active, or
the living force, 607-
Passion of the Cross (the) waB the last temptation which
the Lord, as the greatest Prophet, sustained ; and it was the
means of the glorification of his Human, 126. It was not the
net of redemption, but the act of glorification, 95, 116, 126,
132, 134, 579. Redemption and the passion of the cross are
two distinct things, which must not be confounded, 581. Tbe
belief that the passion of the cross was redemption itself, is
the fundamental error of the Church, 132, 133, 378 ; from
this belief legions of horrible falsities have arisen, 581. The
worship of those who have confirmed in themselves the faith
of this day, that tbe Lord, by the passion of the cross, took
away all the sins of the world, is hypocritical in a like man
ner, 518. The angels do not think of the passion of the Lord,
but they think of his Divine Truth and of resurrection, 706.
All the circumstances of the passion of the Lord signify the
things which are ofthe profanation ofthe Word, 129, 130.
Paul. — An epistle of Paul, not published during his life
time, 701. How the passage in Paul's Epistle to tbe Bo-
mans (iii. 28) ought to be understood, 506.
Peace. — There is peace by conjunction with the Lord, he-
cause then there is protection from hell, 303, 599.
Pegasus.— By this winged horse the ancients understood
the understanding of truth, by which is wisdom ; and by the
hoofs of his feet, experiments, by which natural intelligence
is acquired, 693. See Horse.
Penates (gods).— See 205.
Perceive (to) things exteriorly is to be in no light of
truth, 839.
Perception is from affection, 231, 386, 697. All the things
of wisdom are called perceptions, 697. There must be
lerception and thus reception each in the mind of man,
39. Perception is with man according to the state of mind
formed by doctrinals : if these are true, the perception be
comes clear from the light which illustrates ; but if they are
false, the perception becomes obscure, which, however, may
appear as if it were clear from confirmations, 155. There is
in man a common perception, which he has from the influx
of light from heaven, wheu be hears any truth, 461 ; aud
there is also in man a peculiar perception, which hehas from
the influx of light from the world, 461. These two percep
tions, namely, the internal or spiritual, and the external or
natural, make one with the wise, 461. The perception of op-..
posites is different from that of relatives, 62. Various per
ceptions of truth, 42.
Observation.— Perception is a sensation, coming from the
Lord alone, relative to good aud truth, Arcana Calestia, 104.
Perception consists in seeing that truth is truth, and good
good, and in seeing that evil is evil, and the false the false,
Arcana Cailestia, 7680. <
Perfection of life does not consist in thought, but in the
perception of truth from the light of truth, 42. The perfec
tion of one degree cannot be obtained by a lower degree, 32.
See Degrees.
Pericardium, 60.
Periods of Life. — There are four periods of life, by which
man passes through life from infancy to old age, 443, 756.
Periodic consummations, 758.
Peritonaeum, 60.
Permission of Evil (from the), In which is the internal
man of every one, it is evidently manifest that man has tree
agency in spiritual things, 479-482. The laws of permission
are also laws of Divine Providence, 479.
Person.— The commonly accepted definition of person is,
that it is what subsists, in one's own seir, 17, 110. One per
son cannot go forth and proceed from another, but operation
can, 188. The Divine Trinity is in one Person, 700. See
Trinity. Persuasion resembles faith in externals, 339. Persuasion,
in the spiritual world, is of such efficacy that no one is able
to resist it, or to speak against what is said ; it is a species of
incantation, 796. The direful persuasion that God transfused
and transcribed himself into men, was entertained by the
men of the Most Ancient Church, at its end, when it was
consummated, 470. Persuasiou of certainty of every heretic
for his heresy, 759.
Perversion.— Principal cause of the total perversion of
the Church, 132.

PEE

INDEX.

PEO

601

Philistia signifies the Church separated from charity, 487,
Philistines (the) signify faith without charity, 200 ; those
who are m faith separate from charity, 203.
Physicians. — Opinions of certain physicians ou conscience,
665. Pia Mater and Dura Mater, 213.
Pineal Gland, 697.
Place. — In the spiritual world there is not place, but an
appearance of place according to the state of love and wis
dom, 739._ To be transported from place to place as to the
spirit, 157- Every man, from infancy even to old age,
changes places or situations in the world of spiritB, 476.
Places of instruction in the world of spirits, 661.
Plagues in Egypt compared with the plagues in the Reve
lation, 635. Every plague signifies spiritually some false,
which promoted its devastation even to destruction, 635.
Plato, 9, 692, 693.
Platter.— By platter meat is meant, and good is signified
by meat, 215.
Pleasantnesses. — See Charms.
Pleura, 60, 123.
Plurality of Gods (a), in ancient and also in modern
times, originated from no other cause than from not under
standing the Divine Esse, 21. See Polytheism.
Pluto, 17, 159, 178, 292, 404.
Politics.— Politic hypocrisies, 321. With those who love
truth because it is truth, political things reside in tbe first re
gion of the mind ; above them are moral aud theological
things, aud below them are scientific things, 186. See Re
gion. With politicians or statesmen the love of ruling from
the love of Belf ascends so far that they wish to be kings and
emperors, and, if possible, to rule over all things of the
world, and to be called kings of kings and emperors of em
perors, 661.
Polygamy.— Why it has been permitted to the Eastern
nations, 833.
Polytheism.— Its origin, 275, 623.
Poor (the), in the Word, signify those who are not in the
knowledges of good and truth, 427.
Poor (to give alms to the) is a beneficent action, but it is
not charity, 425, 442, 459.
Pope. — In the spiritual world the Roman Catholics have
always some representative pope set over them, whom also
they adore in a similar manner as in tbe world, 820. Seldom
any pope in the world, after his departure thence, is set over
them, 820.
Observation. — The pope who is spoken of in No. 820 is
Clement XII. , elected pope in 1730. io his seventy-eighth
year, and deceased in 1740, in his eighty-eighth year.
Poplar Tree signifies natural good and truth of the
Church, 200.
Portuguese Jews, 841. See Jews.
Posterior.— All posterior things are receptacles of prior
things, 33. The prior is more universal than the posterior,
21. As tbe posterior exists from the anterior, even so it sub
sists from it, 37. Between the prior aud the posterior no
finite ratio is given, 280.
Posthumous. — The mind of man is his spirit, or the pos
thumous man, that lives after his departure out of the mate
rial body, 816.
Power (potentia).— The power of God is of Divine Truth
from Divine Good, 86, 124. See Omnipotence. Power of
angels, 87- Power of those who are in Divine Truths from
the Lord, 87- In the spiritual world the power of truth is
everywhere remarkable, 87. Concerning the ineffable power
of the Word, 209, 224. The power of the Word is in the sense
of its letter, because it is there in its fuluess, and because
the angels of both kingdoms of tbe Lord, and men, are to
gether in that sense, 223, 234, 235. The power of the Word
in ultimates was represented by the Nozarites, 223. The
power of acting well is from the Lord; the Lord acts, and
man acts from the Lord, for the active of the Lord is in the
passive of man, 576. Man has the power to obey and to do,
71; to will and to think in spiritual things, 504. No one
can, by his own power, purify himself from evils; yet still
it cannot be done without the power and strength of man, as
his own, 438 ; unless it were so, iio one could fight against
the flesh and its concupiscences, which yet is enjoined upon
every one, 438. The power of acting as from one's Belf is
continually given to man by the Lord, 621. As far as man
lives according to the laws of divine order, bo far he is in
power against the evil and the false, 68.
Power (the) and will of God are one ; and because He
wills nothing but what is good, therefore He can do nothing
but what is good, 56. Ability to understand the truth, and
to will it, -is given to every man, and also to tbe devils, and
is never taken away, 481.
Prayers.— Before washing, or purification from evils,
prayers to God are not heard, 329. See Lord's Prayer.
Preachers (hypocritical), 381, 146, 147-
Precious Stones signify knowledges of truth and good,
467; signify truths which are resplendent from good, 218,
219, 25.J , those ofthe foundations ofthe New Jerusalem sig
nify the truths of doctrine of the New Church, 217. Precious
stones correspond to the sense of the letter of the Word, 843.
The spiritual origin ot" precious stones is from the truths in
tbe sense of the letter ot the Word, 209, 217.
Predestination is abominable, 485-488; execrable, 177:
detestable, 628. This dogma is a fuetu* of the taith of the
present Church, but the faith of the New Church abhors U
as a monster, 486. Nothing but cruel ideas concerning God,
and hhocking ideas concerning religion, can flow thence,

487. The decree ofthe Synod of Dort, concerning predestina
tion, is not only an insane heresy, but also a cruel heresy,
487. See, besides, Memorable Relations, 72. 798. 803. God
cannot predestinate the soul of any one to eternal death ; he
cannot even turn away his face from any one, or look at him
with a stern countenance, 56, 72. Every man is predesti
nated to heaven, and'no one to hell, but man consigns him
self to hell, 490.
Predictions concerning the consummation of the present
Church, 757 and the following.
Preparation of man, that he may be a receptacle of the
Lord, 89, 105, 359. Preparation for heaven or hell in the
world of spirits, 447, 739. Preparation of the Jews for the
coming of Messiah, 689-691. Preparation for a new spiritual
Church, 115.
Presence (the) of the Lord with the men of the Church,
before his coming into tbe world, was mediate ; but since
his coming it is immediate, 109. There is a universal and
particular presence of the Lord with man, or an internal
and an external. With those who only understand what is
true and good, the presence of the Lord is universal or exter
nal ; but with those who also will and do what is true and
good, the presence of the Lord is both universal and particu
lar, or both internal and external, 719. Where the Lord is
present he is there with his whole presence, 364, 365. The
Lord is present with every man, and urges and insists that
he may be received, 766. He is most present iu the sense of
the letter of the Word ; and from this sense he instructs and
illuminates man, 225, 229. The presence of the Lord in the
Word is only by the spiritual sense, 780. Difference between
the presence and coming of the Lord with man, 774. Won
derful presence of angels and spirits in the spiritual world,
64. Cause of this presence, 64.
Present (the). — In the Word, God speaks of the past and
future in the present, Bince he is iu all time without time, 30.
Preservation is a perpetual creation, 46, 224. Unity is
what causes the preservation of the whole, which otherwise
would fall to pieces, 679.
Priesthood signifies the Divine Good, 114. The priest
hood of Aaron represented the Lord as to Divine Good and
as to the work ot Balvation, 218. The priesthood ought to
be honored from and according to the manner in which it
serves, 415.
Priests who minister only for the sake of gain or worldly
honor, and teach such things as they Bee or may see from the
Word are not true, are spiritual thieves, 318, 320. Conscien
tious priests, 422, 666. Priests without conscience, 380, 666.
Hypocritical priests, 381. Priests in the spiritual world, 661,
750, 751. See, also, 134, 281, 836. In the Word, priest sig
nifies the Divine Good ; why 1 114.
Primary (the) is all in the secondary, 388.
Primitive. — The substantial is the primitive of the mate
rial, 79. Primitive state of man in paradise, 490.
Prince op the World— John xii. 31— signifies hell, 116.
Principal aud instrumental, 35. See Instrumental.
Principles and Principiates, or Derivatives.— The
derivatives derive their essence from the principle, 177.
Faith is the principle and doctrinals are derivatives, 177.
Spirits and angelB are in principles, and men are in deriva
tives, 280. The will and the understanding, in their princi
ples, are in the head, and in their principiates they are in the
body, 403, 156. Principiates or derivatives in the body are
formed for sensation and action, 156. To make derivatives,
primitives or principles, is to turn everything upside down,
37. Observation.— All things ofthe body are principiates — that
is, they are composed of fibres which proceed from princi
ples, which are the receptacles of love and wisdom, Divine
Love and Wisdom, 369.
Prisons (infernal), 661, 662. See, also, 281. 570, 797.
Progression of the Lord in intelligence and wisdom, 89.
Progression ofthe Lord towards uuion with the Father, 105.
Progression to the infinite, 32.
Prolific. — The prolific principle of the seed is in the
whole and every part of the tree, 403.
Prophecy signifies doctrine, 149. The spirit of prophecy
— Apocalypse, xix. 10— signifies the truth of doctrine from
the Word, 149.
Prophesy (to) signifies to teach doctrine, 149.
Prophets.— State of the prophets, when they saw such
things un exiBt in the spiritual world, 157. The prophets sig
nified the doctrine ofthe Church from the Word, and thence
they represented the Church, such as it was, by various
things, and also by things unjust, grievous, and even wicked,
whicli were enjoined on them by God, 129. The Lord was
willing to be tempted even to the passion of the cross, be
cause he was The Prophet,\^i. The Lord, as The Prophet,
represented the state of thei Jewish Church, as to the Word,
by the different particulars of his passion, 130.
Propitiation signifies tile operation of clemency and
grace, lest man, by means of wis, should bring himself into
condemnation ; likewise protection, lest he should profane
holiness, 135. \
Propitiatory (the) over the aril in the tabernacle signi
fied protection, lest the holiness V the Word in the ark
should be profaned, 135, 691. \
Proprium (the) of man is the lust if his flesh ; and what
ever proceeds from this is spiritually evil, however naturally
good it appears, 382. The will of man is his proprium, and
this from nativity is evil, and thence m the false in the un
derstanding, 273, 658. Man from himself wishes not to un
derstand any thing else than what is fYora the proprium of

602

EEC

INDEX.

BEG

his will ; and unless there be some other source whence he
may know it, man, from the proprium of his will, would
not wish to understand any thing but what is of himself and
the world, 273. Whatever is from the love of the internal
will is the delight of man's life ; and because the same is the
esse of his life, it is also his proprium, 493. For this reason,
that which is received in a free state of this will remains,
for it adds itself to the proprium, 493. The proprium of man
is in thick darkness as to all things which are of heaven and
the Church, 233. The ruling principle of man's life is his
proprium, 399. The two things proper or peculiar to the
natural world are space and time, 27.
Observation. — The proprium of man is to love himself in
E reference to God, and to love the world in preference to
eaven, and to regard the neighbor as nothing compared
with himself ; thus it is the love of self and of the world,
Arcana Ccelestia, 694, 731, 4317, 5660.
Providence (Divine).— The laws of permission are also
laws of Divine Providence, 479.
Observation.— Divine Providence is the same thing as me
diate and immediate influx from the Lord, Arcana Gozlestia,
6480. See the special treatise of the author on Divine Provi
dence. Provinces. — Man is divided into provinces as to his mem
bers and viscera, 65.
Prudence. — Does it come from God or man? 663.
Pu, or an undetermined somewhere, 29, 693, 769.
Observation.— This is the Greek word tou, written with
ordinary characters. The author gives its Latin translation
in No. 29 (in Pn sive Ubi).
Pulpit.— What at this day is most frequently preached
and proclaimed from the pulpit, 132. Pulpit in a temple of
the spiritual world, 508, 750.
Punishments (infernal) are eternal ; why? 79.
Pure. — The angels are not pure before God, 121.
Purgatory is a fable invented by the Roman Catholics,
475. Purple signifies the good of the Word, 215 ; signifies ce
lestial good, 220. The good of merit appears to angels like
rust, and the good not of merit like purple, 439. Those
who are regenerated by the Divine Good of love walk in
heaven in garments of purple, 686,
Purses (great) full of silver signify knowledges of truth in
great abundance, 277.
Pythagoras, 692.
Pythons.— Who they were who were called pythons by
the ancients, 324.
Quality is derived from no other source than from form,
53. The quality of the form is the state of its substance, 52.
Kvery quality exists by varieties, 763. The quality is per
fected by differences relative to things more or less opposite,
763. From the quality of order in the universe there is
something similar in all created things in the universe, 60.
Quarters in the spiritual world, 476.
Raphael, 233. See Michael,
Rational.— How the rational in man is enlightened, 215.
Above the rational is spiritual light, and below the rational
is natural light, 334. There is a spiritual-rational man, and
also a merely natural -rational, and one is not distinguished
from the other in the world, 564. The natural -rational can
confirm whatsoever it pleases, thus tbe false as well as the
true, 758. In the spiritual-rational are those who look to the
Lord, and from him are in the love of truth, 758.
Observation.— The rational partakes of the spiritual and
the natural, or it is a medium between the spiritual and the
natural, Arcana Cw'estia, 268.
Rationality. — There are two ways to rationality, one
from the world, the other from heaven, 564. Merely natural
rationality is dead in itself, 384. The devils have also ra
tionality ; whence it is, 507-
Reaction (by the) of the evil and the false against his
good and truth, and thus against himself, God perceives both
their quantity and quality, 61.
Reason (human). — All sound reason acknowledges the ex
istence and unity of God, 9, 10. The identity of three Divine
Essences is an offence to reason, 23. At this day human
reason, as to the Divine Trinity, is bound like a man bound
with manacles and fetters in prison, 169, 178 ; when faith
and omnipotence are named, reason is banished, 770; by
both these words reason is banished, and when reason is
banished what becomes of human thought? 57. Human rea
son does not rest unless it see the cause, 33. Human reason,
enlightened from very many things in the world, may see
the Infinity of God, 32. Interior leason of judgment, 186.
Rkckptacle. — Man was cieated a receptacle of Divine
Love and Divine Wisdom, 65, 362. Man is not life, but he is
a receptacle of the life which proceeds from God, 470-474.
The things which proceed from the sun of the world are
containers or receptacles oT li le, 35.
Rrcri:i'TiON of life is according to the form or each, 366.
Man is an organ recipient of God. and is an organ according
to the quality of iece|ition, 34. Reception of the influx pro
ceeding from the Lord; how it is effected, 457. Receptions
are according to forms and slates, 35. All the spiritual is
received in the natural, that it may be something with man ;
the bare spiritual enters, indeed, into man, but it is not re
ceived, 339,
Reciprocal.— There is no conjunction without a recipro
cal, 588. The reciprocal of conjunction with the Lord takes
place when man thinks and wills as of himself; this as of
himself is the reciprocal, 588, 457. Reciprocal union of the

Father and the Son, or of the Divine and the Human in the
Lord, 99. Reciprocal conjunction. 99, 100, 287, 371, 372, 485,
504, 787. The reciprocal conjunction of man with God is
mpossible with an invisible God, 787. See Conjunction.
Reciprocation.— There aie two reciprocations by which
conjunction is effected ; one is alternate and the other is mu
tual, 371. ,
Recreations of charity, 433, 434. In what they con
sisted, in the primitive Church, among Christians, 433, 434.
See Charity. , ..
Redeem (to) signifies to liberatefrom damnation, todeliver
from eternal death, to rescue from hell, and take away cap
tives and prisoners out of the hand of the devil, 118. The
Lord not only redeemed men, but also the angels, 121.
God could not redeem the liuman race without assuming the
Human, 84. The Lord perpetually redeems those who be
lieve in him and do hiR words, 579. Those who receive wor
thily of the holy communion become the redeemed ones of
the Lord, 717. He is ledeemed who is regenerated by the
Lord, 685. See Redemption.
Redeemer (the Lord) is Jehovah in the Human, 81. By
union with his Father the Lord becume Redeemer to eternity,
127, 699. See Lord.
Redemption itself was a subjugation of the hells, and an
establishment of order in the heavens, and thereby a prepa
ration for a New Spiritual Church, 1)5-117, 84, 86, 134, 224,
640. The Lord at this day is performing a redemption,
which he commenced in the year 1757, together with the
Last Judgment, which was then performed, 115. Without
redemption no man could have been saved, nor could the an
gels have subsisted in a state of integrity, 118-120, 182.
Without it, iniquity and wickedness would spread through
the whole Christian orb, iu both worlds, the natural and the
spiritual, 120. Thus the Lord not only redeemed men, but
also the angels, 121, 122. Redemption was a work purely
divine, 123. It could not have been performed but by God
incarnate, 124, 125. In order to accomplish it, Jehovah him
self descended and assumed the Human, 81, 82. It belongs
to the priestly and royal function of the Lord, 114. UnleBS
the Lord had come into the world and performed redemption,
no flesh could have been saved, 182. By performing redemp
tion is meant to establish a new heaven and a New Church,
182. This cannot be done but by Divine Truth from Divine
Good, 86. Redemption was also a certain creation of the
angelic heaven anew, and also of the Church, 640. In the
combats or temptations of men the Lord performs a particu
lar redemption, as he did a general one when he waB in the
world, 599. The passion of the cross is not redemption, 126,
581. Redemption and glorification are two things distinct
from each other, but yet they make one with reBpect to sal
vation, 126. Redemption and regeneration make one, 684.
Where the whole of the Lord is, there is also the whole of his
redemption, 717. The whole ofthe Lord is in the Holy Sup
per, and the whole of his redemption, 716-718. By redemp
tion are meant deliverance from hell, conjunction with Him,
and salvation, 717. Acts of redemption ; wherein they con
sisted, 95.
Reflect (to). — One reflects upon thoughts, hut not upon
affections, because thoughts are in light, but affections in
heat, 386, 607.
Reformation, according to the lawB of order, ought to
precede regeneration, 105, 106. 302, 587. It is of the under
standing, 302, 587. The internal man is first to be reformed,
and by this the external, and man is thus regenerated, 302,
591-595. Hy the spiritual will the Lord reforms and regen
erates the natural will, and by means of.this the sensual and
voluntary things of the body, thus of the whole man, 533.
Man is reformed by combats and victories over the evils of
his flesh, 610. In reformation man looks from the natural to
the spiritual, and desires it, 571. This state is formed by the
truths which are of faith, by whicli he looks to charity, 671.
The man who in the world has begun this state, after death
can be regenerated, 571. As long as any one sees, and ac
knowledges in his mind, that evil is evil and good good, and
thinks that good is to be chosen, so long that state is called
reformation, 587- No one can be said to he reformed hy the
mere knowledges of truth, for every man can apprehend and
also teach them ; but he is reformed who is in the affection
of truth for the sake of truth, 589. Man can reform and re
generate himself, as of himself, provided he acknowledges
from the heart that it is from the Lord, 621. In the state of
reformation man is in full liberty of acting according to the
rational of his understanding, 105. In this state the under
standing acts the first, and the will the second part, 105.
See Regeneration.
Reformation (the) took place, by the Divine Providence
of the Lord, when the Word was almost rejected by the Pa
pists, in order that the Word might be drawn, as it were,
from its concealment, and sent into use, 270.
Refokmeo Protestants. — They see the Word from their
doctrine, and explain it according to it, 2-7- They took up
contrition instead of repentance, that they might be lorn
away from tho Roman Catholics, 515.
Kefoumehs (of the) of the (hiistian Church, Luther, Me-
laiicihon, and Calvin, 796-/99.
Refuge (ihe only) from destruction, for any one, is in the
Lord, 120.
Regknerate (to).— To he regenerated means to be born
again, 326. A man, unless he is born again, and, as it were
created anew, cannot enter into the kingdom of God, 572-^
;j75. God cannot spiritually regenerate man, except so far
as man, according to his laws, naturally regenerates him

EEL

IS DUX.

KEP

603

self, 73. Man ought to introduce himself into faith by truths t
trom the Word, and into charity by good works, and thus to
retorm and regenerate himself, 71. The Lord regenerates
man by faith and chanty, H4, 576, 686. The Lord is continu
ally in the act of regenei ating man, because he is continu
ally iu the act of saving him, 377. Man is regenerated by
theic three umvarsaK — the Lord, charity, and taith as one,
618, j 23. Hecuuse all have been redeemed all can be regen
erated, every one according to his state, 579-582. Every one
is regenerated by abstaining from evils as sins, and fleeing
from them, 510. The internal man is first to be regenerated,
and by it the external, 593. To regenerate the internal by
the external is contrary to order, 593. Man can be regener
ated only successively, 586, 610. When man is regentrated
a comuat arises between the internal and the external man,
and then that whieh conqiids rules over the other, 596-600.
The regenerate man has a new will and a new understand
ing, 6O1-6U6. The Lord through heaven governs those things
which aie ofthe world with the regeueiated, 604. A regen
erate man is iu communion with the angels of heaven, and
un u n regenerate man in communion with the spirits of hell,
607-610. As far as man is regenerated so far sins are re
moved, and this removal is the remission of sins, 611-614.
When man is being regenerated the Lord is pie.seut, and by
his divine operation prepares man for heaven, 728. The re
generated man is in the heat of heaven, and at the same time
in the light of heaven, 605. Man can regenerate himself, as
from himself, provided he acknowledge at heart that it is by
the Iiord, 621. The man who has not entered into reforma
tion in the world cannot be regenerated after death, 571. Iu
the Word those who are regenerated are called sons of God,
and born of God, 572.
Regeneration is the new birth from the Lord, 521. This
new generaxion or creation is effected by the Lord alone by
charity and faith, as the two means, with the co-operation of
man, 576-578. To believe that regeneration follows the faith
of the present Church, which is without the co-operation of
roan, is a vanity of vanities, 577. Regeneration is effected,
comparatively, as man is conceived, carried in the womb,
bom, and educated, 583-586, 611. The first act of the new
generation is called reformation, which is ofthe understand
ing, and the second act is called regeneration, which is of
the will, and thence of the understanding, 587-590, 302, 602.
Regeneration is effected in different mauners and by different
proceedings, according to the difference in persons and cir
cumstances ; and this variety is infinite, like that of faces and
dispositions, 580. The regeneration of man is effected suc
cessively, from the beginning to the end of life, in the world,
and after this it is continued and perfected, 610, 611. The
state of regeneration begins when man desires to shun evil
and to do good, 587-- This state is formed by the goods of
charity, and by them man enters into the truths of faith, 571.
This state is of love from the will, 571. Regeneration :e the
means of salvation, and charity and faith are the means of
regeneration, 577- In the state of regeneration man wills
and acts, and thinks and speaks, from a new love and a new
intelligence, which are from the Lord, 105. Renunciation
ofthe evils which are from hell, and faith in the Lord, per
fect regeneration, 6S5. As far as man is regenerated, or as
far as regeneration is perfected in him, so far he does not at
tribute any thing of good and truth — that is, of charity and
faith— to himself, but to the Lord, 610. Regeneration cannot
be effected without free agency in spiritual things, 615-617,
It cannot be effected without truths, by which faith is formed,
aud with which charity conjoins itseh', 618-620. All are dis
tinguished according to the distinctions of regeneration in
heaven, and according to its rejection in hell, 582. There is
a correspondence of the regeneration of man with all the
things that are in the vegetable kingdom ; in the Word also
man is describe I by a tree, his truth by the seed, and his
good by the fruit, 584. Regeneration is n..t acknowledged
in the Church at this day ; why ? 591. In the Word regener
ation is described by a new heart and a new spirit, 572 ; it is
represented by baptism, 6S4-087. The whole world, from
first to last principles, is full of representations and types of
regeneration, 687-
Rkgion. — Division of the mind into three regions, accord
ing to the three degrees of love and wisdom, 42, 186; the-
highest, which is also tho inmost, is called, the celestial ; the
middle, spiritual; and the lowest, natural, 147, 34, 603, 608.
These three regions are successively opened with men, 42.
In the celestial region is the wise man; in the spiritual re
gion the intelligent man ; and in the lowest region tho scien
tific man, 152. The true light of life resides in the superior
regions of the mind, 40. Division of the'inind into two re
gions : the one, which is superior and interior, is spiritual :
the other, which is inferior and exterior,, is natural, 420, 421,
6)3, 604. Division of the body into three regions, 403. See
Mind. Relation.— It is necessary that singulars should, in a cer
tain image, relate to their universals, 714. Sue Singulars.
Rklativbs have respect to the disposition of many and
various things in convenient and agreeable order, 62. There
are relatives in both opposites, 62. See Opposite*.
Religion consists in shunning what is evil and doing
what is good, 389. Religion alone renews and regenerates
man, for this occupies the highest seat in the human mind,
and sees under it the evil things which are of the world, 601,
829 By the things or religion there is conjunction ot God
with man and or man with God, 283. All who do good from
religion, also pagans, are accepted by the Lord, dJj. Whence
have sprung the different religions on the "-'n

globe, 275.

Observation.— lietween religion and the CJinreh there is a
difference which il is neceSMi.y to point out. The Church of
the Lord, it is tine, is univeisal, nnd with all those who ac
knowledge the Divine and live in charity, no matter what
their dogmas may be; but the Church is especially there
where the Word is, and where, by the Word, the Lord is
known. In the countries where the Word does not exist, or
also where it in removed from the people and replaced by
human decisions, as among the Roman Catholics, there is
only religion, and, properly speaking, no Church. Among
the Proiestants there is a Church, but this Church is at its
end, because the Word has been perverted.
Remission of Sins (the) consists in purification from evils,
brought about by reformation and regeneration, 142, 614.
Remission of sins in not an extirpation of them, and a wiping
of them away, but it is the removal and separation of them,
614. As far as man does repentance, so far his sins are re
moved, aud so far as these are removed they aie remitted,
510,621. Sue REfENTANCE. Remission of sinsis notinslan-
taneous, but it follows regeneration according to its progress,
619. The Lord, because be is Mercy itself, remit* to all their
bins, nor imputes them to any, 539, 409.
Renovation is operated by the Lord with those who be
lieve in him, and accommodate and dispose themselves for
his reception and habitation, 142.
Repasts, or eating together of the sacrifices at the taber
nacle among the children of Israel, signified consociations of
minds, 438. See Leasts.
Repentance. — Acts of repentance are such as cause that
man should not will, and thence should not do the evils
which are sins againBt God, 510. Repentauce is the first
thing of the Church with man, S10, 511. No one can be re-
fenerated before the more grievous evils which make man
eteBtable in the sight of God are removed ; and these are
removed by repentance, 509. There are many things which
prepare man for the Chinch, as he advances in the first
stages of liTe, aud which introduce him into the Church ; but
the things which effect the Chnrch in mau are acts of repent
ance, 510. Repentance, in order to be repentance, and effi
cient in man, must be of the will and thence of the thought,
and not of the thought alone, 510. Repentance is not attain
able unless a man know, not only in general, but also in par
ticular, that he is a sinner, 513. Oral confession alone, that
one is a sinner, is not repentance, 516-519, 529. Man is born
to evils of every kind, and unless he remove them in part by
repentance, he remains in them, and he who remains in
them cannot be saved, 520-524 ; it is said that man removes
them, because the Lord does not do it immediately without
the co-operation of man, 522. Those who are not willing to
hear any thing about repentauce come into the deliberate
purpose of committing sins, 523. Those who, by repentance,
have removed some evils, which are sins, come into the pur
pose of believing in the Lord and loviug the neighbor, 523.
The knowledge of sin, and the searching out oTsome one sin
in one's self, begins repentance, 525-527. Actual repentance
is to examine one's self, to know and acknowledge one's
sins, to make supplication to the Lord, and to begin a new
life, 528-531, 535, 561, 567, 621. If actual repentance be per
formed at stated times — for instance, as often as a man pre
pares himself for the communion of the holy supper— and if
he afterwards abstain from one or more sins which he then
discovers in himself, it is sufficient to initiate him into actual
repentance, 530, 567. True repentance is to explore not only
the acts of one's life, but also the intentions of his will, 532-
534. Those who, after this examination, think that they
will not do them, because they are sins, perform true and
interior repentance, 532. Those, also perform repentance
who do not explore themselves, but still desist from evils,
because they are sins ; and this repentance is done by those
who do the works of charity from religion, 535-537- Actual
repentance is easy with those who have done it several
times, but extremely difficult to those who have not done it,
561-563. It is very difficult in the Reformed Christian world,
on account of their creed, that repentance and charity con
tribute nothing to salvation, 535, 561, 562. He who has never
performed repentance, or has not looked into and examined
himBelf at length, does not kuow what damnable evil is and
what saving good is, 564-536. Reformation and regeneration
follow repentance, and by repentance they are gradually
promoted, 57 L. Man is continually keot in a possible state
of repentance and conversion, 720. Repentance preached,
567. Observation.— Repentance is to shun evil and the false, and
to hold thein in aversion. Arcana Cailestia, 9448. To do
the work of repentance is, after having coufessed one's sins
before God, and having asked their remission with an hum
ble heart, to renonnce them and lead a new life according lo
the precepts of faith. Arcana Cailestia, 8389.
Repetitions.— Many times, in the Word, there are two
expressions, which appear like repetitions of the same thing :
but yet they are not repetitions, but one refers itself to good
and the other to truth, and both, taken together, make their
conjunction, and so one thing, 250-252.
Representations of Divine Love, 44; of tho two states of
regeneration, 10'J ; of the free agency of man, 469 ; of tho
two sacraments, baptism and the Holy Supper, with their
uses, 669 ; of baptism as regeneration, 687.
Represent vtives aro such things in the worfld as corre
spond to heavenly things, and thenoe signify them, 2(5. In
the heavens the objects which appear before the angels are
representations of the intelligence and wisdom which they
have from the Lord, 467. The human form, which Jehovalx

604

SAB

INDEX.

SAV

put on by means of an angel, and in which he appeared he-
fore Moses and several oilier, was representative ofthe Lord
who was to come, 786; and because this was representative,
therefore also each and every thing in the Israelitish Church
was made representative, 786. All the ancient Churches
were Churches representative of spiritual things, 201, 786.
When the Lord came iuto the world he abrogated represent
atives, 670.
Resist (to).— God alone can resist evils and falses, 68.
Man ought to resist evils from the power and strength given
him by the Lord, which in every sense appear to him as his
own, 438.
Respiration follows thought, and thence speech at every
step, 480. Without tree agency in every thing, yea, in the
least things, man cannot respire any more than a statue,
4&0. Respiration of every membrane in the body ; how it is
effected, 577.
Rest, the seventh day, signifies regeneration ; for when
man is regenerated there is rent for him, 302. See Sabbath.
Resurrection (the) of the Lord on the third day signifies
glorification, or the union of his Human with the Divine of
the Father, 130. Resurrection to life— John v. 29— signifies
salvation, 652.
Retribution,— Those who are in spiritual delights are
sorry if it is believed that they act for the sake of retribu
tion, 440. See Reward.
Revelation.— Knowledge of God, and thence an ac
knowledgment of him, are not attainable without revelation,
II. Man, by the revelation which is given, is able to ap
proach God, and to receive influx, and so from natural to
become spiritual, 11. A first revelation pervaded all the
world, but the natural man has perverted it in many ways,
11. The Word is the crown of revelation, 11. There is a
revelation made to the Africans at this day, 840.. See Af
ricans. Rkward. — Good ought not to be done for the sake of re
ward, 439. Those wlio put reward in the first place, and
salvation in the second, thus this for the sake of that, invert
order, 439. To think that man may come into heaven, and
that good should be done for this reason, is not to regard re
ward as an end, and to place merit in works, 440.
Rich.— The rich man— Luke xvi. 19— signifies the Jewish
nation, which is called rich because it has the Word, in
which are spiritual riches, 215, 246, 595.
Riches. — No man of sound reason can condemn riches,
for they are in the body of the community, like the blood in
man, 403.
Ride (to) signifies to instruct in divine truths from the
Word, 776. To ride upon cherubs is upon the ultimate sense
ofthe Word, 260.
Righteous. See Just.
Righteousness or Justice of the Lord.— By the acts
of redemption the Lord became righteousness itself, 95,
96, 640. The righteousness of the Lord is to do all things ac
cording to divine order, and to reduce to order those things
which are fallen out of order, for righteousness is divine or
der itself, 95. It cannot be ascribed to man, inscribed upon
him, adapted and conjoined to him, otherwise than light can
be to the eye, sound to the ear, Ac, 96. But it is acquired,
so far as a man exercises righteousness ; and he exercises
righteousness as far as he acts with his neighbor from the
love of what is just and true, 96. In the good itself, or iu the
use itself, which he does, righteousness dwells, 96. The
laws of justice are laws which cannot be changed, 341.
Rise (to, from the dead). — The Lord rose from the sepul
chre early in the morning ; why ? 764. Man, after he is de
ceased, commonly revives as to the spirit on the third day
after the heart has ceased to beat, 281.
Rites. — The representative rites of the Church in process
of time began to be turned into things idolatrous, and also
into things magical, 204.
Robe.— See Tunic.
Rock (the)— Matt. xvi. 18— signifies truth, 224; and the
acknowledgment that the Lord is the Sou of God, 342.
Everywhere, in the Word, hy rock is meant the Lord as to
Divine Truths, 224.
Rovalty signifies Divine Truth, 114.
Ruby (the) signifies celestial good, which is the good of
the highest heaven, 609.
Ruling Love (the).— It is this love which makes the life
of man, 399. The ruling love has several loves subordinate
to it, which are derivations, aud which, together with it,
make one kingdom, of which it is the king, 399. That
which is of the ruling love is that which is loved above all
things ; and this is continually present In the thought of
man, because it is in his wilt, and makes his veriest life,
399. A man is altogether such as the ruling principle of his
life is ; by this he is distinguished from others; according
to this his heaven is made, if he is good, and his hell, if he
is evil, 399. After death the ruling love cannot be changed,
because it is the man himself, 399.
Rust.— The good of merit appears before angels as rust,
439. See Purple.
Sabbath, in the original language, signifies rest, 301. The
Sabbath, among the sons of Israel, was the sanctity of sanc
tities, because it represented the Lord ; the six days, his la
bors and combats with the hells, and the seventh, his victory
over them, and thus rest 301. When the Lord came into
the world, and thence the representations of him ceased,
that day became a day of instruction in divine things, and
thus also a rest from labors, and of meditation on such things
as are of salvation aud eternal life ; as also a day of love

towards the neighbor, 301. In the supreme sense, sabbath
signifies peace, 303. The Lord calls himself the Lord ot the
sabbath— that is, of rest and peace, 303. The life of heaven
from the worship of God is called a perpetual sabbath, 738.
Celebration ofthe sabbath in heaven, 750.
Sacraments (the two), Baptism, and the Holy Supper,
are acknowledged as the most holy things in Christendom ;
but it is not known where their holiness resides, or whence
it is, 699. Without knowledge concerning the spiritual
sense of the Word no one can know what these two sacra
ments involve and effect, 667-669, 698 ; they contain, in one
complex, all things of the iuternal Church, 670. Difference
between their holiness preached merely and their holiness
seen rationally, 701.
Sacred Scripture (the), or the Word, is the divine truth
itself, 189-192. It teaches that there is a God, and that he in
one, 6. All the Sacred Scripture prophesied concerning the
Loid and foretold his coming, 205. All the Sacied Scrip
ture, which was dictated by the Lord, is, in general and in
particular, a marriage of the good and the true, 624. The
Sacred Scripture is like a mirror, in which man sees God ;
but each one in his own way, 6 ; it is the fulness of God, 6.
Saints.— Saints of the Roman Catholics in the spiritual
world, 822-827. See Worship. The gods of the Gentilua
were first worshipped as saints, afterwards as divinities, and
lastly as gods, 292.
Salvation (salus) and eternal life are one, 726. Conjunc
tion with God is that by which man has salvation and eter
nal life, 369. The Lord, charity, and faith, are the three es
sentials of salvation, 450. The Lord is salvation and eternal
life, 150. Without the Lord there is no salvation. 267- The
Lord wills the salvation of all ; wherefore the salvation of all
is his end, 142. The Lord's coming, his redemption, and pas
sion of the cross, were for the salvation of men, 142. The sal
vation of men was the first and last end of the Lord, 152. The
salvation ofthe human race depends on the reciprocal conjunc
tion of the Lord with man, 371- The salvation of man depends
on his knowledge and acknowledgment of God, 98. It depends
upon actual repentance, 528, 530. All that Jehovah has
commanded is to be done for the sake of salvation, 282. The
means of salvation are numerous, but they all and each of
them refer themselves to living well and believing aright,
thus to charity and faith, 340, 357- As a temple of God,
man has for his end, intention, and purpose, salvation and
eternal life, 374. Those who put reward in the first place,
and salvation in the second, thus this for the sake of that,
invert order, and immerse the interior desires of their mind
in their proprium, 439.
Salvation is the result of reformation and regeneration :
it is the ultimate end of the Lord, 142. The Lord is salva
tion, 150. By the conjunction of man with God there is
given salvation, 98. Without reciprocal conjunction of man
with the Lord and ofthe Lord with man, there would not be
any reformation nor regeneration, nor, consequently, any
salvation, 485. The salvation of men is a continuatiou of
creation, 773. See To Save.
Samson.— His power consisted in his hair ; why? 223.
Sanctification is operated by the Lord in those who be
lieve in him, and accommodate and dispose themselves tor
his reception and habitation, 142. The Lord is the whole of
sanctification, 150.
Sanctity of sanctities was the sabbath. 301. Sanctity of
the decalogue, 283, 284. Sanctity of the Holy Supper, 700.
See Holiness.
Sapphire signifies spiritual good, which is the good ofthe
middle heaven, 609.
Satans.— Those are called satans who are in falses and
thence in evils, 281 ; those who have confirmed themselves
in the belief of falses even to faith, SO ; those who have con
firmed themselves in favor of natuie, and thence have de
nied God, 35. Satans become like furies when they hear the
name of Jesus, or any truth of the Word, 380, 799. A satan
can understand the truth, when he hears it, as well as an
angel ; but he does not retain it, because evil obliterates the
truth and induces the false, 77. Those who acknowledge the
Lord and do not obey bis commandments, become satans,
after death, and can counterfeit an angel of light, 151. He
who brings himself into evil affections, by confirmations of
falsities, and by an evil life, contracts gradually n sort of
fraternity with satans, 380. The internal man, with the
evil, is a satan, and also, while it lives in the body, it i* in
society with them, aud likewise after its separation from the
body it comes among them, 401. See Devils, Hell.
Observation.— Iu hell, those who are evil fiom the under
standing inhabit places in front, and are culled batans ; and
those who are evil from the will inhabit places in the rear,
and are called devils. See Conj. Love, 492. In ihe Word,
by devil Is meant that hell which is in the rear, and
where are the worst, called evil genii ; and by satan, that
hell where those are found who are not so evil, and who are
called eyil spirits. See Heaven and Hell, 544.
Saturn, 17, 159, 292. Ago of Saturn, 692.
Save (to).— The Lord exerts himself to save all. men, 150.
All can be regenerated ; and as regeneration and salvation
are one, all can be saved, 670. Every one can be regener
ated and saved according to his state, 580. He who does
well and thinks sanely— that is, who lives wet] and believes
sanely— is saved, 621, If man is not saved, it in his and not
the Lord's fault, 580. The man who remains in his evils
cannot be saved, 520-524. There Is no nation on the whole
globe which cannot be saved, if it acknowledges a God aud
lives well, 729.

SEN

INDEX.

SEE

605

Saviour (the) is our Lord Jesus Christ : his name, Jesus,
also signifies salvation, 150. See Lord.
Saxony (prince of), 796.
Scarlet, double-dyed, signifies spiritual good, 220.
.Science of Correspondences.— How it ought to be
esteemed, 846. See Correspondences.
Scientifics.— Scientifics, with those who love truth be
cause it is truth, reside under the political, moral, and spir
itual things, which, according to their order, occupy the
three regions of the mind : they make the door to those
higher things, 186.
Scotland, 812.
Screech-Owls.— By screech-owls are represented the
speech of those who are not willing and not able to perceive
truth, but perceive ooly the false, 42.
Second Coming of the Lord.-— See Coming of the Lord.
Secrets.— See Arcana.
Seed (in every), animal as well as vegetable, there is im
planted a sort of immensity and eternity, 32. In the seed of
every one, from which he is conceived, there is a graft or
offset of the father's soul, in its fulness, within a certain
covering from the elements of nature. 103. The image of
the Father is in its fulness in the seed, because the soul is
spiritual from its origin, and what is spiritual has nothing
common with space ; wherefore it is similar to itself in a
small as well as in a large compass, 103. See Soul. The
seed of man is conceived inwardly in the understanding, and
is formed in the will, aud thence is transferred into the tes
ticle, where it clothes itself with a natural covering, 584. All
things that are seen in the natural world exist and grow
from a seed, 794. In the seed of the tree there is concealed,
as U were, the end, intention, and purpose of producing
fruits ; in these the seed corresponds to the will with man,
374. The iumost of every seed is impregnated by an exha
lation, proceeding from every particle or the du&t of the earth,
499. Spiritual seed is the truth ofthe Church from the Word,
421. Seed, in the Word, signifies truth, 350. The seed of
man— Daniel ii. 43— signifies the truth ofthe Word, 761.
Seneca, 273.
Sensation.— From what it results, 577. The sensation of
delight causes pleasures to be called good, 38.
Sense of tbe Letter of the Word is the basis, the con
tinent, and the firmament of its spiritual and celestial Henses,
210-213. In the sense of the letter of the Word, Divine
Truth is in its fulness, in its holiness, and in its power, 214-
216. The doctrine of the Church should be derived from the
sense of the letter of the Word, and confirmed by it, 225,
229. The Lord is most present in that sense, and from that
he teaches and enlightens, 225- Genuine truth, which
should be of doctrine, m the sense of the letter of the Word
does not appear to any others than those who are in illustra
tion from the Lord, 231-233. By the sense of the letter of
the Word there is conjunction with the Lord and consocia
tion with the angels, 234-239. Each and every part of the
- dense of the letter of the Word communicates with heaven,
258. The sense of the letter of the Word is a guard for the
genuine truths concealed within, 260. This sense may be
turned hither and thither, and explained according to appre
hension, 260, 207, 508; provided this is done in application
to some truth, 508 ; if it ib turned to the false, then its internal
holiness is lost, and with this the holiness of the external,
207. It does no hurt that the sense of the letter is understood
otherwise by one than by another ; but it is hurtful if a man
introduces falses, which are contrary to divine truths, 260.
The sense of the letter is composed of what are called ap
pearances and correspondences ; why? 6.
Sense (Spiritual and Celestial Sense) of the Word,
—There is a spiritual and celestial sense in every part of the
Word, and these senses are in the light of heaven, 231. The
celestial sense and spiritual sense are not the Word, without
the natural or literal sense, 214. The spiritual sense has
not beeu known hitherto; why? 193, 201, 206. This sense
does not show itself in the sense of the letter, but it is in
wardly in it, as the soul in the body, as the thought of the
understanding in the eye, and as the affection of love in the
face, 194. It is in all and every part of the Word, 196. No
one can know the spiritual sense but from the science of
correspondences, 196, 206. It is from the spiritual sense that
the Word is divinely inspired, and holy in every expression,
200, 846. It has pleased the Lord now to reveal the spiritual
sense, that it might be known where in it the divine holiness
is concealed, 200. This sense is not hereafter given to any
but those who are in genuine truths from the Lord, 208, 230.
This sense consists in the divine truths of the Church, 207.
It treats concerning the Lord alone, and concerning his
kingdom, 208. If auy one wishes from himself, and not from
the Lord, to open that Bense, heaven is shut, which being
shut, man either sees nothing of truth or becomes spiritually
Insane, 208. The naked truths themselves, which are in
cluded, contained, clothed, and comprehended in the literal
sense, are in the spiritnal sense of the Word, and the naked
goods are in its celestial sense, 215. The Lord guards the
spiritual sense as he guards the angelic heaven, for this fs in
it, 230, Doctrine is not acquired, bat only illustrated and
corroborated by the spiritual sense, 230. See Sensk of the
Letter of the Word. Those things which are hid in the
spiritual Bense do not appear, except to those who love
truths because they are truths, and do goods because they
are good, 2*4. In the spiritual sense divine truth is in its
light, and in the celestial sense divine goodness in Its heat,
289. Without knowledge ofthe spiritual sense of the Word,
no one can know what the two sacraments, Baptism and the

Holy Supper, involve and effect, 667-669, 698. It is at this day
disclosed for the New Lhurch, on accountof its use in the wor
ship of the Lord. 669. This sense is now disclosed for the first
time, because there was before no Christianity, except In
name, and with some a kind of shadow of it, 700. The spirit
ual sense of the Word is signified by the glory and virtue in
which the Lord is to come, 776,777. The presence of the Lord
in the Word is only by mean of the spiritual sense, 780. The
Word, by means of this sense, is a conjunction ofthe men of
the Church with the Lord, and a consociation with the an
gels ; the holiness ofthe Word resides in that sense, 846.
Observation. — By the spiritual sense is understood both the
celestial and the spiritual, when there is not made a distinc
tion between thespiritual sense proper and the celestial sense.
Senses. — The senses are of life, and their forms from na
ture, 35. There is a reciprocal conjunction between the
senses and their organs, 371. Falses cohere with the fallacies
of the senses, 186.
Sensual (the) is the ultimate or the mind of manj adhering
to and cohering with the five senses of the body, f.65. The
ultimate of the understanding is what relates to natural sci-
entiGcs, and the ultimate of the will is what relates to sen
sual delight, 565.
Sensual Man (a) is, in the lowest degree, a natural man,
402. He is called a sensual man who judges all things by
the senses of the body, and who believes nothing but what
he can see with the eyes and touch with the hands, 402, 565.
Tbe sensual and corporeal man, viewed in himself, is alto
gether an animal, and only differs from a brute animal in
that he is able to speak and to reason, 2%, 328, 566. The in
teriors of the mind, which see from the light or heaven, are
closed in the sensual man. so that he sees nothing of the
truth, which is of heaven and the Church, 402, 565. Sensual
men reason keenly and shrewdly, because their thought is
so near the speech that it Is almost iu it, and, as it were, in
the lips ; and because they place all intelligence in speech
from the memory alone, 402, 565. Men of science and
erudition, who have deeply confirmed themselves in falses,
are sensual above all others, 402, 565. Sensual men are cun
ning and malicious above all others, 565. Those who reason
from sensual things alone were called byj.be ancients ser
pents of the tree of knowledge. 565, 402. All those who are
in the love of ruling from the love of self are sensual men, 405.
Sensual Men.— He iB called a sensual man who judges all
things from the senses of the body, and who believes nothing
but what he can see with his eyes and touch with his hands,
402, 565, 405. A sensual man is in the lowest degree a natu
ral man, 402. Sensual men reason shrewdly and keenly ;
why ? 402, 565. They are cunning and malicious above all
others, 402, 565. The interiors of their minds are foul and
filthy, because by them they communicate with the hells,
402, 565. Men of science and erudition, who have deeply
confirmed themselves in falses. and especially against the
truths of the Word, are sensual above all others, 402, 565.
The hypocritical, the deceitful, the voluptuous, the adulter
ous, and the covetous, are for the most part sensual, 402,
565. Men, become sensual-corporeal by confirmations in
favor of nature, their condition in the other world, 79. The
sensual and corporeal man, viewed in himself, is altogether
an animal, and only differs from a brute animal in that he
is able to speak and reason, 296.
Sensual things are those of the thoughts which come
from the senses or the body, 35. By sensual things are
meant the things presented to the senses of the body and im
bibed through them, 402. Man by sensual things communi
cates with the world, and by the rational things above them,
with heaven, 402, 565. Sensual things furnish such things
from the natural world as serve for the interiors ofthe mind
in the spiritual world, 402, 565. There are sensual things
which furnish the understanding, and sensual things which
furnish the will, 565, 402. Unless the thought be elevated
above senBual things, man has little wisdom, 402, 565. Sen
sual things ought to be in the last place, and not in the first ;
with a wise man they are in the last place, and subject to
the interiors, but with a foolish man they are in the first
place, and have dominion, 402, 565.
Sentence (the) is made for eternal life or for eternal
death, as the faith conjoins itself to good or evil, 654-657-
Series. — The arrangement of all things into series, 351.
The organization ofthe brain consists in an arrangement of
the whole into, as it were, little bundles ; and the truths
which are of faith are so arranged in the human mind, 351.
The cortical substance of the brain, which is glandular, is
disposed into clusters, like grapes on a vine : these collec
tions of little clusters are its series, 351. Its medullary sub
stance consistB of perpetual collections of little bundles of
fibrils, proceeding from the glands of the former substance ;
these collections of little bundles are its series, 351. All the
visceras and all the organs ofthe body correspond to the se
ries' in which the organism of the mind is disposed, 351.
Throughout all nature there is not a thing which is not bun
dled together into series, 351. The universal cause is, be
cause divine truths have such a conformation, 351. When
multiplied series cohere in one, one supports and confirms
another, 352. Geometric series continuing to infinity, 32.
Serpents signify the prudence and cunning ofthe sensual
man, 205. The serpent— Gen. iii. 5— signifies the devil as to
the love of self, and the pride of one's own intelligence, 48.
Serpents of the tree of knowledge of good and evil ; who
were so called by the ancients? 324, 380, 402.
Seventh Day (the) signifies conjunction with the Lord, 302.
Sex.— Iu trees and in all other subjects of the vegetable

606

soc

INDEX.

SPE

kingdom, there are not two sexes, the male and the female,
but every one there is male ; the earth alone, or the ground,
is the common mother, thus, as it were, the female, 585.
Shade. — If the internal spiritual man and the external
natural man arc not illustrated at the same time, man is, as
it were, in the shade, 109.
Siikba.— The gold of Sheba signifies the wisdom which is
of divine truth, 706.
Sheep signify charity, 200.
Sukep-folp. — To enter into the sheep-fold is to enter into
the Church, and also into heaven, 380.
Shining property of Fire (to the), whence proceeds
light, corresponds something of love which affects inmostly
the understanding of man, 39. See Burning property of
Fire. Shortening the Days— Matt. xxiv. 22— signifies to put
an end to the Church, and to institute a new one, 182.
Snows and games in the heavens, 745.
Shun (to) evils is the first thing of charity, B35.
Side (the) of the Lord.— The piercing of his side signi
fies that they had totally extinguished all the truth ofthe
Word, and all ihe good of it, 130.
Sidon, 200. See Tyre.
Sign (the) of the Son of Man in the heavens signifies the
appearing of divine truth in the Word from the Lord, 198.
Sign ofthe cross over the infant baptized. See CROSS.
Sight (natural), which is the sight of the eye and thus of
the body, corresponds to spiritual sight, which is of the un
derstanding, and thus of the mind, 346. The sight of the
spirit of man is vailed by the natural sight, 767- The sight
ofthe body emulates, in some respects, the sight ofthe
mind, 395. When the inmost sight is opened with the angels
in heaven, they know their own image in the things that
surround them, 66. In the mind the first sight is of percep
tion, and the last sight of the eye, 504.
Silver signifies spiritual good, 609.
Simon, the Magician, 378.
Simple in Spirit (by the) are understood, hi the Word,
those who will well and think rationally, and thence act
well and speak rationally ; they are called simple because
they have not a dquble spirit, 443. He alone is simple who
thinks, speaks, wills, and acts from his interna], 147.
Simultaneous (the) is formed from what is successive,
and this iu all and every thing of the natural world, and
in all and every thing of the spiritual world, 214. See
Order. Sin is evil against God, and consequently, also evil against
the neighbor, 525. Sins are not abolished but removed, 539.
See Confession, Remission, Repentance.
Singing in heaven, 745, 746.
Singulars (the), taken together, are called the universal,
as the particulars taken together are called the general, 60.
The singulars resemble the universals, 32. That singulars
may be kept together in their order and connection, it is ne
cessary that there should be universals, from which they
exist and iu which they subsist ; and also it is necessary that
singulars should, iu a certain image, relate to their univer
sals ; otherwise the whole with the parts would perish, 714.
See Universal.
Sion signifies the Church, 467.
Sirens (the), by means of fantasies, know bow to induce
all the exteriors and all the forms of beauty and grace, 80.
Sit (to) at the right hand of God ; what is understood
thereby, 136.
Six Days of Labor (the) signifies the combat against the
flesh and its concupiscences, and, at the same time, against
the evils and falses which are from hell, 302.
Skull, 213.
Slaves, in the Word, are those who are not conjoined
with the Lord, 106.
Sleep. — In the Word, natural life is compared to sleep,
and spiritual life to wakefulness, 606.
Sleep (to) signifies the life of man in the world, 199.
Smelling signifies perception ; why? 569.
Smoke (the) seen iu hell arises from falses confirmed by
reasonings, 159, 504. See Flame.
Society (a) is as one man, and those who enter into it
compose, as it were, one body, and are distinguished from
each other like the members in one body, 412. There is in
heaven not a single society which does not correspond to
some member, viscus, or organ in man. 65. Heaven, al
though distinguished into innumerable societies, still appears
before the Lord as one man, 354. All of the same reli
gion are arranged into societies iu heaven according to the
affections of love to God and towards the neighbor ; in hell
into congregations according to the affections opposite to
those two loves, thus according to the lusts of evil, 678. The
societies in heaven and the congregations in hell are as
many as there are stars in the firmament of the world, 74.
Man, in the world, is in society with the inhabitants of the
world of spirits, and according as his spirit changes states,
he changes societies, 476; his spirit is even seen in the an
gelic it infernal societies, 14. The innumerable societies of
the world of spirits are put in order in an admirable man
ner. See World of Spirits. Uses are the bonds of society,
which are as many as there are good uses, and uses are infi
nite in number, 746 See Uses. Without external bonds, not
only society, but the whole human race would be destroyed,
498. Man is like a society in the least form : unless he dealt
with himself in a spiritual manner, as the wicked are dealt
with in a great society in a natural manner, he, after death,
would be chastised and punished, 531. Every one comes

into the society of heaven or into the society of hell, of which
he is the form, in a single effigy, 739.
Socinianism.— Whence it is, 94 ; abominable heresy, 380,
339. Socinians and Arians.— Arins and his followers denied
the divinity of Jesus Christ, 632, 637 ; and thus destroyed the
Church, 174. The Arian faith was merely natural, resem
bling faith in externals ; but there was nothing spiritual in it,
because it rejected the divinity of the Lord ; this is the same
case with Socinianism, 339. Whoever, with repaid to the
Lord, appropriates the idea that He is man and not God,
introduces himself into the company of Arians and Socinians,
who, in the spiritual world, are in hell, 380.
Socinus, 159.
Socrates, 692.
Soldier.— It is glorious for a soldier to shed his blood for
his country, 414.
Son of God (the) is Jehovah God in his Human, 92-94,
135. The acknowledgment that the Loid is the Son of God
is the first point of faith in Jesus Christ ; this was the first
thing of faith which the Lord, when he came into the world,
revealed and announced, 342, 379. It is contrary to what is
natural and rational to conceive that any Son was born to
God from eternity, 26 ; and that he descended and assumed
the Human ; it is Jehovah God himself who descended and
was made Man. 83, 637. The Apostolic Church has not ac
knowledged a Son of God born from etc 1 nity, but only a Son
of God born in time, 636. In the Word, the regeneiate are
called sons of God, 572, 729.
Son of Man (the) i.i the Lord as to the Word, 92, 271. By
the sign ofthe Sou of Man in heaven is meant the appearing
of Divine Truth in the Word from the Lord, 198.
Son of Mary (the) is properly the Human which the
Lord assumed, 92. He who believes that the Lord is only
the Sou of Mary implants in himself various ideas which
are hurtful and destructive of his salvation, 342. From this
common saying in the mouth of all, that the Lord is called
the Son of Mary, many enormities have flowed into the
Church, 94. That the Lord was the Son of Mary is true ; but
that he is so still is not true, 102.
Soul. — The soul is the very essence of man, and the body
is its form, 111. The soul is in the whole and every part of
man, 112. It is the man himself, because it is the inmost
man; wherefore its form is fully and perfectly the human
form, 697, 8. It is tbe form of all things of love and of all
things of wisdom, 697. It is the human form, from which
nothing at all can be taken away, aud to which nothing can
be added, and it is the inmost form of all the forms of the
whole body, 697. In man the soul is not life, but a recipient
of life, 25. It is the proximate receptacle of life from God,
and thus the habitation of God, 697. The soul of the
child comes from the father, and his body from the mother,
112. The body is from the soul, 82. The soul is in the seed
of the father, and it is clothed with a body iu the mother, 92.
Man has his beginning from the soul, which is the very es
sence of the seed ; the soul not only initiates, but also pro
duces in their order those things which are ofthe body, 166.
No other than the body conceived and derived from the soul
is prepared in the womb of the mother, 167. That human
souls were created in the beginning of the world, and that
they enter into bodies and become men, is among the fables
ofthe ancients, 171. The soul aud body are distinct, but re
ciprocally united; the soul acts in the body and into the
body, but not by the body ; but the body acts of itself from
the soul ; why? 154. The soul, which is from the lather, is
the very man, and the body, which is from the mother, is
not man in itself, but from the soul or man; the body is
only a coveting, composed of such things as are ofthe natu
ral world, while the soul i.s composed of such things as are
in the spiritual world, 103. Everyman, after death, puts off
the natural, which he had from the mother, and retains the
spiritual, which he had from the father, together with a kind
of border (or circumambient accretion) from the purest
things of nature around it, 103. But this border, with those
who come into heaven, is below, and the spiritual above;
but with those who come into hell, that border is above and
the spiritual below, 103. What the faith of the present day
is with regard to the state of souls after death, 769, 770.
Sound (the) of the voice and speech is heard only as a sim
ple sound, and yet the angels, when they hear it, perceive in
it all the affections of man's love, 365 ; by the sound they know
his love, and by speech his intelligence, 778. The sound 0 f
spiritual language differs from the sound of natural lan
guage, 280.
Space and Time.— These are the two things peculiar to
the natural world, which cause all things there to be finite,
27. Spaces and times were created together with the world,
and draw their origin from immensity and eternity, 27, 31.
There is nothing of space in God's immensity and nothing of
time in His eternity, 31. They have been introduced into lite
worlds that one thing might be distinguished from another,
29. The spiritual world is not, like the natural world, in
space and time, but it is in the appearance of space and time,
280. The appearances of spaces and times in the spiritual
world are according to the differences of the stales, in which
are the minds of spirits and angels, 29. Those appearances
are real, because constant, according to the states of the
spirits and angels, 29. ¦*
Speech is nothing else than the form of sound ; sound cor
responds to affection, and speech to thought, 386. If we take
away sound from speech nothing of speech is given, 386. Spir
itual speech embiuces thousands of things which natural

SPI

INDEX.

SUB

607

speech cannot express, 386. In the natural world the speech
of man is two-fold, because his thought is two-told, external
and internal, IU. See Language.
Sphere (the) of Divine Love pervades the universe, and
affects every one according to his state ; not onlv the good,
but also the evil ; and not only men, but also beasts, and
even inanimate objects, 44. The sphere of the extension of
good is infinite; it fills, through the inmost, the universe,
and all and everything there, 56. There continually pro
ceeds from the Lord a divine sphere of celestial love towards
all who embrace the doctrine of his Chuich, and who obey
him as little children, applv themselves to him, and wish to
be instructed by him, 308. From this celestial sphere arises
a natural sphere, which is of love towards infants and chil
dren, which is most universal, 308- In the spiritual world
there is exhaled from everyone the sphere of hiB love, which
spreads itself roundabout, and affects and causes sympathies
and antipathies ; by these spheres the good are separated
from the evil, 331. The affections of the will, and thence the
thoughts of the understanding, make a spiritual sphere
around man, which is felt in various ways, after death ; but
in the world this spiritual sphere is absorbed by the material
body, and includes itself in the natural sphere, which then
exudes from man, 410. From every man there emanates a
spiritual sphere, which is of the affection of his love, and
thence of his thought, and it inwardly affects those who are
in his company, especially at feasts ; it emanates through
the face as well as by respiration, 433. Every metal and
every stone, precious and common, freely imbibes the ether,
exhales its native properties, rejects what is obsolete, and
renews itself with fresh substances ; thence there is a mag-
netical sphere around the magnet, a sphere of iron around
iron, etc., 499. From the sphere around every particle
ofthe dust of the earth the inmost of every seed is impreg
nated, which causes the prolific principle io vegetate, 499,
785. There is actually a sphere elevating alt to heaven,
which continually proceeds from the Lord, and fills all the
spiritual world and all the natural world ; all those who be
lieve in the Lord, and live according to his commandments,
enter that sphere or current, and are elevated ; but those
who do not believe are not willing to enter, but remove
themselves to the sides, and there are carried away by a
stream which leads to hell. 652. The spheres in the spiritual
world, which flow forth from modern Christendom, show
manifestly in what thick darkness they are respecting the
Lord, regeneration, and the conjunction of faith and charity,
619 ; this sphere also invades meu in the natural world ; the
angels complain much of these spheres, and pray to the Lord
that they may be dissipated, 619. The spheres of spiritual
truths there are as yet few, being only in the new heaven,
and with those under heaven who are separated from the
spirits of the dragon, 619. The sphere of infernal spirits con
joins itself with the sensual things of man from behind, 402,
565. Sphinx.— Who those are who appear in the spiritual
world like sphinxes, 274.
Spider.— The wonders ofthe spider, 335.
Spirals. — Perpetual spiral lines, of which the spiritual or
ganism ofthe mind consists, 578.
Spirit. — The spirit of man is the receptacle of the life of
the mind, 470. It is the mind of man, which lives after
death, and then is called a spirit ; if good, an angelic spirit,
and afterwards an angel ; if evil, a satanic spirit, and after
wards a satan, 156. The spirit of man is created from finite
things, which are spiritual substances, 470. The finite things
of which it is composed are in the spiritual world, and also
are brought into our earth, and are therein concealed, 470.
The life of the spirit is the affection of love and the thought
thence, 622. The spirit, after having been separated from
the body, comes into the full liberty of acting according to
its affections and the thought thence, 661. Then the spirit
thinks what he wills and wills what he loves, and this is
the delight of its life, 568. The spirit of man is continually
in consociation with its like in the spiritual world, and this
spirit, by the material body with which it is encompassed,
is with men in the natural world, 475. That man does not
know thatjtt is in the midst of spirits as to his mind, is he-
cause the spirits, with whom he is in consociation, think and
speak spiritually ; but the spirit of man, while it is in the
material body, naturally, 475, 607. Every man attaches to
himself a spirit similar to the affection of his will, and thence
the perception of his understanding, 380. After death men are
called spirits, because they are then spiritual men, 570. All
those that are in the world of spirits are consociated with
their like in the natural world, 137. The spirits are not seen
by man ; why ? 475. Those are called angelic spirits who, in
the world of spirits, are prepared for heaven, 387. The spir
its of hell cannot see any thing at all that is done in heaven,
61. A spirit imagines himself to be the personage whose
garment he wears, because, in the spiritual world, tbe un
derstanding clothes everyone, 663. By being in the spirit
is meant a state of mind separate from the body, 157. In
the Word, the spirit signifies the mind of man and the things
that belong to the mind, 156 See Mind.
Spiritual (the) is the active or the living force, and the
natural is the passive or dead force, 607. The distinction
between spiritual and natural is not as between more or less
pure, but it is such as between prior aud posterior, between
which no finite ratio is given, 280. 'ihe natural can never
bv subtilizatiou approximate to thespiritual, so as to become
wpiritual, 280. All the spiritual is received in the natural,
that it ni'iy be something with man, 339. All the spiritual

the man has is from the father, and all the material is from
the mother, 92, 103. The spiritual body is to be formed in
the material body ; how it is formed there, 583. Spiritual
things are those things which proceed from the sun of heav
en, and have lile in them ; and nntural things are the things
which proceed from the sun of the world, and are containers
and receptacles of life, 35. Spiritual things are above natu
ral things, 77. Spiritual things ascend to the highest region
of the mind, and there form themselves, 494. The natural
man regards spiritual things as chimeras and phantoms in
the air, 133. The spiritual man is not visible to the natural
man, nor the natural man to the spiritual man ; why ? 280,
607. The spiritual man thinks things incomprehensible and
ineffable to the natural man, 280. Tbe spiritual is inwardly
in the natural with those who are in faith in the Lord, and
at the same time in charity towards the neighbor, 360, 361.
The spiritual man is the internal man, 401. The spiritual-
natural man, 607. The spiritual -moral man, 369, 564. The
spiritual-rational man, 369, 564.
Spiritual World and Natural World.— There are two
worlds— the spiritual world, in which angels and spirits are,
and the natural world, in which men are, 75. In each world
there is a sun ; that of the spiritual world is pure love, and
that of the natural world pure fire, 75. See Spiritual Sun.
The spiritual world has such a connection with the natural
world that they cannot be separated, 118. By the spiritual
world is understood heaven and hell, 454. All things which
are in that world are spiritual, and affect the internal man,
and form his will and understanding, 24. There are two
things peculiar to the natural world which cause all things
there to be finite; one is space and the other is time, 27.
The spiritual world is not in space and time, as the natural
world ; but it is in the appearance of space and time, 280.
This appearance is according to the diffeience of states, in
which are the minds of spirits and angels, 29. See Appear
ances. There is not any thing given in the natural world
which is not also in the spiritual world, but they differ in
origin, 185, 209, 693, 694, 794. The quarters of the spiritual
world are not like those in the natural world, and habitations
according to quarters are habitations according to the recep
tion of faith and love ; and those are in the East who excel
in love, and those in the South who excel in intelligence,
800. In the spiritual world all thingB appear at a distance
according to correspondences, which, when they appear in
forms, are called representations of spiritual things in ob
jects similar to natural, 388. All things that are seen in the
spiritual world are created in a moment by the Lord, while
all things which are in the natural world exist and grow
from seed, 794. The spiritual world operates from within,
and actuates all and each of the things that exist and are
formed in the world of nature, and upon its earth, and oper
ates as the human mind does into the senses and motions of
the body, 695. Man is in the spiritual world by his internal
man, and in the natural world by his external man, 454.
Spurious. — Spurious charity, 451, 457. Spurious faith,
345, 380.
Stars (the) are so many suns, and thence there are as
many woilds, 32. Every society of heaven, to those who
are under heaven, sometimes shines like a star, 160. Com
parison with a new star, appearing in the starry heaven, and
which in the course of time is darkened, 176, 348. The star
which went before the wise men ofthe East, when tbe Lord
was born, signified knowledge fiom heaven, 205. Stars sig
nify knowledges of truth and good, 198.
State is predicated of love, of life, of wisdom, of affec
tions, of joys ; and in general of good and truth, 30. There ai e
two states of thought with man, external and internal ; man
in the external state is in the natural world ; in the internal
he is in the spiritual world, 806. The Lord, while he was in
the world, bad two states, which are called states of exina
nition and glorification, 104. Every man who from natural
becomes spiritual, undergoes two states — a state of reforma
tion and a state of regeneration, 105, 106, 571- The state of
men in general after death, 28). The state of the nations
and people in the other life. 795. The state of those who
will come into the Lord's New Church, 354.
Statue (the) seen by Nebuchadnezzar in a dream repre
sented the four Churches which succeeded each other, 788.
Statutes (all the), which concerned worship and life
among the Israelites, were correspondences, 201.
Stealing.— See Theft. -
Stock. — Man would fall down dead as a stock, without a
bond with the spiritual world ; that is, if angels and spirits
should withdraw from him, 118. See Spirit.
Storge. — A love implanted in every one for his chil
dren is called storge, 431, 304. Storge exists with the
bad equally as with the good, aud sometimes it is stronger
with the bad, 431. It exists also with beasts and birds, 431.
Strabism is compared with purblind faith, which is a faith
in any other god than in the true, aud with Christians, than
,in the Lord God the Saviour, 346.
Style (the) ofthe Word seems foreign, 189 ; nevertheless
the style ofthe Word is the very divine Btyle, with which no
other style, however sublime and excellent it appears, can
be compared, 191. Although it appears ordinary, it still
conceals within itself the divine wisdom, and all angelic
wisdom, 194. It is such that there is holiness in every sen
tence and in every word, yea, iu some instances, in the very
letters, 191. The Word in heaven is written in a spiritual
style, which differs entirely from tbe natural style, 241.
Subjection. — Admirable subjection of all hell under
heaven, of evil under good, and ofthe false under truth, 713.

608

SUN

INDEX.

TAB

Subjugation of the Hells, 115, 116 ; illustrated hy va
rious comparisons, 117.
Subordination ofthe three universal loves; 395, 403-405.
Subsistence is perpetual existence, 35, 46, 224.
Substance and Form. — God is substance itself and form
itself, the only substance and the only form, and thus the
first substance and the first form, 20, 28, 37, 76. He is sub
stance itself, because all things which Bubsist existed and
exist from him ; and form itself, because every quality of
substances arose and arises from him, and quality is derived
from no other source than from form, 53. Every substance
is a form, and the quality of the form is its state, the perfec
tion or imperfection of whieh results from order, 52. Sub
stance, unless it be a form, is an ideal entity, 20. That which
has no form, because it has no quality, jb in itself nothing,
21. Unless spiritual substances weie together with material
substances, no seed could be impregnated from the inmost
parts, and thence grow wonderfully, without any deviation,
from the first stamen even to the fruit and to new seeds, 470.
In the created universe there is no substance which does not
tend to an equilibrium that it may be in freedom, 496. Ma
terial things derive their origin from substantial things, 694.
God first made his infinity finite by substances emitted from
himself, from which exists his proximate encompassing
sphere, which makes the sun of the spiritual world ; and at
ter wards, by means of that sun, he perfected other encom
passing spheres, even to the last, which consists of things
quiescent ; and thus, by meaus of degrees, he made the world
finite more and more, 33.
Substantial (the) is the primitive of the material, 79 ; it
differs from the material as the spiritual from the natural, or
as the prior from the posterior, 79. In the spiritual world
all things are substantial and not material, whence it is that
in the spiritual world are all the things which are in the
natural world, aud many more besides, 694, 24, 75. As
there is substantial extense in heaven, the angels dwell as
separately and distinctly from each other, yea, more dis
tinctly, than men, who have a material extense, 29. Spirits
and angels are substantial and not material, 280; they are
in a substantial body, and men in a material body, in which
there ifi a substantial body, 79, 793, 798. Man lives as a
man, after death, with this difference, that then he lives as a
substantial mail and not. as a material man, as before, 846.
A substantial man sees a substantial man as clearly us a
material man sees a material man ; but a substantial man
cannot see a material man, nor a material man a substantial
man, on account of the difference between material and sub
stantial, 793, 79, 846. Life is in every substantial and mate
rial part of man, although it does not mingle itself with
them, 30.
Sun (the natural), which is pure fire, is from the sun ot
heaven, which is Divine Love, 35, 41. The sun ofthe world
consists of created substances, the activity of which pro
duces fire, 472. The heat and light which proceed from this
sun are the two essentials and the two universals, by which
all and every thing exists and subsists on earth, 37, 308. All
things which exist by means of this sun are material, and
are called natural, 75. This heat and this light have nothing
of life in them, but they serve the heat and light of the spir
itual sun for receptacles, as instrumental causes serve their
principals, 360. In order that the Lord might operate in ani
mate things us he operates in spiritual things, he created
this Bun, 308. The sun is like a common father, and the
earth like a common mother, from whose marriage exist all
the germinations that adorn the surface of the globe, 308.
The sun ofthe world, with all its essence, which is heat and
light, flows into every tree, and into every shrub and flower,
and into every stone ¦ and every object takesits portion from
this common influx, 364.
Sun (the spiritual) is pure love proceeding from Jehovah
God, who is ih the midst of this sun, 76, 77. It is made by
the Divine itself, which immediately encompasses the Lord,
641. It is the nearest circle encompassing the Lord, ema
nating from his divine love, and at the same time from his
divine wisdom, 365. This sun is of the substance which pro
ceeds from Jehovah, the essence of which is love, 33. God
first made his infinity finite by substances emitted from him
self, from which exists his proximate encompassing sphere,
which makes the sun of the spiritual world, 33, 76. From the
sun of the spiritual world proceeds heat, which, in its es
sence, is love ; and light, which, in its essence, is wisdom
39, 63, 75, 360, 641, 661. By means of this heat and light the
universe was created, from its first to its last principles, 33.
All things which exist by means ofthe heat and light of this
sun are substantia], and are called spiritual, 75. The heat
and light from the sun of the spiritual world have life in
them ; their life is from the Lord, who is in the midst of that
sun, 360. They flow also into human minds, and vivify them
according to the quality of the form, each of which takes
from the common influx as much as is necessary, 364, 365,
641, 661. They also flow into all and every thing of the uni
verse, and affect them most intimately. 39. God is omni
present from the first to the last principles of his order, by
the heat and light of the spiritual sun, in the midst of which
he is, 63. By means of this sun order was made, and from it
he sends forth heat and light, which pervade the universe,
from the first to the last of it, and there produce life, 63. The
sun ofthe spii itual world does not appear to rise and set, nor
to revolve ; but it remains stationary in the east, in the
middle degree between the zenith and the horizon, 29. This
sun is distant from the angels, as the sun ofthe natural world
is from men, 641, 691, 837.

Soth.— The Sea oF Snph (the Bed Sea) signifies hell, 635.
Suppers which are recreations of charity, are with those
only who are in mutual love from a similar faith, 433. In
the first state of the establishment of the Christian Church,
they signified consociations and conjunctions ; for the even
ing, in which they were made, signified that state, 433. See
Feasts. Supplication is that the Lord would show mercy, give
power to resist the evils of which man has repented, andsup-
ply inclination and affection to do good, 639.
SUPIlALAPSAKIilNS, 72, 183, 486.
Swammerdam, 585.
Hweoenborg.— It has pleased the Lord to open the sight
of his spirit, and thus to let him into the spiritual world, 771,
851. It was given to him to be together with angels and
spirits in their world sb one of them, 776, 851. He has con
versed in the spiritual world with apostles, deceased popes,
emperors, and kings ; with Luther, Calvin, Melancthon, and
others, 64 ; with his relations and friends, and with the
learned, who have deceased, and this now continually for
twenty-seven years, 281, 771, 851. He could be present to
those who are in other planets of this system, and also to
those who are in the planets of other systems, out of this so
lar system, 64. He was at the same time in the natural and
in the spiritual world, 280, 851. It has often been given
him to see the spirits of persons still living, some in angelic
societies, and some in infernal societies, and to converse
with them for several dayB, 14. He rambled through various
places in the spiritual world, in order that he might observe
the representations of heavenly things, which, in many
places, were there exhibited, 277. He was himself in the
state in which the prophets were when they saw things
which existed in the spiritual world; with this diffeience,
that he was in the spirit and at the same time in the body,
and only a few times out of the body, 157. The Lord has
disclosed to him the spiritual sense of his Word, in which
divine truth is in its light, 780. The Lord had prepared him
for this office from his earliest youth, 850. Swedenborg,
from his infaucy, had not been able to admit into his mind
any other idea than that ef one God, 16. He had meditated
on creation for a long time, but to no purpose, before he was
admitted by the Lord into the spiritual world, 76. Danger
ous state into which he once fell, while thinking what God
was from eternity, and what he did before the world was cre
ated, 31, 280. As he had very often thought that tbe wisdom
of man is so very little, and acknowledged it from science,
and then Trom perception, and at last from interior light, it
was given him to see the Temple of Wisdom in the spirit
ual world, 387. Once he was suddenly seized with a disease
almost mortal, and lay in his bed three days and a half, be
cause of a pestilential smoke sent upon him from the Jerusa
lem which is called Sodom and Egypt (Rev. xi. 8) ; this
happened to him while he was explaining the eleventh
chapter of Revelation, 567. While he read through the
Word, from the first chapter of Isaiah even to the last of
Malachi, and the Psalms of David, and kept the thought in
their spiritual sense, it was given him to perceive clearly
that every verse communicated with some society of heaven,
272, 235. The twelve apostles were sent to him by the
Lord, while be was writing on the subject of faith in the
Lord God the Saviour, 339. The angels declared to him
that before he explained to them the differences between
the spiritual and the natural they did not know them, be
cause no opportunity of comparison had been before given
with any man who was in both worlds at the same lime;
and that those differences cannot be known without com
parison and relation, 280. He testifies that the Lord hag
manifested Himself before him, and that since his admis
sion into the spiritual world he has not received any thing
which pertainB to the doctrines of the New Church from
any angel, but from the Lord alone, while he was read
ing the Word, 779. He asserts in truth that the Memorable
Relations after the chapters, in this work, are not inventions
of the imagination, but were truly seen and heard ; not Been
aud heard in any state of the mind buried in sleep, but in a
state of full wakefulness, 851. It was enjoined upon him by
the Lord to promulgate some of the things seerRfcnd heard,
both concerning heaven and hell, and concerning the Last
Judgment, and also to explain the Apocalypse, 771.
Sword (the) ofthe cherub, vibrating in his hand, signified
that the sense of the letter of the Word may be turned
hither and thither, provided this is done in application to
some truth, 508.
Sympathy is effected reciprocally and mutually by the ac
cession of one to another, 99. Sympathies do not derive
their origin from any other source than from the universal
sphere of Divine Love, 44. In the spiritual world there is
exhaled from every one the sphere of his love, which
spreads itself round about, and affects, and causes sympa
thies and antipathies ; by these spheres the good are sepa
rated from the evil, 331. See Antipathies.
Synod of Dort, — Predestination was there strongly estab
lished, 486, 759. See Predestination.
Synonyms.— There are very frequently two expressions
met with in the Word, which appear like synonymous ex
pressions, when yet they are not so ; one is used of good or
evil, and the other ofthe true or the false, 250.
System (theological).— The whole theological system of
the Church, at the present day, depends upon the imputation
ofthe merit of Christ. 268. See Imputation.
Tabeknacle (the) constructed by Moses in the desert rep
resented heaven and the Church, 220. The holiness of this

THE

INDEX.

TBI

609*

tabernacle was entirely from the law which was in the
ark, 283. The tabernacle represented, particularly, the
heaven in which are the celestial angels, and the temple the
heaven in whieh are the spiritual angels, 221: 187. See
Temple. TablB (the) upon which was the bread of faces in the
tabernacle, represented and signified the holy things of
heaven and the Church, 220.
Tables of the Law.— There were two tables, one for God
and .the other for man, 285, 287, 456. These two tables in
the hand of Moses made one, on the right side of which it
was written concerning God, and on the left side, concerning
man, 456. These tables were thus united that they might
represent the conjunction of God with men, and the recipro
cal conjunction of men with God, 456. See Decalogue,
Commandments. Ta&jSs, in Matt, xiii., signify the falses and evils of the
former Church, 784.
Tartary.— The ancient Word, which had been in Asia
before the Israelitish "Word, is still preserved with the people
who live in Great Tartary, 279, 266. Situation of the people
of Great Tartary in the Bpiritual world, 279. See Ancient
Word. Teach (to).— The Lord teaches every one by the Word,
and he teaches him from those knowledges which are with
man, and does not infuse immediately new ones, 208.
Teacher. — In the spiritual sense it is not lawful to call
any one teacher, but in the natural Bense it is lawful, 226.
Teeth. — Reasoning from the fallacies of the senses corre
sponds to teeth, 402. Gnashing of teeth signifies collisions
of falses among themselves, and also of the false and the
true, 402.
Temple (a) is called holy, not from itself, but from the di
vine which is there taught, 660. A temple is to be conse
crated, 126. Ho* man becomes a temple of God, 374. The
temple of Jerusalem represented heaven and the Church,
but more especially the heaven in which are the spiritual
angels, 221. See Tabernacle. In the supreme sense it
signifies the Divine Human of the Lord, 221. Its interiors
represented the interiors of heaven and the Church, and its
exteriors represented their exteriors, 221. By temple — Matt.
xxiv. 2— is meant not only the temple of Jerusalem, but also
the Church, 174. Temples in the heavens, 750. Temples in
the world of spirits, 134. Description of a magnificent tem
ple, signifying the New Church, 508.
Temptation is the combat between the spirit and the flesh,
666. When temptation is spiritual it derives its sourcefrom'
conscience, but if it is natural it derives its origin from cer
tain diseases, 666. Spiritual temptation is the combat which,
with the regenerate, arises from a dissension of the old and
new will, 596. This temptation or combat is not waged be
tween goods and evils, but between the truths of good and
the falses of evil; why? 596. Man feels that combat no
otherwise than in himself, and aB remorse of conscience ; but
yet it is the Lord and the devil— that is, hell— that fight in
man, and they fight for dominion over man, or which shall
possess him, 596. Nevertheless, man should fight altogether
as from himself, for he is in free agency to act for the Lord,
and also to act for the devil ; he is for the Lord, if he re
mains in truths from good, and for the devil, if in falses from
evil, 596. No one has been admitted into any spiritual
temptation for ages, even from the age when, the Niceue
Bynod introduced the faith of three Gods ; for if any one had
been admitted he wonld have fallen immediately, 597- By
temptations in man the conjunction, of heaven and the world
is effected, 598. In temptations man, to appearance, is left
to himself alone, although he is not left, for God is then
most really present in the inmost of him, and supports him,
126. When any one conquers in temptation he is most inti
mately conjoined to God, 126. The Lord, by the temptations
admitted into his Human, and by the last, which was the pas
sion of the cross, was intimately united to God, his Father,
126. Ten signifies all things, 286.
Testament.— What makes the distinction between the Old
and New Testament is, that in the New, dilection or charity
was taught by the Lord, 409.
Testimony. — Why the decalogue is called testimony, 285,
323, 456. Iu the Word, testimony signifies the confirmation
and attestation ofthe articles of the covenant, 285 : covenant
signifies conjunction, and testimony, a life according to the
conditions of the covenant, 456. The testimony of Jesus —
Rev. xix. 10— signifies confession from faith in him, 149.
To testify or to render testimony means, in the celestial
sense, to speak the truth ; and by testimony is meant truth
Itself, 323. To bear false witness ; see Commandments.
Theft or Stealing.— The commandment not to steal ex
tends itself to all impostureB, illegitimate gains, usuries, and
exactions ; and also to fraudulent practices in paying duties
and taxes, and in discharging debts, 317- What theft signi
fies in the spiritual and celestial sense; see Command
ments. Themis, 159.
Theological.— With those who love truths because they
are truths, theological truths rise up, even into the highest
region ofthe mind; moral, political, and scientific things
: place themselves below, 186, 482- With others theological
things in the mind are put below scientific, political, civil,
and moral things ; these make use of them for reputation or
lucre, sayiog in heart, that theological things are specious
snares for catching doves, 147. , , ,
Theology.— Without truths there is no theology, and

where there is no theology there is no Church, 619, 620. The-
acknowledgment of God, from a knowledge of him, is the
very essence and soul of all things in universal theology, 5.
From the idea; at the present day, concerning God and re
demption, all theology has, from spiritual, become' to the
lowest degree natural, 133. The imputative faith of the
merit of Christ is the head ofthe theology ot the present day,
644, 181. If this faith were taken away, all the other dog
mas would fall to pieces, 644. See Imputation.
Thieves. — Those who confirm falses of every kind, esteem
ing the truth of no valne, and who discharge the office of
priest only for the sake of gain and honor, are spiritual
thieves, 320, 318.
Think (to) spiritually is to think without time and space ;
and to think naturally is to think with time and space,
280. To think without the understanding is to see without
the eye, 165\ Man thinks altogether1 as from himself, when,
nevertheless, he thinks from God, 507.
Thorax, 371.
Thorns and Thistles— Gen. iii. 5-8— signify all evil and
the false thence, 498.
Thought comes from perception, and perception comes
from^ affection, 231, 386- There is not given the least of
thought but from the influent delight of the will, 570:
Thought is the man only in the degree and manner in which'
it is adjoined to the will, 347. Every thought of the under
standing is in space without space and in time without time,
64. The thought of the understanding ought to lead the
will, 160. Where there is no thought there is no idea, 335.
There are two states of thought with man, external and in
ternal ; these states make one with the good, but not one
with the evil, 806. Thus there are with man external
thought and internal thought, 111. Man can speak from in
ternal thought, and at the same time from external thought,
and he can speak from external thought and not from inter
nal, yea, contrary to the internal, 111. The internal thought
of man is called perception, 603. Man can think and con
clude in a moment or two what he cannot by the lower
thought express in the space of an hour, 603. Thought con
firmed from appearances is a fallacy, 46L Thought is a pu
rificatory and an excretory of the evils inherited from pa
rents ; wherefore, if the evils which man thinks were
imputed, reformation and regeneration could not be effected,
659. Spiritual thoughts are the beginnings and origins of
natural thoughts; they are thoughts of thoughts, and by
them are expressed qualities of qualities and affections of
affections, 280. See Idea.
' Three signifies what is complete and perfect, and also all
together, 211, 387. This number is mentioned where a work
finished and perfected is treated of, 211.
Thummim.— See Urim and Thummim.
Thunder (clap of) ; correspondence of a spiritual combat
between truths and falses, 77.
Tigers represent cupidities of diabolical love, 45.
Time. — See Space and Time. Times, in the- spiritual
world, are not distinguished into days, weeks, months, and
years, because the sun there does not appear to rise and set,
nor to revolve, but it remains stationary, 29. See Sun (spir
itual). To-Day — Psalm ii. 7— signifies not from eternity, but in
time, 101.
Torch (the) of the Word is doctrine, 227, 228.
Tower (the) builtin the land of Shinar, signifies the attack
ofthe heavens by the hells, 121.
Transfiguration (the) ofthe Lord, before Peter, James,
and John, represented the Word In its glory, 222. The three
disciples were then in the spirit, 157. What the Lord was,
as the Word in ultimates, he showed to the disciples when
he was transfigured, 261.
Treason (the) of Judas signifies that the Lord was be
trayed by the Jewish nation, with whom waB then the Word,
130. Tree.— Tree signifies man, 48, 468. The tree, as to its
seed, corresponds to the will of man ; as to its branches and
leaves, to the understanding ; as to its fruits, to good works,
374. All things which belong to a tree correspond to truths,
and the fruit to good, 106. Man is like a tree, 41, 106, 374,
585.— The Tree of Life signifies man living from God, 48 ;
signifies the Lord in man and man in the Lord, 466 ; signifies
the faith that intelligence and wisdom come from God,
663. To eat of this tree is to have eternal life, 48. The way
ofthe tree of life signifies entrance to the Lord, which men
have through the truths of: the spiritual sense of the Word,
260.— The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil signifies
man believing that he lives from himself, 48 ; signifies man
not in the Lord, but in his proprium, 466 ; signifies the faith
that intelligence and wisdom corne from man, 663. To eat
of this tree signifies to appropriate evil, 466 ; signifies to
receive damnation, 48. Those who speak falses from deceit
or purpose, and pronounce them with a pretended sound of
spiritual affection, and especially if they intermingle truths
from the Word, whioh they thus falsify, have been called ser
pents of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 324 ; also
those.who reasoned from sensual things alone, and against
the genuine truths of the Word, and thence of the Church,
402, 565. Those two trees, one for life and the other for
death, represented man's free agency in spiritual things,
469, 489.
Triarchy.— The Trinity which the present Christian
Church has embraced, can be conceived by human minds in
no other way than as a triarchy, 171.
Trine.— In every complete thing there is a trine, which

610

TETJ

INDEX.

UNI

is called first, middle, and last, and also end, cause, and
effect, 210, 387. There are three things, which, as one, flow
from the Lord into the souls of the angels ; these three
things, or this trine, are love, wisdom, and use, 744.
Trinity.— There is a Divine Trinity, which is tbe Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, 164, 165. These three, the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, are the three essentials of one God,
which make one, as the soul, body, and operation in man,
166-169, 172. A Divine Trinity is in the Lord God Jesus
Christ, 3, 92, 139, 170, 188, 628, 751, 786. In him the Father
is the Divine itself, the Son the Divine Human, and the
Holy Spirit the proceeding Divine, 92, 188. These three es
sentials are one in the Lord, 139, 166. They are in him as
the soul, body, and proceeding in man, 4. This TriDity was
not before the world was created, but after tbe world was
created ; when God became incarnate it was provided and
made ; and it was made in the Lord God the Redeemer, 170,
171. A trinity of divine persons from eternity, or before the
world was created, is, in the ideas of thought, a trinity of
Gods, and this cannot he abolished by tbe oral confession of
one God, 172, 173. The confession of a trinity of divine per
sons is destructive of all rational thought concerning God,
4, 23, 110, 141, 173. A trinity of persona involves necessarily
the idea of three Gods, 17, 168, 170, 171, 173, 184. The truth
is, that a division of God into three persons, each of which,
singly, is God, leads to the denial of God, 15. A trinity of
persons was unknown in the Apostolic Church, but it was
first broached by the Nicene Council, and was thence intro
duced into the Roman Catholic Church, and from this into
the Churches separated from it, 174-176. From the Nicene
and Athanasian trinity together a faith arose which has per
verted the whole Christian Church, 177, 178. The Synod of
Nice introduced three divine persons from eternity, because
they did not rightly search the Word, and thence did not
find any other asylum against the Arians ; afterwards they
brought together into one God those three persons, because
they were afraid of being censured and reproached by every
rational religious man for a faith of three Gods, 633. At
this day human reason is bound, as to the Divine Trinity,
like a man bound with manacles and fetters in prison, when
yet the Divine Trinity ought to shine like a lamp in the
minds of the men of the Church, since God, in his Trinity
and in its Unity, is all, in all the sanctities of heaven and
the Church, 169. The Divine Trinity of Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit cannot be understood, unless man goes to the
Lord God the Saviour, and reads the Word under his auspi
ces, 165. The Divine Trinity is like a pearl of the greatest
value ; but when divided into three persons it is like a pearl
divided into three parts, whence it entirely loses its value,
184. From the doctrine of three divine persons, each of
whom singly is God, many absurd and heterogeneous ideas
concerning God have arisen, which are fantasies and abor
tions, 183, 184. Those who confirm themselves in that error,
that there are three divine persons actually existing from
eternity, become more and more natural and corporeal, and
then they cannot comprehend, internally, any divine truth,
296. Triplicity. — In every created thing there is a triplicity,
147. True (the) or Truth (verum). — All that proceeds from wis
dom is called truth, 38. It is supposed that truth is onlylike
breath from the mouth, or sound in the ear ; when yet truth
and good are the constituent principles of all things in the
spiritual and natural worlds, and they are the things by
which the universe was created, and by which the universe
is preserved, 224. Truth itself, which in itself is truth, can
not be known and acknowledged by the merely natural
man, nor can it he given to him by God, because it falls into
what is inverted, and becomes false, 754. The receptacle of
truth is the understanding, 87. There is no truth which
does not derive its quality from the bosom of good, 163.
Truth without good is not truth in spirit, and good without
truth is not good in spirit ; thus the one makes the other,
460. Truths flow in by hearing, and so are implanted iu the
mind, and man, by these, is disposed for receiving the influx
from God through the soul, 8. When the Church or the
man ofthe Church is in truths, the Lord flows in with good
into his truths and vivifies them, 249. Truths send forth
light from themselves, for the sun from which the light of
truths flows is the Lord in the spiritual world, 620, 618. No
one is in truths unless he approaches directly the Lord, 597.
Without truths there is no knowledge of the Lord, no faith,
no charity, thus no theology ; aud where there is no theology
there is no Church, 619. The truths of the sense of the letter
ofthe Word, as to a part, are not naked truths, but they are
appearances of truth, 216. Truths, applied to confirm a false
doctrine, become falsified truths, 162. Truths are not only
covered by falses, but even obliterated and rejected, 146.
See Truths, Good and Truth, Divine Good and Divine
Truth. Truth (Veritas). —The truth of wisdom in heaven is light,
385. Every truth in the Word and from the Word gives
light, 349. Truth shining is faith in essence, 353. Truth
cannot be broken and bisected so that a part of it may look
to the left hand and a part to the right, and remain truth,
379. Truths open the understanding, 508. All the words of
the Lord are truths, 347, 349. Truths should be taken from
the Word, 347- All the truths of the Word are so many
mirrors of the Lord, 508. Truths teach not only that we
should believe, but also in whom we should believe, and
what we should believe, 347. When man learns truths from
the Word he comes into communion and consociation with

the angels, 347. Truths do not actually live before they are
in deeds ; truths abstracted from deeds are of the thought
alone, 347. Truths are the essentials of faith, 347- A co
pious store of truths, cohering, as iu a bundle, exalts and
perfects faith, 349-354. The innumerable truths of faith
make one body, 379. The truths of faith, however numerous
they are, and however different they appear, make one from
the Lord, 354. They not only illuminate charity, but they
also qualify it, and moreover nourish it, 377- He who goes
to the Lord and worships him alone comes into the power of
knowing all truths, 354. Every man, whose-soul desires it,
can see the truths of the Word in light, 621. See True.
Turban.— In the spiritual world those who are not intel
ligent wear turbans, because they are bald, 74. See Baldness.
Turtles represent those of the clergy who separate en
tirely faith from charity and good works, 462.
Twelve signifies all the things of trnth from good, 217,
218. Tyre and Sidon signify the knowledges of truth and
good, 200. Tyre signifies the Chnrch as to the knowledges
of trnth and good, by which there is wisdom, 467, 219, 260.
The King of Tyre signifies the Word where are tbeBe knowl
edges, and whence they are, 260.
Ulcers signify interior evils and falses, which destroy
good and truth in the Church, 635.
Unanimity, because it is the agreeme-t of several, and at
the same time of each one from himself, and by himself, does
not agree with the unity of God, but with a plurality of Gods,
25. Understanding. — The understanding of man comes from
the light ofthe spiritual sun, 35. It is one ofthe two essen
tials of man ; it is the receptacle and habitation of his intel
ligence, 778. It is the receptacle of wisdom and of faith, 37i
362. There is in man a higher aud a lower understanding,
815. The faith of God enters into the understanding by a
prior way, and knowledges by a posterior way ; there is a
meeting of the influxes in its middle, and natural faith be
comes there spiritual ; thus the human understanding is like
a refining vessel, in which the change is effected, 11. The
understanding itself, in its essence, is the perception of what
is good and true and just and right, in civil things, 482. The
understanding has not any authority over the will, 255. It
is subject to the will, for it only teaches and shows what is
to be done from the will, 273. The understanding can be
elevated above the lusts of the will, and not only see them,
but also moderate them, 574. It may rise almost into the
light in which the angels of heaven are, 602. The Church
is such with man as is his understanding of the Word, 243-
247. The understanding, when kept under obedience to
faith, and thus shut np by religion, is as blind as a mole,
623. See Will.
Union. — No union or conjunction between two is given,
unless one mutually accedes to tbe other, 99. The union of
the Father and the Son in the Lord was made by acts of re
demption, 97, 98. This union is the glorification, 98, 104. It
is like that of the soul and body, 98. The union of the Hu
man with the Divine was done successively, and was fully
completed by the passion ofthe cross, 126, 128.
Unity of "God, 1-15. It is most intimately inscribed on
the mind of every man, since it is in the midst of all things
which flow into the soul of man from God, 24. By the divi
sion of the unity of God, true faith is broken to pieces, 379.
Every thing which is divided, unless it depend upon one,
fulls of itself to pieces, 10.
Universal. — The several parts, taken together, are called
a universal, as the particulars, taken together, are called
a general, 60. A universal, with all its several parts,
is a work cohering as one, so that one part cannot be
touched and affected without communicating to the rest
some sensible perception of it, 60. He who knows univer
sals can afterwards comprehend the particulars, 661. All
particulars depend upon universals, as the things contained
upon the things containing them, 711. See Singulars.
The universals of the world are perpetual types of the infin
ity of God the Creator, 32. The universals of heaven are
these three loves : the love of ruling from the love of use, the
love of possessing the goods of the world from the love of
doing uses by means of these goods, and genuine conjugial
love, 661. The universals of hell are these three loves : the
love of ruling from the love of self, the love of possessing
the goods of others from the love of the world, and scortatory
love, 661. The three universals ofthe Church are the Lord,
charity, aDd faith, 711, 712, 722. The faith of the New
Heaven and the New Church in the universal and particular
form, 2, 3.
Universal Loves. — There are three universal loves : the
love of heaven, the love of the world, and the love of self,
394, 403- These three loves are the fundamental of all other
loves, 394. These three loves are in every man, from
creation, and thence by nativity ; when they are rightly
subordinated they perfect man, and when not rightly sub- _
ordinated they pervert him, 395, 403. They are then rightly
subordinated, when the love of heavei makes the head, the
love of the world the breast and bally, and the love of self
the feet and the soles of the feet, 395, 403, 405, 507.
Universe. — By the universe are meant both worlds, the
spiritual and the natural, 76. General knowledges are neces
sary, to form to one's self a just idea of the creation of the
universe, 75. This creation described in five Memorable
Relations, 76-80. God did not create the universe out of
nothing, he created it from Divine Love by his Divine Wis
dom, 76. The universe was created by God, that uses

VIO

INDEX.

WIL

611

might exist, and it may be called a theatre of uses, 67. It
was created by the Divine Truth, and it is preserved by
this truth, 87, 224. All the laws of order, by which (t is
preserved, are truths, 87- The universe is as a theatre,
on which testimonies are continually exhibited, that there
is a God, and that He is one, 12. It could not have been
created and preserved, unless God were one, 13. It is the
work of God, and the habitation of his love and wisdom, 13.
The universe is a work cohering from first to last princi
ples, because it ib a work continent of ends, causes, and ef
fects, in an indissoluble connection, 47. God, from Himself.
introduced order into the universe, aud also into all and
every part of it, 53. All things in the universe were created
in their order, 54. In the universe, all things that are in
order refer themselves to good and truth, 398. See Creata
ble, Creation, Sun.
Urim and Thummim signify the brilliancy of divine truth
from divine good, in ultimates ; for Urim is shining fire, and
Thummim is brilliancy, in the angelic language, and integ
rity in the Hebrew language, 218.
Use is faithfully, sincerely, and diligently to perform the
works of one's function, 744. Whether it be said good or
use, it is the same, 419. Good and use are one, 646. Use is
actual love of the neighbor, 661. There does not exist in the
world a singular, in which there is not concealed more or
less remotely a use for man, either for his nourishment, or
for his clothing, 12. The whole heaven is a continent of
uses, from first to last, 661. Every angel is an angel ac
cording to the use which he doesl 694. The kingdom of the
Lord is a kingdom of uses, 736. The universe may be called
a theatre of uses, 67. To do uses is to do goods, and accord
ing to the quantity and quality of the use in goods, so far the
goods are good, 419. There is made a determination to ubcs,
according to the doctrinals as means, 374. There are three
things which, as one flow from tbe Lord into our souls ;
these three are love, wisdom, and use, 744. Love and wis
dom do not exist, except ideally, because only in the affec
tion and thought of tbe mind ; but in use really, 744, 67. The
love of use, and thence an application to uses, keep the mind
from becoming dissipated, and from wandering about, and
imbibing all the cupidities of the senses, 744. Uses are the
bonds of society, and there are as many of these bonds as
there are good uses, and uses are infinite in number, 746.
There are spiritual uses, which are of love to God and love
to the neighbor ; there are moral and civil uses, which are of
the love of the society and state in which a man is ; there
are natural uses, which are of the love of the world and
its necessities ; and there are bodily uses, which are of the
love of self-preservation for the sake of higher uses, 746.
Every love regards uses as its eod ; the love of heaven, spir
itual uses ; the love of the world, natural uses, which may be
called civil uses ; and the love of self, corporeal uses, which
also may be called domestic uses for one's self and his own,
394. Every man, whether good or bad, does uses ; but the
UBes are done either from love of self or from the love of
uses, 661. Every one who believes in tbe Lord, and shuns
evils as Bins, does uses from the Lord ; but every one who
does not believe In tbe Lord, nor shun evils as sins, does uses
from himself and for the sake of himself, 661. As far as uses
are done from the love of them, bo far that love increases,
and with the love wisdom, 661.
Valleys signify the lowest things of the Church, 200.
Variations. — The form or the recipient state produces the
variations, 366.
Variety. — There exists a variety of all things, and by va
rieties every quality exists, 763. All variableness is in the
subject, in which God is, 366. The variety of regenerations
is infinite, like that of faces and characters, 580- Variety of
minds (animi), 756. Variety of climates in the natural world
and in the spiritual world, 185.
Vastation, in the Word, signifies the consummation of
good, 755. See Consummation.
Vegetables. — The essence of every herb is innate in its
fruit or seed, 145. In trees, and in all other subjects of the
vegetable kingdom, there are not two sexes, the male and
the female, but every one there is male ; the earth alone, or
the ground, is the common mother, thus, as it were, the female,
585. The root of a tree is like the heart in an animal ; the
leaves are in the place of lungs ; the flowers which precede
the fruit are the means of decanting the Juice, its blood ; and
the fruit may be compared to a testicle in which the seeds are
perfected, 585. The vegetative soul, whieh reigns most in
wardly in every particle of the juice, or its prolific essence,
is from no other source than from the heat of the spiritual
world, which does not breathe after any thing else than gen
eration, 585. How animals and vegetables of every kind
were produced by God, 78. Wonderful things in the pro
duction of vegetables, 12.
Vegetation does not take place without the light of the
Bun, 620. From theinflux of the celestial sphere into the natu
ral world, exist those wonderful progressions of vegetation
from seed to the fruit, and to new seeds, 308. See Sphere.
Veils (the) of the Tabernacle signify the ultimates of the
Word, 220.
Vein of attraction from the Lord, 350, 652. In the affection
ofthe will of every angel there is a certain latent vein which
draws his mind to do something, 735.
Venus, 17, 159.
Verse (every) ofthe Word communicates with some soci
ety of heaven, 272, 235.
Victory (after) in temptations, God takes away grief from
the soul, 126.

Vine (the) signifies the spiritual good and truth of the
Church, 200 : Bignifies truth from the good of love, 205. The
fruit of the vine (Matt. xxv. 29), signifies the truth ofthe New
Church and of heaven, 708.
Virgins signify the affections of truth, 205 ; signify the
Church, 748. The ten virgins (Matt. xxiv. 1-12), signify those
who are of the Church ; the prudent virgins, those who under
stand and do ; and the foolish virgins, those who only under
stand and do not, 719.
Virtue (the) of the Most High, signifies the Divine Good,
88 ; and also the Divine Truth proceeding from Jehovah, 140,
838. The Divine Virtue and Operation are meant by tbe
Holy Spirit, 142, 146. Virtues which tbe Lord operates in
those who believe in Him, and accommodate and dispose
themselves for bis reception and habitation, 142. Moral vir
tues, 443, 745.
Viscera, 154. See Series, Society.
Visible. — The invisible God came into the world, and as
sumed the Human, in order to become visible, and thus ac
cessible, and capable of being conjoined, 159, 188, 538, 647,
786. The New Church will worship one visible God, in whom
is the invisible God, 787-
Vision. — Wherein consisted the state called, in the Word,
vision of God, 157- Preposterous vision, 839.
Vivification. — It is operated by the Lord with those who
believe in Him, and accommodate and dispose themselves
for his reception and habitation, 142,
Vowels (the) which serve for sound, signify something of
affection or of love, 19. In the third heaven the angels can
not utter the vowels i and e ; they replace them by y and eu
instead ; but they use the vowels a, o, and u, because they
give a full sound, 278.
Wakefulness.— In the Word, spiritual life is compared to
wakefulness, 606. See Sleep.
Wars (the) of Jehovah signified the combats of the Lord
with the hells, and victories over them, when He was to come
into the world, 265. The Wars of Jehovah was the name of
one of the books of tbe ancient Word, 279.
Washing, Spiritual, is purification from evils and falses,
670-673. Among_ the children of Israel natural washings
represented and signified this purification, 670-673.
Water signifies truth in the natural or external man,
144, 572. Living water signifies the truth of the Word, 190.
Waters in the spiritual world are correspondences, 567-
Way (the) of the tree of life, signifies entrance to the Lord,
by the truths of the spiritual sense of the Word, 260. Ways
in the spiritual world, 621, 622. A paved way in the North,
through which all pass who depart from the natural world,
160. Weddings in the heavens, 747, 748.
Weddings, in tbe Word, signify the marriage of the Lord
with heaven and the Church, by the good of love and the
truth of faith, 199. Wedding garment (Matt. xxii. 11-13),
signifies faith in the Lord as the Son of God, the God of
heaven and earth, and one with the Father, 380. Wedding
in heaven, 746, 749. See Marriage.
Well (to do). — To do well from willing well constitutes
good works, 374.
West (the) signifies evil, 476.
Wheat (the) (Matt. xiii. 29, 30), signifies the truths and
goods of the New Church, 784.
Whoredom signifies falsification of the understanding of
the Word, that is, of its genuine truth, 247.
Observation. — By scortation or whoredom is meant every
impurity opposed to conjugial love. See C. L., 425.
Wicked or Bad. — He is a bad man whose will is bad, and
still worBe if his understanding favors his will, 601. The bad
stop up the way and shut the door by their lusts, that God
may not enter into the lower parts of their mind, 366.
Widows Bignify those who are without truths, and yet de
sire them, 427.
Wife (the) signifies the truth of faith, 377- The wife of the
Lamb is the New Church, and not the former Church, 307.
A chaste wife signifies the conjunction of good and truth.
Will (the), viewed in itself, is no other than the affection
of some love, 570. Will or endeavor is in itself an act, be
cause it is a continual striving to act, which becomes, by de
termination, an act in externals, 387- The intentions of the
will must be examined, because love resides in the will, 533.
The will of man is twofold, interior and exterior, or of the
internal and the external man, 493. The internal will is the
man himself, for there is the esse and the essence of his life,
493. The will of man inclines to evils of every kind, and the
thought thence to falses or every kind, 593. Thought is im
puted to no one, but will, 658-660. Will is the essential, and
thought is the formal, and no one can impute to the formal
only what it derives from the essential, consequently we im
pute to the latter and not to the former, 600. In the spiritual
world, no one can do any thing againBt his will ; why? 56.
How the corporeal will is formed by man, 593. It is the will
of the Lord that man should exercise charity according to
the truths of faith, 725.
Will and Understanding.— The will with man is the
very esse of his life, and the understanding Ihe exi-tere of
life thence, 397. The will and the understanding are the two
universals, by which human minds exist and subsist, 37.
When the will and the understanding are one, they are called
the mind, 397. The will is the receptacle of love or ot divine
good, and also of charity.; and the understanding is Hib re
ceptacle of wisdom or of divine truth, and also of faith, 37,
224, 263, 362, 397, 658, 712, 778. The love of the will dwells
in the cerebellum, and the thought of the understanding in

612

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the cerebrum, 160. The will is the house itself, in which
man dwells ; and the understanding is the entry, through
which he goes out and comes in, 533. All things in man re
fer themselves to the will and the understanding, 224, 397,
658. The will and the understanding make the spirit of man,
for there reside his wisdom and his intelligence, and also his
love and his charity, and, in general, his life, 397. The un
derstanding is the place where intelligence and wisdom ger
minate, and the will is the place where they bear fruit, 32.
The will forms itself in the understanding, and thus comes
forth into the light, 658. The will impels the understanding
to think, 570. To thiuk is the part of the understanding, and
ofthe will to do, 151, 273. The will is the man himself, and
it disposes the understanding according to its pleasure, 255,
347, 507, 658, The understanding teaches and shows whatis to
he done from the will,-273, 658, 659. The will seeks ways and
means of arriving at it* ends, which are effects, in the under
standing, and therein it puts itself into the light, 374. The
will and the understanding make one when man forms the
understanding from genuine truths,— and this is done to ap
pearance as by himself, — and when his will is filled with the
good of love,— which is done by the Lord, 249. A solitary
will does not exist, it would not produce any thing ; neither
does a solitary understanding exist, it would not produce any
thing either ; but all production is effected by both together,
and it is effected by the understanding from the will, 377. If
the will and the understanding become separated, theunder-
standing becomes nothing, and presently also the will, 367.
The will of man is his proprium, and this, from nativity, is
evil, and thence is the false in the understanding, 273, 593,
612, 658, 659. Since the will is evil by birth, and the under
standing teaches what is good, it follows that man is to be
reformed by the understanding, 587. Unless the will were
restrained by the understanding, man, left to the freedom of
his own will, would rush into wicked deeds, 588. Unless the
understanding could be perfected separately, and the will by
it, man would not be a man, but a beast, 588. In the state of
reformation the understanding acts the first part, and the will
the second ; but in the state of regeneration, the will acts the
first, and the understanding the second, 105. There is, with
the regenerated man, a new will and a new understanding,
302, 601-606, 659. Man is such as is his will, and not such as
is his understanding, since the will easily carries away the
understanding to its side, and enslaves it, 507- The under
standing, with every man, is capable of being elevated ac
cording to knowledges ; but the will, only by a life according
to the truths of the Church and of reason, 507. Free agency
resides in the will and understanding of man, 497. Whatever
man does from the freedom of the will according to the
reason of the understanding, this remains, 461. ' The will
without the understanding, is like the eye without sight ; and
both, without action, are like a mind without a body, 387.
Properties of the will and the understanding, 658.
Wine signifies the Divine Truth, 706./708.
Wisdom; see Love and Wisdom ; Divine Love and Di
vine Wisdom. — Wisdom exists only in truths : it is the com
plex of all truths, 38. Genuine wisdom is, that a man sees
from the light of heaven that what he knows, understands,
and comprehends is as little, comparatively, as a drop of water
to the ocean, 387. As far as man lives according to divine
order, so far he is in wisdom concerning the good and true
from the divine omniscience, 69. Man cannot be interiorly in
any truth of wisdom unless from God, because God is omni
science, that is, inGnite wisdom, 69. As far as the human
mind Is elevated to the higher degrees, so far it is elevated
into wisdom, because so far it is in the light of heaven, 69, 565.
Spiritual wisdom is the wisdom of wisdom, thus inexpressible
to any wise man in this world, 280. The wisdom of the ce
lestial angels exceeds the wisdom of the spiritual, almost as
much as the wisdom of these angels exceeds the wisdom of
men, 242, 280. Wisdom increases with the angels to eternity,
and the wiser they become, the more clearly they see that
wisdom is without end, 290 AU angelic wisdom is from the
Word, which is an abyss of truths, 350. Wisdom is from no
other source than from divine truths, analytically divided
into forms, by moans of the light flowing in from the Lord,
350. If thought is not elevated above the senses, man has
little wisdom, 565. With every sound man there is a faculty
of receiving ihe wisdom proceeding from the Lord, that is,
of multiplying the truths from which it is, to eternity, 718.
This perpetual multiplication of truth, and thence of wis
dom, is given with the angels, and with men, 718. Man,
when first created, was imbued with wisdom and its love,
not for the sake of himself, but for the sake of the communi
cation of it with others from himself, 746 The seat of wis
dom is in use, 746. Where the good of love is, there wisdom
resides at the same time ; but where truths are, there resides
no more of wisdom, than there does at tho same time of the
good of love, 242.
Wise Men.— With the ancients, those who knew the
correspondences of the Ancient Word were called wise and
intelligent, and afterwards diviners and magi, 279, 203, 205.
Whence the wise ancients concluded the four ages of the
world, 7*>2. Of some iu the spiritual world, 692. Wise men
of ancient times In a society of heaven, 695.
Wolf, 335, 696.
Wolves represent cupidities of diabolical love, 45.
Wosdkiw, 209, 236. 241, 380, 381, 385, 535, 567, 615, 767.
WintDS. — In the Word, every single word is the continent
and support of spiritual and celestial things, 226.
Word, see Sacrrd Scripture.— The Word is Divine
Truth itself, 85, 189-192; for it was dictated by Jehovah

himself, 85, 190. It contains Divine Wisdom and Divine
Life, 191. It, is the crown of revelations, IL As it passed
through the heavens, even into the world, it became ac
commodated to the angels in heaven, and also to men in
the world, 85, 193, 195. God, in the Word, spoke accord
ing to appearances, 135. The Word could not be written
otherwise than by representatives, which are such things in
the world as correspond to heavenly things, and thence sig
nify them, 275. There is infinity in every part of the Word :
that is, it contains innumerable things, which not even the
angels can draw out, 290, 350. There is in the Word a spir
itual sense, in which Divine Truth is in the light; and a
natural sense, in which Divine Truth is in the shade, 85. This
spiritual sense has been hitherto unknown, 193. The spirit
ual sense is not that which shines forth from the sense of the
letter of the Word, when any one searches and explains the
Word in order to confirm any tenet of the Church : this sense
may be called the literal and ecclesiastical sense of the
Word ; but if the spiritual sense does not appear in the sense
of the letter, it is inwardly in it, as the soul in the body, 194.
By the spiritual sense the Word communicates with the
heavens, 194, 272. It is in all and every part of the Word,
196-198. Tbe natural sense of the Word is turned into the
spiritual by correspondences, in heaven, 698; for the Word
is written by mere correspondences, 194, 201. It is fiom the
spiritual sense that the Word is divinely inspired, and holy
in every expression, 200, 846. The style of the Word is such
that there is holiness in every sentence, and in every word.
yea, in some instances in the very letters, 191, 241; thence
the Word conjoins man to the Lord, and openB heaven, 191.
The Word is natural in its ultimate sense, spiritual in its in
terior sense, celestial in its inmost sense, and Divine in everv
sense, 195, 217, 289, 777- The sense of the letter of the Word
is the basis, the continent, and firmament of its spiritual and
celestial senses, 210-213. The Word, without the sense of its
letter, would be like a palace without a foundation, thus like
a palace in the air, and not upon the earth, which wouhl be
only the shadow of a palace, that would vanish away, 213.
By the sense of the letter of the Word there is conjunction
with the Lord, and consociation with the angels, 234-239,
267, 268, 272, 846. The Word, in the letter, mentions only
such things as are external, yea, such as are the most exter
nal things of worship ; but spiritual things, which are inter
nal, are meant by them, 427. The Word, without doctrine,
is not understood, 226-228. Doctrine should be derived from
the sense of the letter of the Word, and confirmed by it, 229.
The Word is in all the heavens, and thence is angelic wis
dom, 240-242. Tbe Word in heaven is written In a spiritual
style, which differs entirely from a natural style ; but as to
the literal sense it is similar, and at the same time correspond
ing to our sense, and thus they are one, 241. The Word, in
heaven as in our world, is so written that the simple under
stand it in simplicity, and the wise in wisdom ; but this is
effected iu a different manner, 241. In the spiritual "world,
the Word, in the inmost recesses of the temples, shines be
fore the eyes of the angels like a great star, and sometimes '
like the sun ; and also from the bright radiance around it,
there appear, as it were, most beautiful rainbows, 209. If,
however, any one who is in falses looks at the Word, lying
in the holy place, there arises a thick darkness before his
eyes, and thence the Word appears to him black, and some
times, as it were, covered over with soot, 209. The Church is
from ttie Word, and is such with man as is his understand
ing of the Word, 243-247- The man who does not read the
Word under the influence of the Lord, but under the in
fluence of his own intelligence, believes himself a lynx, and
to have more eyes than Argus, when yet, interiorly, he does
not see a particle of truth, but only the false, 165. If man is
in the science of correspondences, and wishes by it to explore
the spiritual sense of. the Word from his own intelligence.
he can violate this sense, 208, 230. The truths of faith and
the goods of charity are the universals of the Word, 244.
The marriage of the Lord and the Church, and thence the
marriage ofthe good and true, is in every part of the Word ;
why? 248-253. There is everywhere in the Word a conjunc
tion of charity and faith, 372. All truths which conduce to
salvation are in the Word, 347. The Word is the covenant
itself which the Lord has made with man, and man with the
LordT for the Lord descended as the Word, that is, as the
Divine Truth, 780. The Word is the only medium by whicli
man approaches to the Lord, 142. In the Word alone there
is spirit and life, 239. The Word would not be of any use
without free agency in spiritual things, 483. Many things in
the Word are appearances of truth, in which genuine truths
lie concealed, 257. The sense of the letter of the Word is a
guard for genuine truths, whicli are concealed within lest
they should be injured, 260. The Lord, in the world, fulfilled
all things of the Word, and thereby became the Word, that
is, the T)i\ine Truth, even in ultimates, 261-263. By the
Word those also have light, who nre out of the church, and
have not the Word, 267-270. It is enough that there be a
chnrch where the Word is, although it be of few respec
tively, 267 : by that tbe Lord is present in the whole world,
for by it heaven is conjoined to the human race, 267- When
the Word with the Jewish nation was entirely falsified and
adulterated, and, as it were, made none, then it pleased the
Lord to descend from heaven, and to come as the Word, and to
fulfil it. and thereby to renew and restore It, and again to give
light to the inhabitants of the earth, 270. For a similar rea
son it has pleased the Lord now to reveal the spiritual sense
of the Word, 271. Hereafter it is lawful to enter into the mys
teries ot the Word, which has hitherto been closed up ; for its

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613

truths, one and all, are so many mirrors of the Lord, 508.
Unless there were a Word, no one would know God, heaven,
and hell, and life after death, and still less the Lord, 273-276.
Wonderful things concerning the Word from its spiritual
sense, 209. Ineffable power of the Word, 224. Why the
Lmd is called the Word, 777.
Words (the) ofthe Lord (John xv. 7), are truths, 349.
Work.— Every divine work is complete and perfect in the
ultimate, 210. In every work which proceeds from man is
the whole man, such as he is as to the mind, or such as he is
essentially, 373. Works are essentially of the will, formally
of the understanding, and actually of the body^374. Mau
ought to introduce himself into charity by good works, 71.
Good works are doing well from willing well, 374, 421.
Charity and works are distinct from each other, like will and
action, 374. Purely natural works, 726. By the works of the
law (Paul, Rom. iii. 28), are not meant the works of the law
of the Decalogue, but the works of the Mosaic law, for the
Jews, 338, 506. See Charity, Good Works, Merit.
Workman (the) and the artisan exercise charity, if they
do their works uprightly and honestly, 422.
World of spirits (the) holds the middle between heaven
and hell, 160, 281, 475, 570, 622. All the societies there, which
are innumerable, are wonderfully arranged in order, accord
ing to natural affections, good and evil ; the societies ar
ranged according to good natural affections communicate
with heaven ; aud the societies arranged according to evil
affections, with hell, 281. Different states through which
the novitiate spirits pass, before going either to heaven or to
hell, 281. The world of spirits appears to those who are there
as a great orb, 475 ; into this world evil from hell is exhaled
in all abundance ; and, on the other hand, good from heaven
flows thither in all abundance, 475. Every man, from in
fancy even to old age, changes place or situation in this
world, 476- In the East dwell those who are in good from
the Lord ; in the North, those who are in ignorance ; in the
South, those who are in intelligence ; aud in the West, those
who are in evil, 476. All who are in the world of spirits, as
to their interiors, are conjoined either with the angels of
heaven or the devils of hell, 477- Every man, after death,
comes into the world of spirits, and then is altogether similar
to himself, such as he was before ; and at his entrance he
cannot be restrained from conversing with deceased parents,
brothers, relations, and friends, 120. Since the last judgment,
which took place in the spiritual world, in the year 1757, it
is not lawful to the Roman Catholics to gather themselves
together in companies as before, nor to form to themselves
artificial heavens, as before, 818.

Worm.— Procreation of worms, 470. Wondeiful things
about the silk-worm, 12, 335, 687, 785.
Worship by sacrifices was known before the Word given
by Moses and the prophets to the Israelitish nation, 264.
Worship, before the coming of the Lord, consisted in types
and figures, which represented true worship in its just effigy,
109, 183, 201, 670, 674 ; then Jehovah God made himself visi
ble in a human form, but by means of an angel ; this human
form was representative of the Lord who was about to come
into the world, 188. The representative rites of the Church,
in process of time, began to be turned into things idolatrous,
204, 275. The most holy things of worship are Baptism and
the Holy Supper, viewed in the spiritual sense, 667. The
worship of saints js such an abomination in heaven, that if
they only hear it, they are filled with horror, 824. The wor
ship of. God in heaven, 750. The worship of the Roman
Catholics in the spiritual world, 819, 824.
Writing in heaven, 241, 278, 280. In the spiritual world,
794. Xenophon, 692.
Y. — In the third heaven the angels replace the vowel i
by y, 278.
Year.— The year commences with spring, 762. The year
1757 is the time when the Last Judgment took place in the
spiritual world, 772, 796, 818. In the year 1770 the twelve
disciples were called together by the Lord in the spiritual
world, to preach the Gospel, 791, 4, 108.
Youth.— In the world of spirits, as a youth begins to think
from his own mind, he is carried towards the south, 476.
Zeal, viewed in itself, is a violent heating of the natural
man ; if there is within the love of truth, then it i6 like the
sacred fire which flowed into the Apostles ; but if the love of
the false lies inwardly concealed, then it is like fire imprisoned
in wood, which bursts forth and burns the house, 146. Those
who have genuine charity have a zeal for what is good, and
that zeal in the external man may be seen like anger and
flaming fire, but it is extinguished and appeased as soon as'
the adversary repents, 408. With those who have no charity,
their zeal is anger and hatred, for from these their internal
is heated and inflamed, 408. With those in whom there is
the delight of good and truth, zeal is outwardly mild, smooth,
thundering, and glowing ; and inwardly is charity, grace,
and mercy, 155. With those in whom there is the delight of
evil and the false, zeal outwardly is fierce, rough, burning,
and flaming ; and inwardly it is anger, rage, and unmerci-
fulness, 155. Zeal among enthusiasts, and also among those
who are in extreme falses of doctrine, 146.
Zones in the spiritual world, 185.

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