AC 8227 - The Protection of the Divine; AC 8234 - Obedience and then Love

AC 8227

The Divine and its presence have for their sole end
the protection and salvation of the good;
and when the Divine is present with these,
and protects them against the evil,
then the evil are still more inflamed against them,
and more still against the Divine Itself,
for this latter they hate most intensely
(those who hate good, intensely hate the Divine);
consequently they make an attack upon these,
and insofar as they do this,
so far do they by virtue of the law of order
cast themselves into punishments, vastations,
damnation, and at last into hell.
From all this it can be seen
that the Divine (that is, the Lord)
does nothing but good,
and does evil to no one,
but that those who are in evil
cast themselves into such things.
This is what is signified by
"the Egyptians fled to meet the sea,"
that is, that they immersed themselves
in falsities from evil. 

As regards this matter something further shall be said.
It is believed that evils too are from the Divine,
because the Divine permits them,
and does not take them away;
and he who permits
and does not take away when he is able,
appears to will, and thus to be the cause.
But the Divine permits because it cannot prevent,
or take away;
for the Divine wills nothing but good;
and if it were to prevent and take away evils,
that is, those of punishments, vastations,
persecutions, temptations, and the like,
then it would will evil,
for then such persons could not be amended,
and evil would increase
until it had the dominion over good.
The case herein is like that
of a king who acquits the guilty:
he is the cause of the evil afterward done by them
in the kingdom;
and is also the cause
of the consequent license taken by others;
not to mention the fact
that the evil person would be confirmed in evil;
and therefore a just and good king,
though able to take away punishments,
nevertheless cannot do it,
for in this way he would not do good, but evil.
Be it known that all the punishments,
and also the temptations, in the other life,
have good as their end.

AC 8234

And the sons of Israel went on the dry
into the midst of the sea.
(Exodus 14:29)

That this signifies that those who were in
the good of truth and the truth of good
passed safely through that hell without infestation . . ..
It is said "in the good of truth and in the truth of good,"
and there is meant the spiritual church;
for those who are of this church
are first in the good of truth,
and afterward in the truth of good;
for at first they do what is good
because the truth prescribes that it ought to be done,
consequently from obedience;
but afterward they do what is good from affection.
Then they see truth from good and also do it.
From this it is evident
that before the person of the spiritual church
receives a new will from the Lord,
that is, before he has been regenerated,
he does truth from obedience;
but after he has been regenerated
he does truth from affection,
and then, to him, truth becomes good,
because it is of the will.
For to act from obedience
is to act from the intellectual part;
but to act from affection
is to act from the will part.
From this also it is
that those who do truth from obedience
are men of the external church;
but those who do it from affection
are men of the internal church.
From all this it is evident
that those who are of the spiritual church
are meant when it is said
"those who are in the good of truth
and the truth of good."