AC 3325 [3,4,5,9]
. . . within the church there are more
not being regenerated than being regenerated;
and as they who are not being regenerated
draw conclusions from the appearance,
therefore there has been a dispute
even from ancient times
as to whether the priority belongs to truth or to good.
With those who have not been regenerated,
and also with those who have not been fully regenerated,
the opinion has prevailed that truth is prior,
for as yet they have no perception of good;
and so long as anyone has no perception of good,
he is in shade or in ignorance in relation to these things.
But they who have been regenerated, being in good itself,
are able from the consequent intelligence and wisdom
to observe what good is,
and that it is from the Lord,
and that it flows in through the internal person into the
external,
and this continually,
the person being altogether unconscious of it;
and that it joins itself to the truths of doctrinal things
that are in the memory;
consequently that in itself good is prior,
although before it had not appeared so.
. . . good is the firstborn
(that is, the good of love to the Lord,
and of love toward the neighbor,
for there is no other good than that which is good from these
loves)
. . . all are called "firstborn" who are in love to the Lord
and in charity toward the neighbor,
and these were also represented in the Jewish Church by
what is firstborn, that is,
they are meant by it in the relative sense,
because the Lord is the Firstborn,
and all that are firstborn are His likenesses and images.
That the Lord as to the Divine Human is the Firstborn,
From Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness,
the Firstborn of the dead,
and the prince of the kings of the earth.
(Rev. 1:5)
In order that all that had been written
and represented concerning Him might be fulfilled,
He was likewise by birth the firstborn.
Inasmuch as the firstborn represented the Lord,
and those who are the Lord's by virtue of love to Him,
therefore the tribe of Levi was accepted instead of every
firstborn,
and this because Levi represented the Lord as to love.
"Levi" also signifies love,
for "Levi" is "adhesion" and "conjunction,"
and in the internal sense adhesion and conjunction are love.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
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