AC 3131 - truth & apparent truth

AC 3131[3]
For no truth in its earliest stages is the actual truth
but an appearance of truth.
In the course of time however it sheds the cloak of appearance
and puts on the real essence of truth.
To make this intelligible it can be illustrated by examples,
for the moment by this alone:
It is a Divine truth that the Lord is never angry,
never punishes anyone, let alone does evil to anyone,
and that from the Lord nothing but good ever comes.
Nevertheless in its earliest stages
this truth declares that the Lord is angry when someone sins,
and that the Lord therefore punishes;
indeed with some people it declares that evil comes from the Lord.
But as a person progresses from early childhood, grows up,
and matures in judgement
he casts away that which from the appearance
seemed to him to be the truth
and gradually takes up the truth itself,
which is that the Lord is never angry and does not punish,
let alone perform evil.
Accordingly it is by means of apparent truth
that a person is introduced into actual truth;
for it is a general concept that enters first, which in itself is obscure,
containing scarcely anything that is to be seen
until it has been enlightened by means of particular ideas,
and these in turn by specific details.
And once it has been enlightened interior things can be seen.
In this way the delusions and appearances
which are truths at the time of ignorance
are dispersed and banished.

SD 4340 - What is Meant by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

SD 4340
The Lord commanded [the disciples] to baptize
in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
these titles, in the internal sense,
signify nothing else than the Good, the True,
and the all of Goodness and Truth consequently resulting.
The Father is the Good,
the Son the True,
and the Holy Spirit is the Good and the True
proceeding from them.
All this is in the Lord alone.
(August 5, 1749)

AC 3118 - bending and bowing

AC 3118
The man bent himself, and bowed himself down to Jehovah.
(Genesis 24:26)
That this signifies gladness and joy,
is evident from the signification of "bending himself,"
and of "bowing himself down,"
as denoting to be glad and to rejoice.
Bending and bowing down are gestures of humiliation,
that is, they are humiliation in act,
whether in a state of grief or in a state of joy
- in a state of grief when that which is wished for does not come to pass,
but in a state of joy when it does come to pass. . .;
The term "gladness" is used, and also "joy,"
for the reason that in the Word 

"gladness" is predicated of truth,
and "joy" of good.
Moreover gladness is of the countenance,
but joy of the heart; or what is the same, 

gladness is of spiritual affection or of truth,
but joy is of celestial affection or of good;
thus gladness is in a degree less than joy,
as bending is likewise less than bowing down;
which is also evident from the fact
that the person of the spiritual church
merely bends himself before the Lord,
and invokes grace;
whereas the person of the celestial church
bows himself down before the Lord and implores mercy.
Both terms are used by reason 

of the marriage of truth and good
in every single thing of the Word.

AC 3105 - bracelets

AC 3105
And two bracelets.
(Genesis 24:22)
That this signifies Divine truth,
is evident from the signification of "bracelets," as being truth,
here Divine truth,
because the Lord is treated of in the internal sense;
they are said to have been "two," to denote fullness.
Bracelets were placed on the hands of a bride,
because by a bride was signified the church,
and by her hands were signified powers from truth.
Bracelets were not only for a bride,
but also for a king . . .they were on the arm,
for the reason that royalty was representative and significative
of Divine truth pertaining to the Lord. 

AC 3102 - the reception of truth

AC 3102 [2]
Every truth that is elevated out of the natural person,
that is, . . . out of memory-knowledges
(or out of knowledges and doctrinal things,
for these are of the natural person)
into the rational, and there received,
must first be acknowledged for what it is,
and whether it is in agreement
with the good that is in the rational or not;
if it is in agreement, it is received;
and if not, it is rejected. 

SD 4223 - the ends are what judge a person

SD 4323
There was a certain one who thought himself
to be the devil that seduced Adam and Eve . . ..
He appeared like another spirit, not speaking badly,
as if he were a person, but still in a kind of obscurity.
I wondered at his quality, as a sense of hatreds, revenges,
cruelties, and adulteries was not perceived from him as from others;
but I was instructed that he cared not for such things,
had in view only the end of destroying good and truth,
so that nothing else entered into his intention.
Ends are what judge a person,
and because of those this class are prompted by such ends
they are very devils,
for they deeply conceal their aims,
and act from the detestable prompting above mentioned,
regardless of the means whether profane or holy.
(July 12, 1749)

AC 3094 - enlightenment

AC 3094 [2]
There is nothing else that receives good but truth,
and such as is the truth,
such is the reception,
and such is the consequent enlightenment.
So when there is enlightenment by means of truth,
the enlightenment appears to be from the truth,
as if it were its own;
although it is of good,
which thus gives light through the truth.
. . . The light of heaven
is from the Divine good of the Lord through His Divine truth;
and because it is through the Divine truth in His Human,
it penetrates not only to those who are celestial,
but also to the spiritual,
and enlightens with wisdom and intelligence all who are in heaven.
And because this is the source of wisdom and intelligence,
therefore the Divine good and the Divine truth in the Lord's Human
are so much treated of in the internal sense of the Word;
and in the present passage,
this sense treats of the first enlightenment of truth from good,
and of good through truth.

SD 4275 - the Lord sees; SD 4280 - the Lord provides

SD 4275
That All Evil is from a Person,
And That by the Lord Evil is Foreseen, Not Provided. 
Permission.
Evil spirits are constantly disposed
to attribute the evil of punishment to the Lord,
but it was often said to them
that every evil is from a person,
and that it is previded, or foreseen,
but not provided by the Lord;
for since a person's nature is such
that he believes himself able to do good,
the evil which he does is appropriated to him,
whereas it would be otherwise
did he believe it to be not from himself, but from evil spirits.
If a person was in the truth of faith,
and in the faith which is of charity,
evil would not then be appropriated to him.
(May 17, 1749)

SD 4280
Concerning Spheres of Affection
All spheres of the affection of goodness and truth
are from the Lord.
The more a spirit or an angel can be reduced
into a state of harmony with such a sphere,
the more perfect he is,
both [as we may say] as to quality and quantity.
(May 21, 1749)

AC 3086 - arcana (secrets) within the Word

AC 3086 [2]
At the very least it may in this way be seen
what great arcana there are in the internal sense of the Word;
also that the arcana are such
as scarcely to be seen in the light of the world,
in which a person is during his life in the body,
but that they always appear more distinctly and clearly
in proportion as a person comes
from the light of the world into the light of heaven,
into which he comes after death;
thus into the light in which blessed and happy souls are,
that is, the angels.

AC 2972 - tree

AC 2972
. . . the signification of a "tree,"
as being perceptions when the celestial church is treated of,
but knowledges when the spiritual church is treated of . . ..
Mention is made of the tree that was in the field
and in the borders thereof round about,
on account of that internal sense;
otherwise it would not be worthy of mention
in a Word that is Divine.

AC 3068 - vessels

AC 3068
. . . every memory-knowledge is a vessel in which is truth;
and every truth is a vessel for good.
Memory-knowledge without truth is an empty vessel;
and so too is truth without good;
but memory-knowledge in which there is truth,
and truth in which there is good,
are full vessels.
Affection which is of love is that which conjoins
so that they may be within in order;
for love is spiritual conjunction. 

AC 3066 - that which is loved

AC 3066
No one is ever instructed by means of truths,
but by means of the affections of truth;
for truths apart from affection
do indeed come to the ear as sound,
but do not enter into the memory;
that which causes them to enter into the memory
and to abide in it, is affection.
For the good of affection is like soil,
in which truths are sown as seeds;
but such as the soil is (that is, such as the affection is),
such is the produce of that which is sown.
The end or use determines the quality of the soil,
or of the affection,
and thus the quality of the produce of what is sown;
or, if you prefer to say so, 
the love itself determines it;
for in all things the love is the end and the use,
for nothing is regarded as the end and use
except that which is loved.

AC 3049 - in the use

AC 3049
. . . in itself truth is good, because from good;
and truth is the form of good, that is to say,
when good is formed so as to be perceived intellectually,
it is then called truth . . ..
In themselves general memory-knowledges are not goods,
nor are they alive;
it is the affection of them that causes them to be goods,
and to be alive;
for when there is this affection they are for the sake of use;
since no one is affected by any memory-knowledge or truth
except for some use;
use makes it a good;
and such as the use is,
such is the good.

AC 3033 - knowing what is in the heart

AC 3033 [2]
When a person has the affection of good,
that is, when he wills good from the heart,
then whenever anything is to be thought of that is to be willed and done,
his good willing flows into his thinking,
and there it applies itself to the knowledges which are there,
and joins itself with them as its recipient vessels,
and by this conjunction impels him so to think, to will, and to act.
It is as it were an inserting of good in truths
or in the knowledges of truth.
But when a person has not the affection of good,
but the affection of evil, that is, then he wills evil
(as when he believes all to be good that is for himself,
so that he may become great and may be rich,
thus possess honor and wealth, and this is his end),
then when anything is to be thought of that is to be willed and done,
his willing equally flows into his thinking,
and there excites knowledges
which appear in the semblance of truth;
and so it impels the person to think, to will, and to do;
and this by a wrong application of knowledges,
and by looking upon certain general truths
which he has drawn from the sense of the letter of the Word
or from other knowledge as being applicable in every sense:
it is in this way that evil is coupled with falsity,
for in this case the truth which is in it
is deprived of all the essence of truth..

AC 3023 - in heaven (internal) & on earth (external)

AC 3023
. . . the Lord is called "Jehovah the God of heaven"
from His Divine that is in the heavens;
and He is called the "God of the earth"
from His Divine that is on earth.
The Divine in the heavens
is also that which is with a person in his internals;
but the Divine on earth is that which is in his externals;
for the internals of a person are his heaven,
because by them he is conjoined with the angels;
but his externals are his earth,
for by them he is conjoined with people.
When a person is regenerate,
the internals flow into the externals,
and the externals are from the internals.
.

AC 3016 - progression

AC 3016
. . . human life, from infancy to old age,
is nothing else than a progression from the world to heaven;
and the last age, which is death, is the transition itself.

AC 3004, 3005 - Jesus Christ

AC 3004, 3005
By the name "Jesus,"
when named by a person who is reading the Word,
the angels perceive Divine good;
and by "Christ," Divine truth;
and by the two names,
the Divine marriage of good and truth,
and of truth and good;
thus the whole Divine in the heavenly marriage,
which is heaven.

That "Jesus" is Divine good comes from the fact that
"Jesus" means "safety," "salvation," and "Savior;"
and because it means these,
it signifies the Divine good;
for all salvation is from the Divine good
which is of the Lord's love and mercy;
and thus is effected by the reception of that good.
That "Christ" is Divine truth
comes from the fact that the name means
"Messiah," "Anointed," and "King;"
and that these names signify the Divine truth . . ..

AC 2993 - the causes of all natural things

AC 2993
. . . the causes of all natural things are from spiritual things,
and the beginnings of these causes are from celestial things;
or what is the same,
all things in the natural world derive their cause 
from truth which is the spiritual,
and their beginning from good which is the celestial;
and natural things proceed from there
to all the differences of truth and of good in the Lord's kingdom;
thus from the Lord Himself,
from whom is all good and truth.
These things must needs appear strange,
especially to those who will not or cannot 
raise their thought beyond nature,
and who do not know what the spiritual is,
and therefore do not acknowledge it.

AC 2982 - the churches of the Lord & the practices of life

AC 2982
With the churches of the Lord, the case is this:
In ancient times there were many churches at the same time;
and there were, as at this day, distinctions among them
in regard to doctrinal matters;
but still they made a one in the fact
that they acknowledged love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor
as the principal and very essential thing;
and therefore that the purpose of doctrinal things
was not to teach them how to think,
but how to live.
And when with each and all,
love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor
- that is, the good of life - is the essential thing;
then churches, however numerous they may be, make one church,
all then being one in the Lord's kingdom.
Such also is heaven; there are innumerable societies there,
all distinct; but still they constitute one heaven,
because in all there is love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor.

[2] But the case is wholly different
with churches that call faith the essential of the church;
supposing that if they know this and think this they are saved,
no matter what their life may be.
In this case the several churches do not make one church,
nor indeed are they churches.
The good of faith,
that is, the very life of love and of charity according to the things of faith,
is that which makes the church.
Doctrinal matters are for the sake of life.
Everyone may know this:
what are doctrinal matters except for the sake of all end?
and what is the end but life?
or that a person may become such as those doctrinal things teach? 
It is indeed said that the very faith itself which saves is confidence;
but this confidence is quite impossible except in the good of life.
Without the good of life there is no reception,
and where there is no reception there is no confidence,
except at times a certain apparent confidence,
in suffering conditions of mind or body,
when the evil desires of the love of self and of the world are at rest.
But with those who are in evil of life,
when this crisis passes or the condition is changed,
such fallacious confidence altogether vanishes;
for a confidence is found even with the wicked.
But whoever desires to know the quality of his confidence,
him examine in himself the affections and ends,
as well as the practices of his life.

AC 2965, 2967 - capacity

AC 2965
. . . capacity depends on the reception,
and thus on the obedience
accordingly as one perceives and wills . . .

AC 2967 [2]
. . . until corporeal things . . . become quiescent
(such as the things of the love of self and of the world),
celestial and spiritual things,
which are of the affection of good and truth,
cannot flow in;
this is the reason why everyone is reformed
according to his state and capacity.

This also the Lord teaches in the parable
concerning the man who went abroad:

Who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods;
and unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one;
to each according to his several ability.
He that received the five talents traded with them,
and made other five talents;
in like manner he also that received the two,
he also gained other two.
(Matthew 25:14-17, etc.)

So too concerning the ten servants,
to whom were given ten pounds,
that they might trade with them.
(Luke 19:12-13, etc.) 

AC 2946 - the first state of reformation

AC 2946
Such is the first state of all who are being reformed and made spiritual,
namely, that they do not believe
that they are reformed by the Lord but by themselves,
that is, they believe all of the will of good
and of the thought of truth to be from themselves;
they are also left in this state by the Lord,
since in no other way can they be reformed.
For if before they have been regenerated it should be said to them
that they cannot do anything of good from themselves,
or think anything of truth from themselves,
they would then either fall into the error of thinking
that they must wait for influx into the will and influx into the thought,
and if this does not take place must attempt nothing . . ..
But after they are regenerate,
then by degrees the knowledge is insinuated into them
that the case is otherwise,
and that all good and truth are solely from the Lord;
and still further, when they are becoming more perfected,
that whatever does not come from the Lord is evil and false.
To the regenerate, if not in the life of the body still in the other life,
it is given not only to know this, but also to perceive it;
for all the angels are in the perception that it is so.  

SD 4272-4274 - influx: a river of general affections

SD 4272, 4273, 4274
. . . how the case is with influx,
that it is, as it were, a river of general affections, 

or rivers unceasingly flowing;
or it is a general affection flowing as if it were a continual stream,
and varying itself in a wonderful manner.
It resembles an atmospheric stream,
and all who are in that river, or in those rivers,
are affected each according to his peculiar genius,
for it is in this manner received,
and in that common river acts according to each one's genius,
somewhat like, for example, a wheel driven by a prevailing force,
but inwardly acted upon by various counter forces . . ..

These rivers of general affections exist in every degree;
in interiors flowing more gently, and constantly, and with a pleasing variety;
but in exteriors, incessantly and roughly, as it were,
from which it is that such various,
irregular and incoherent promptings appear in exteriors,
as if made up of pure activity,
though they are still directed by the general sphere,
according to reception and state in everyone.

Inasmuch as these influences thus resemble, as it were,
an atmospheric river or stream,
therefore the Lord says in regard to regeneration,
that it is as the wind blowing,
of which a person knows not where it comes nor where it goes.
. . . Consequently it also appeared 

that the influx of life is from the Lord alone,
and that it affects all so that they think they live of themselves;
and also that this influx is Divine mercy,
where from are all the affections of love and truth.
That all life is from affection, as from its general principle,
everyone may be convinced,
since if he is not affected by delight, or the like, he never [really] lives.
It was consequently given to know
what kind of an influx there is in all things from the Lord,
from whom everything in the universe [that lives] has life;
as also that order is from the same source,
and that the more agreement one is with that stream,
the more is he in order.
(May 16, 1749)

SD 4246-4249 - wandering minds & reading the Word

SD 4246 - 4249
. . . (angelic spirits) perceived the sense of what I read,
when I perceived almost nothing of it,
so that their perception of the interior sense of what was written
increased in proportion as mine decreased
 - a fact at which one may well wonder.
The case is similar with children when they read the Word,
as also with other pious people when they read.
The things are few which a person perceives,
but they are many which are perceived by the angels,
and they are all and singular in the interior and more interior sense;
thus they perceive things which have never come into the idea of the person,
since a person is in the literal sense,
which is comparatively obscure, and scarcely any sense at all;
but it was given to say to them
that it would be better if a person also were in light;
thus they would be one,
and the order would be complete.
It was also occasionally observed
that when angelic spirits desired to pray from me,
and to know what it was that I was reading,
they would surreptitiously take away my thought,
and direct my attention to surrounding objects,
so that my ideas would be obscured,
but when they were in light;
indeed they were in a greater light of intelligence
in proportion as I was in a less, and as it were in obscurity.
But the case is otherwise
with the angelic spirits who love the neighbor better than themselves,
for it is only the love of self,
of the existence of which in themselves they are ignorant,
that produces and makes clear the effects above described.
(April 30, 1749)

SD 4226 - reflection & life

SD 4226
. . .  with the person who is regenerated . . . 

in regard to matters of conscience,
conscientiousness is present in every particular 

of the person's thought and action,
though he is not aware of it;
with the pious man, piety is in everything;
with the obedient, obedience;
with the charitable, charity;
with the conjugial, conjugial love.
In all these cases the ruling principle is perpetually present
[in the minutest particulars],
though the person is not conscious of it.
In like manner is the presence of the Lord with the celestial angels;
they do not know it, still it is the Lord's presence.
Consequently when it is said that the Lord is continually to be thought of,
this that I have now described is what is meant by it;
not that person is to hold his thoughts 

perpetually and sensibly on that one theme,
which may, however, be done in the outset [and be persisted in]
until such a habit of unconscious continuity is acquired.
(April 17, 1749)
 

AC 2960 - our souls

AC 2930
In many passages of the Word it is said "from the heart and from the soul,"
or "from the whole heart and from the whole soul,"
and by this is signified that it is from all the will and all the understanding.
That a person has two faculties, namely, will and understanding,
may be known to everyone;
also that the will is a separate faculty from the understanding,
for we are able to understand good and truth
and yet will what is evil and false.


[5] It is said that "soul" signifies the affection of truth from the heart,
because there are affections of truth which are not from the heart;
as those which are from the love of self or of being eminent,
from the love of the world or of making gain,
also from the love of meriting;
from these in like manner there come forth affections of truth,
but they are not genuine;
being from the will of the flesh, and not from the heart:
that which is from the heart is from the Lord.
Moreover "soul" in the Word signifies in the universal sense all life
for in the universal sense
the soul is that from which another thing is, and lives;
so the soul of the body is its spirit,
for from this the body lives;
but the soul of the spirit is its still more internal life,
from which it has wisdom and understanding.

SD 4206 - what goes around . . .

SD 4206
It appears from the order in which all things are in heaven and in hell,
. . . that all evil shall punish itself . . ..
Such is order,
and this is called permission,
which nevertheless is a universal law;
as also that mutual love shall reward itself
and that it shall fare with everyone according to what he wills to another.
(April 13, 1749)

SD 4201 - the Lord foresees & provides

SD 4201
. . . the Lord's Providence extends to the most minute particulars,
but not in such a series as a person adopts and proposes to follow,
for the reason,
that all and singular things are disposed in their own order,
and future events are foreseen and provided for,
which do not happen as a person supposes.
(April 6, 1749) 

AC 2909 - a short history

AC 2909
In Kiriath-arba, the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
(Genesis 23:2)
That this signifies in the church,
is evident from the signification of "Kiriath-arba,"
as being the church as to truth;
and from the signification of "Hebron in the land of Canaan,"
as being the church as to good.
In the Word, and especially in the prophetical parts,
where truth is treated of, good is treated of also,
because of the heavenly marriage in everything of the Word . . ..

[2] In regard to Kiriath-arba which is Hebron,
it was the region where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt.

[3] That every church in process of time decreases,
until it has nothing left of faith and charity,
and then is destroyed,
was also represented by Kiriath-arba which is Hebron,
in its being possessed by the Anakim . . ..

[4] . . . Hebron represented the Lord's spiritual church in the land of Canaan.
And likewise on this account
David was required by the command of Jehovah to go to Hebron,
and was there anointed to be king over the house of Judah;
and after he had reigned there seven years and six months,
he went to Jerusalem and took possession of Zion;
and then for the first time the spiritual church of the Lord
began to be represented by Jerusalem,
and the celestial church by Zion.

AC 2894 - "In the beginning was the Word"

AC 2894
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and God was the Word.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by Him,
and without Him was not anything made that was made.
 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
And the light appeared in the darkness,
but the darkness comprehended it not.
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt within us;
and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
(John 1:1-5, 14)

Few know what is here meant by the "Word."
That it is the Lord, is evident from the several particulars;
but the internal sense teaches
that it is the Lord as to His Divine Human that is meant by the "Word,"
for it is said:
"the Word was made flesh and dwelt within us, and we beheld His glory."
And because the Divine Human is meant by the "Word,"
all that Truth also is meant which relates to Him,
and is from Him, in His kingdom in the heavens, 
and in His church on the earth.
So it is said that
"in Him was life, and the life was the light of men,
and the light appeared in the darkness."
And because Truth is meant by the "Word,"
all revelation is meant, 
and so also the Word itself or Holy Scripture.

AC 2874, 2875 - freedom; AC 2881 - compulsion

AC 2874, 2875
. . . freedom is . . . to think and will from affection,
and that the freedom is such as is the affection . . ..

The good of life, or the affection of good,
is insinuated by the Lord by an internal way,
without a person's knowing anything about it;
but the truth of doctrine, or faith,
by an external way, into the memory,
where it is called forth by the Lord
in His own time and according to His own order,
and is conjoined with the affection of good.
This is done in a person's freedom;
for as before said, a person's freedom is from affection.

AC 2881
If mankind could have been reformed by compulsion,
there would not be any person in the universe who would not be saved;
for nothing would be easier for the Lord
than to compel a person to fear Him, to worship Him,
and indeed as it were to love Him;
the means being innumerable.
But as that which is done under compulsion is not conjoined,
and thus is not appropriated,
it is therefore the furthest [thing] possible from the Lord to compel anyone. 

AC 2854 - temptations & salvation; AC 2861 - becoming spiritual

AC 2854
. . . the arcanum of the Lord's coming into the world
is that He united in Himself
the Divine to the Human
and the Human to the Divine;
which could not be done
except through the most grievous things of temptations;
and thus that by that union
it became possible for salvation to reach the human race,
in which no celestial and spiritual, or even natural good,
any longer remained;
and it is this union which saves those who are in the faith of charity.

AC 2861
By truths of doctrine conjoined with good of life,
a person becomes spiritual.
All spiritual quality is from this.
. . .  those who have lived in mutual charity and in obedience
are of the Lord's providence and mercy
instructed in the other life,
and then receive the truths of faith easily,
and become spiritual.

SD 4182 - an active life

SD 4182
. . . without an active life one cannot be in delight . . .
Consequently it appears that spirits are sent abroad
with a view to various uses.
(March 26, 1749) 

SD 4175 - the beauty of conjugial love

SD 4175
There was seen presented to my sight,
but in a very small degree, and veiled from full view,
as it were, by a kind of cloud, an exquisite beauty,
accompanied with a perception
that it was the beauty of conjugial love.
It was perceived to be such
by virtue of a certain affection imparted,
and scarcely anything else can be said of it
than that it was beauty itself;
for conjugial love,
that is to say, the very essential principle of this love,
gives itself the form of this superlative beauty
affecting the mind to its deepest recesses;
indeed all beauty is from this source.
I beheld also the quality of its representations,
which were various cerulean rainbows and golden showers.
(March 19, 1749)

cerulean - various blues

AC 2851 - gates to the city

AC 2851
. . . there are in general two gates with every person;
the one opens toward hell,
and is opened to the evils and falsities therefrom;
in this gate are infernal genii and spirits;
the other gate opens toward heaven,
and is opened to good and the truths therefrom;
in this gate are angels.
There is thus a gate which leads to hell,
and a gate which leads to heaven.

[3] For there are two ways which lead into person's rational mind
- a higher or internal one,
through which good and truth from the Lord enter,
and a lower or external one,
through which evil and falsity come up from hell.
The rational mind itself is in the middle, and to it these ways tend.
That mind, from the goods and truths which are in it,
is compared in the Word to a city, and is called a "city."
And because it is compared to a city,
and is called a "city," gates are attributed to it,
and it is often described as being besieged and stormed by enemies,
that is, by evil genii and spirits;
and as being defended by angels from the Lord,
that is by the Lord.

[15]  Moreover the gates to the New Jerusalem
and the gates to the new temple are much treated of in Ezekiel,
and also by John in Revelation,
by which nothing else is meant than the entrances to heaven

And he carried me away in the Spirit
to a mountain great and high,
and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God.
It shone with the glory of God,
and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel,
like a jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,
and with twelve angels at the gates.
(Revelation 21:10-12)

A blessed New Church Day to you all!

SD 4156 - the aura of conjugial love

SD 4156
Conjugial love was represented near the scene of Paradisaical joys,
by adamantine [or diamond-like] auras,
sparkling as from rubies or deep red garnets.
. . . I afterwards conversed with one that was present, saying,
that conjugial love flowing from the heavenly marriage,
thus from the Lord 
and from His compassion towards the human race,
was the principal and fundamental of all the loves
by which the celestial societies are distinguished,
and he could not but wonder that the human race is ignorant of it,
and cares scarcely at all about it.
(March 1, 1749)

AC 2839

AC 2839
. . . charity without faith is not genuine charity,
and faith without charity is not faith.
. . . From the conjunction of the two
 mutually and reciprocally
is the heavenly marriage, that is, the Lord's kingdom. 
 

AC 2832 - horns and rams

AC 2832
"Horns" are mentioned in many places in the Word;
and there signify the power of truth from good;
and in the opposite sense the power of falsity from evil;
here the meaning is
that the spiritual who are signified by the "ram"
are entangled in natural memory-knowledges
with all their might in regard to truth,
and consequently
that they are deprived of the power of perceiving truths.
For the more anyone consults natural memory-knowledges,
and sticks fast in them in his mind
in regard to the things which are truths of faith,
the more does he lose the light of truth,
and with the light, the life of truth.

[14] . . . the Lord's Word in its essence
does not treat of worldly and earthly (things),
but of spiritual and heavenly things.  

SD 4122 - it is a truth

SD 4122
. . .  it is a truth that no evil can exist without the Lord's permission.
It is a truth also that whatever He permits
takes place through the agency of evil spirits,
and that He would not permit it,
were not people so evil
that without evil we cannot be reformed.
It is moreover a truth, that there is no evil from the Lord.
(December 8,1748)

AC 2831 - thickets

AC 2831 [10]
The reason why in the Word facts are called 'thickets'
is that facts are by nature like thickets,
especially when the desires of self-love and love of the world,
and false assumptions, exert an influence on them.
Celestial and spiritual love is that which disposes into order
the knowledges which are of the exterior memory;
and the love of self and of the world is that which perverts the order,
and disturbs all things in it.
These things the person does not take notice of,
because he places order in perverted order,
good in evil, and truth in falsity.
On this account these things are in entanglement;
and also on this, that the things of the exterior memory,
where these knowledges are,
compared with those in the interior memory,
where rational things are,
are as in a thicket, or as in a dark forest. 

SD 4076,4077,4078 - living faith

SD 4076, 4077, 4078

. . . as the quality of the faith is,
such is the quality of the love of marriage.

. . . The doctrine of faith plainly declares
that the love of the neighbor is the principal law;
and since this is the principal law,
it is the principal point in the doctrine of faith;
wherefore unless one loves his neighbor,
he is destitute of faith.
Thus they cannot but rave
who would separate faith
from the life of love and good works,
and say that faith alone is saving
apart from loving our neighbor as himself
and thus apart from the life of love.

Faith is life,
and to live according to the principles of faith
is not [merely] to think;
for the tree is known by its fruit.
(November 26, 1748)

AC 2826 - fear in worship and holy fear

AC 2826 [13]
. . . the more there is of fear in the worship,
the less there is of faith,
and the less still of love;
and on the other hand,
the more of faith there is in the worship,
and especially the more there is of love,
the less there is of fear.
There is indeed a fear within all worship,
but under another appearance and another condition,
and this is holy fear.
But holy fear is not so much the fear of hell and of damnation,
as it is of doing or thinking anything against the Lord
and against the neighbor,
and thus anything against the good of love and the truth of faith.

SD 4057-458 - we are what we love

SD 4057-4058
. . . as much as one is in the life of cupidities*,
so much is he in the science of those things which belong to cupidities,
and consequently in the other life are such deceits and such malignancies.

The same thing appears clearly also from the love of goodness and truth.
As much as anyone is in love from the Lord, 
so much is he in knowledges,
which knowledges come from the Lord alone,
as well immediately as through heaven.

*cupidities - excessive desire, especially for wealth,
                     covetousness or avarice
 (from www.thefreedictionary.com)

AC 2813 - "Son of man", "Son of God"

AC 2813
All the genuine rational consists of good and truth.
The Lord's Divine rational as to good could not suffer,
or undergo temptations;
for no genius or spirit inducing temptations 
can come near to Good Divine,
as it is above all attempt at temptation.
But Truth Divine bound was what could be tempted;
for there are fallacies, and still more falsities,
which break in upon and thus tempt it;
for concerning Truth Divine some idea can be formed,
but not concerning Good Divine
except by those who have perception, and are celestial angels.
It was Truth Divine which was no longer acknowledged
when the Lord came into the world,
and therefore it was that
from which the Lord underwent and endured temptations.
Truth Divine in the Lord is what is called the "Son of man,"
but Good Divine is what is called the "Son of God."
Of the "Son of man" the Lord says many times that He was to suffer,
but never of the Son of God.

AC 2799 -" And he took in his hand the fire and the knife."

AC 2799
And he took in his hand the fire and the knife.
(Genesis 22:6)
That this signifies the good of love and the truth of faith,
is evident from the signification of
 "fire," as being the good of love;
and from the signification of a
"knife," as being the truth of faith.

[21] That a "sword" in the genuine sense signifies truth combating,
and in the opposite sense falsity combating,
also the vastation of truth, and the punishment of falsity,
has its origin from the representatives in the other life;
for when anyone there speaks what he knows to be false,
there then immediately come down over his head
as it were little swords, and strike terror;
and besides,
truth combating is represented by things that have a point, like swords;
for indeed truth without good is of this nature,
but when together with good it has a rounded form and is gentle.

SD 4026 - angelic singing; SD 4036 - human weeping

SD 4026
During the whole night I was occupied in dreaming
of various objects of a material and corporeal kind,
as walkings, dangers, and the like,
in a confused and rambling way,
and upon awaking from time to time,
I heard choirs of angels descending one after another,
and which I heard more clearly than on various other occasions.
I perceived that there were certain evil spirits who infested me,
and that the angelic choirs were sent by the Lord,
for the purpose of warding off the assaults of such spirits.
But what they said I could not understand,
nor did I perceive anything but the sound peculiar to such choirs.

SD 4036
As they were ignorant of what conscience is,
they asked of me respecting its nature.
It was given to reply, that it was all that internal sensation
which is experienced when a person acts contrary to goodness and truth.
. . . moreover, that it is a perception given by the Lord,
by virtue of which one is affected with pain
that he has done aught that is contrary to goodness and truth,
and with a self-sorrow, so that he, as it were, sheds tears,
as the principle is one of the most interior nature;
for weeping ensues when anything is done contrary to good.
(November 22, 1748)

AC 2795 - the Lord's temptations

AC 2795 [2]
This alone need be said here,
that the Lord could not possibly be tempted
when He was one with the Divine itself,
for the Divine is infinitely above all temptation.
But He could experience temptation as to His human.
This is the reason why,
when He was to undergo the severest and inmost temptations,
He joined the first human to Himself,
that is to say, the rational and the natural degrees of it,
. . . and after that separated Himself from them,
. . . though still retaining certain traits through which He could be tempted.
. . .The truth that neither the Divine itself nor the Divine Human
could be tempted may become clear to anyone
merely from the fact that not even angels can approach the Divine,
still less the spirits who bring temptations about, and least of all the hells.
From all this it is evident why the Lord came into the world 
and took on the human state of being with all its weakness,
for by doing so He was able to be tempted as regards the human
and by means of temptations to suppress the hells.
He was able to restore every single thing to obedience and to order,
and to save the human race
which had removed itself so far away from the Supreme Divine. 

SD 3984 - good is active in its nature

SD 3984
. . . in the other life especially
those things are actually good
which are active in their nature,
. . . and that without them the angels could not possibly be angels,
much less enjoy any happiness,
for in them their greatest happiness consists.
They now add, that if any should desire to deprive them of these works,
they would in so doing desire that the whole heaven
and the whole human race should perish,
which would in fact be the consequence,
for to save mankind, to teach [novitiate] spirits, to resuscitate the dead,
to render to each other mutual offices of charity,
these are the things which sustain heaven and the human race,
upon the removal of which all would perish.
(November 17, 1748)


 

AC 2780 - the state of peace in the heavens is like dawn on earth

AC 2780
And Abraham rose early in the morning.
(Genesis 22:3)
That this signifies a state of peace and innocence,
is evident from the signification of "morning,"
and also of "rising early,"
when predicated of the Lord, who here is "Abraham."
"Morning" in the universal sense signifies the Lord, and so His kingdom;
consequently the celestial of love in general and in particular;
and as it signifies these,
 it signifies the state itself in which they are,
which state is that of peace and innocence.
The state of peace in the heavens is like that of the dawn on earth.
In the state of peace in the heavens
come forth all celestial and spiritual things,
and derive from them all that is auspicious, blessed, and happy,
as in the time of dawn on earth
all things come forth before a person
as things of delight and gladness;
for all the singulars derive their quality
from the general affection.
The case is the same with the state of innocence:
this comes forth in the state of peace,
and is a general thing affecting all the things of love and faith.
Unless these have innocence in them, they lack their essential.
So it is that no one can come into heaven
unless he have something of innocence:

Assuredly, I say to you,
whoever does not receive the kingdom of God
as a little child
will by no means enter it.
(Mark 10:15)

SD 3973 - eternity

SD 3973
As the Divine Infinite is not of space,
so neither is the eternal of time.
That a kind of idea of the infinite,
and an idea of the Divine eternal 
is insinuated into the angels by the Lord,
appears from this,
that they know not what space is,
for those who are in the extreme of the universe are present in a moment:
and as to the eternal,
that they have no idea of things past and future,
but the past and future are in their present,
concerning which many more things might be said:
neither is there in their idea anything of old age or of death, but only of life;
wherefore they have no notion of time,
but in all their present everything is as eternal.
(November 13, 1748) 

AC 2776 - the Light of heaven

AC 2776 [3]
. . . in the next life the Lord appears to celestial angels as the Sun,
and to spiritual angels as the Moon,
- all the light of heaven flowing from Him.
The light of heaven is such
that when it enlightens the eyes of spirits and angels
it also at the same time enlightens their understanding.
This ability to enlighten the understanding 
also exists inherently within that light,
so that the amount of internal light, that is, of understanding,
which anyone possesses in heaven
is the same as the amount of external light he has.
This shows the way in which the light of heaven
is different from the light of the world.
It is the Lord's Divine Human that enlightens
both the eyes and the understanding of those who are spiritual,
but this could never be done
unless the Lord had united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence,
people in the world, nor indeed any spiritual angel in heaven,
would any longer have possessed any ability to understand
or to perceive that which is good or true.

AC 2768 - temptations and permission; AC 2769 - "God", "Jehovah"

AC 2768
. . . it is according to the internal sense that God tempts no one;
but in the time of temptations
is continually liberating from them, as far as possible,
or as far as the liberation does not do harm,
and is continually looking to the good
into which He is leading him who is in the temptations;
for God never takes part in temptations in any other manner;
and though it is predicated of Him that He permits,
still it is not according to the idea
which a person has of permission,
namely, that by permitting He concurs.
A person cannot comprehend it in any other manner
than that he who permits is also willing;
but it is the evil within the person which causes,
and even leads into the temptation;
and no cause of this is in God
- as the cause is not in the king or in the judge,
when a person does evil and therefore suffers punishment.
For he who separates himself from the laws of Divine order,
all of which are the laws of good and consequently of truth,
casts himself into the laws that are opposite to Divine order,
which are those of evil and falsity,
and consequently of punishments and torments.

AC 2769
. . . the representation of Abraham, as being the Lord.
That the perception was from Divine truth,
may be seen from the fact that "God" is named, and not "Jehovah;"
for where truth is treated of in the Word, there "God" is named;
but where good is treated of, there "Jehovah" is named . . ..

AC 2762 - a young man on a horse

AC 2762 [3]
. . . where the abode of the intelligent and wise is
in the world of spirits,
chariots and horses appear continually;
for the reason as said
that by chariots and horses are represented
the things of wisdom and of intelligence.
Resuscitated persons after death,
who are entering into the other life,
see represented to them a young man sitting upon a horse,
and then alighting from the horse;
and by this is signified
that they are to be instructed in the knowledge of good and truth
before they can come into heaven.

Mark 2 & TCR 301

Occasionally, especially while reading through the Spiritual Diary, a passage does not just jump out from the page.  The ideas presented do, but they are somewhat disjointed and hard to pull out.  Today is one of those days.  Thankfully, in reading from the New Testament, this did, and an explanation from the True Christian Religion:

Mark 2:27-28
Then he said to them,
"The Sabbath was made for man,
not man for the Sabbath.
So the Son of Man is Lord
even of the Sabbath."

TCR 301
Among the Children of Israel the Sabbath was the holiest of observances,
because it represented the Lord.
The six days represented the Lord's toils and battles against the hells,
the seventh His victory over them, and so rest.
Since that day represented
the completion of the Lord's whole act of redemption,
it was for that reason the height of holiness.
When, however, the Lord came into the world,
so that representations of Him ceased,
that day became a day for instruction in Divine matters,
and also a day of rest from work,
for meditation about matters conducive to salvation and everlasting life,
and a day for love towards the neighbor.
Its being a day for instruction in Divine matters is plain from the fact
that the Lord taught in the Temple and in synagogues on that day . . ..
It follows from His saying this
that that day [the Sabbath] was to represent Him.

AC 2759 (Preface) - a heresy

AC 2759 - Preface

I tell you that you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build My Church,
and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;
and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
(Matt. 16: 15-19)

[2] They who press (rigidly adhere to) the sense of the letter
think that these things were said of Peter,
and that power so great was given him;
although they are fully aware that Peter was a very simple man,
and that he by no means exercised such power;
and that to exercise it is contrary to the Divine.
Nevertheless, owing to the insane and infernal love of self and the world
they desire to arrogate to themselves
the highest power on earth and in heaven,
and to make themselves gods,
they explain this according to the letter, and vehemently defend it;
whereas the internal sense of these words is,
that Faith itself in the Lord has that power,
which exists solely with those who are in love to the Lord
and in charity toward the neighbor:
and yet not faith, but the Lord from whom faith is.
By "Peter" there is meant that faith, as everywhere else in the Word.
Upon this is the Church built,
and against it the gates of hell do not prevail.
This faith has the keys of the kingdom of the heavens,
and it shuts heaven lest evils and falsities should enter in,
and opens heaven for goods and truths.
This is the internal sense of these words.


arrogate - assume or appropriate; to seize without justification
(various sources)

SD 3908

SD 3908
It was observed and said
that those who have enjoyed bodily felicity from wedlock,
and have lived in conjugial love,
that they have felicity also in the other life,
so that the felicity of their life in the world is felicity in the other life;
but that those who have lived in conjugial infelicity,
from holding their partners in contempt, aversion, and hatred,
that they are unhappy in the other life also.
(November 8, 1748)

SD 3894 - concerning spheres

SD 3894
It was observed, that as when the dung of horses was seen,
certain spirits could not endure the sphere arising from it,
[from its corresponding to] that of reasonings with the evil,
and perhaps as being confirmatory of scientifics with good;
so also in other things,
as when I ate butter upon bread,
then certain spirits, or a society of spirits,
were so indignant that they threatened evil to my tongue,
saying that they could not endure it,
for the reason that butter signifies the celestial,
from which arises the sphere of the good
which the evil cannot bear;
wherefore I ought [they said] for a long time to abstain from butter . . ..
So also in regard to many other things which I ate and drank . . ..
(November 6, 1748)

AC 2727,2728,2731,2738 - conjugial or marriage love is completely mutual and reciprocal

AC 2727
What genuine conjugial love is, and where its origin,
few at this day know, for the reason that few are in it.

AC 2728
Conjugial love takes its origin
from the Divine marriage of good and truth,
and thus from the Lord Himself.

AC 2731
From those most ancient people it has been heard
that conjugial love is of such a nature
as to desire to be altogether the other's, and this reciprocally;
and that when this is experienced mutually and reciprocally
they are in heavenly happiness:
also, that the conjunction of minds is of such a nature
that this mutuality and reciprocity is in everything of their life,
that is, in everything of their affection,
and in everything of their thought.
On this account it has been instituted by the Lord
that wives should be affections of good which are of the will,
and husbands thoughts of truth which are of the understanding;
and that from this there should be a marriage
such as there is between the will and the understanding,
and between all things thereof
with one who is in the good of truth and the truth of good.

AC 2738
Mutual love, such as there is in heaven,
is not like conjugial love.
Conjugial love consists in desiring to be in the other's life as a one;
but mutual love consists in wishing better to another than to one's self . . ..

SD 3873 - equilibrium & order

SD 3873
It was perceived that as there is such an equilibrium,
that evil returns upon him who intends and does evil,
so also there is such an order,
that whoever proposes to himself good ends,
thus who intends and does good,
returns to that good . . ..
(November 4, 1748)

AC 2715 - a humble heart

AC 2715 [2]
. . . humiliation . . . is essential in all worship,
and by means of which good can flow in from the Lord;
for an elated heart does not receive at all,
but a humble heart. 

AC 2706 - the Lord's presence

AC 2706
The Lord is indeed present with everyone;
for life is from no other source,
and He governs the most minute things of it,
even with the worst of men, and in hell itself;
but in various ways according to the reception of life.
With those who receive
the life of the love of His good and truth in a wrong manner,
and pervert it into loves of evil and falsity,
the Lord is present,
and overrules their ends as far as possible for good;
but His presence with them is called absence,
and indeed in the same degree
in which evil is distant from good, and falsity from truth.
But with those who receive
the life of the love of the Lord's good and truth,
He is said to be present,
and indeed according to the degree of reception.

SD 3787 - the Lord knows it!

SD 3787
. . . as soon as anyone begins to claim good and truth for himself,
the Lord knows it,
reflection is given him,
and by various lively experiences
he is instructed that it is not from himself,
but from the Lord,
so that he is at length brought into a state of truth,
and thus again enjoys the happiest liberty.
(October 31, 1748) 

AC 2704 - the third state - instruction

AC 2704
And gave the child drink.
(Genesis 21:19)
. . . this signifies instruction in spiritual things . . ..
This state, which is that of instruction . . .
is the third state of those who are coming out of vastation or desolation;
for when they come into a state of enlightenment or of heavenly light
(treated of in the preceding verse 18, see n. 2699),
they are then in the affection of knowing and learning truths;
and when they are in this affection,
they are easily and as it were spontaneously imbued with truths:
those who are on earth,
from the Lord's Word or from doctrine;
but those who are in heaven,
from the angels,
who perceive nothing more blessed and happy
than to teach novitiate brethren,
and imbue them with the truths and goods which are of heavenly order,
and thus lead to the Lord. 

imbue - inspire, permeate

AC 2702 - fountain of water

AC 2702 [5-6]
. . . the doctrine of truth is from Him;
and that when it is from Him,
or what is the same, from His Word,
it is a fountain of water
springing up unto eternal life;
and that truth itself is living water.

Jesus said, If any man thirst,
let him come unto Me, and drink;
whoever believes in Me,
as the Scripture says,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
(John 7:37-38)

The Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall feed them,
and shall lead them unto living fountains of water;
and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
(Revelation 7:17)

I will give unto him that is athirst
of the fountain of the water of life freely.
(Revelation. 21:6)

"rivers of living water," and "living fountains of waters,"
denote truths that are from the Lord, or from His Word;
for the Lord is the Word.
The good of love and of charity,
which is solely from the Lord,
is the life of truth.
He is said to be "athirst" who is in the love and affection of truth;
no other can "thirst." 

SD 3756, 3758 - life

SD 3756
. . . life consists in the understanding of what is true
and the willing of what is good.

SD 3758
. . .  a life truly human is one which has respect to eternal life,
and consequently to the soul . . .

AC 2701 - God opened her eyes. (Genesis 21:19)

AC 2701
It is said that "God opens the eyes"
when He opens the interior sight or understanding;
which is effected by an influx into a person's rational,
or rather into the spiritual of his rational.
This is done by the way of the soul,
or the internal way, unknown to the person.
This influx is his state of enlightenment,
in which the truths which he hears or reads are confirmed to him
by a kind of perception interiorly within his intellectual.
This the person believes to be innate in him,
and to proceed from his own intellectual faculty;
but in this he is very much mistaken;
for it is an influx through heaven from the Lord
into what is obscure, fallacious, and seeming with the person,
which by means of the good therein
causes the things which he believes to be similar to truth.
But they only who are spiritual
are blessed with enlightenment in the spiritual things of faith.
It is this which is signified by "God opening the eyes." 

AC 2698 - internal grief

AC 2698
They who are in internal grief,
and in despair from the privation of truth,
are elevated and sustained solely by truth,
because it is for this that they have grief and despair.
With those who are in the affection of good,
their good desires good as one hungers for bread;
but with those who are in the affection of truth,
their good desires truth, as one thirsts for water. 

SD 3740 - communication through the heavens

SD 3740
Spirits wondered that when they 
spoke they immediately received a response.
It was then perceived 
that the response [and] thus the true and the good,
which was in the memory of a person,
was excited solely by the common [or general prompting]
which flows from the Lord through heaven,
so that unless there were influx from the Lord,
no response of true and good would issue from the memory . . ..
So it appeared that all life is from the Lord.
(October 27, 1748)

AC 2689 - those in the life of good

AC 2689 [4]
. . . with those who are in the life of good . . .
truth itself has its own ground and heart,
and has its life from the Lord. 

AC 2682 - how we look at life

AC 2682 [3]
To those who are not being regenerated
it makes no difference whether they know the truth, or do not;
nor whether what they do know be truth or not,
provided they can palm a thing off for truth.
But they who are being regenerated
think much about doctrine and life,
because they think much about eternal salvation;
and therefore if truth be deficient with them,
as it is the subject of their thought and affection,
they grieve at heart.
The state of the one and of the other may be seen from this:
While a person is in the body
he is living as to his spirit in heaven,
and as to his body in the world;
for he is born into both, and has been so created
that as to his spirit he can be actually with the angels,
and at the same time with men by means of what is of the body.
But as there are few who believe
that they have a spirit which is to live after death,
there are few who are being regenerated.
To those who believe it,
the other life is the whole of their thought and affection,
and the world is nothing in comparison;
but to those who do not believe it,
the world is the whole of their thought and affection,
and the other life is in comparison nothing.
The former are they who can be regenerated,
but the latter are they who cannot.

AC 2675, 2678, 2679 - the first state of those who are being reformed and are becoming spiritual

AC 2675
With those who are becoming spiritual,
good and truth are implanted by the Lord
in the affection of memory-knowledges;
and this so that they desire to know and to learn
what is good and true
for the purpose and use
of becoming rational and of becoming spiritual . . ..
The entering of the Lord like this does indeed flow in with all,
but no others receive it for that end and that use
except those who can be reformed;
the rest do it for other ends and other uses,
which are innumerable,
and have regard to themselves and the world.

AC 2678
. . .  the first state of those who are being reformed
and are becoming spiritual . . .
is that they suppose they do good and think truth from themselves,
thus from what is their own, nor do they then know otherwise;
and when told that all good and truth are from the Lord
they do not indeed reject it,
but do not acknowledge it at heart,
because they do not feel it, nor interiorly perceive
that anything flows in from any other source than themselves.
As all who are being reformed are in such a state at first,
they are therefore left by the Lord in what is their own;
nevertheless they are led by means of this without knowing it.

AC 2679
. . . all things
even the least with a person
are foreseen by the Lord,
and are provided for his future state to eternity;
and this for his good insofar as is in any wise possible,
and as he suffers himself to be led by the Lord.

SD 3686 - among good spirits and angels

SD 3686
. . . their life after death is in this respect
extremely similar to their life in the body,
that they see each other, that they are in societies,
that they dwell together, speak together,
that they communicate their ideas and their happinesses,
and indeed they then speak more wisely
than can ever be described,
and with an indefinable feeling of enjoyment.

AC 2665 - very simply, how the Divine & Human united

AC 2665
 . . . Divine truth was the means of which He united the Human to the Divine;
and Divine good was the means of which He united the Divine to the Human;
which unition was reciprocal.

AC 2661 - When the Lord knew He would have to come into the world as a man

AC 2661 [2]
The Lord did not come into the world to save the celestial, but the spiritual.
The Most Ancient Church, called "Man," was celestial;
and if this church had remained in its integrity,
the Lord would have had no need to be born a man.
But as soon as this church began to decline,
the Lord foresaw that the celestial church would wholly perish from the world;
and on that account the prediction was then made
concerning the Lord's coming into the world (Gen. 3:15).
After the time of that church there was no longer a celestial church,
but a spiritual church;
for the Ancient Church which was after the flood was a spiritual church;
and this church, that is, those who were of the spiritual church,
could not have been saved unless the Lord had come into the world.
This is meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:

They that are well have no need of a physician,
but they that are sick;
I came not to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance.
(Matthew 9:12-13)

Also by these words in John:

And other sheep I have which are not of this fold;
them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice,
and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
(John 10:16)

Also by the parable of the hundred sheep, in Matt. 18:11-13.

SD 3687 - love

SD 3687
It was perceived . . .
that it is love alone which . . . is ever the grand determining principle;
to whom love is wanting,
everything appears erratic, vague, confused, and obscure.
Wherefore the Lord alone,
who is love, and from whom is mercy,
determines all things, and according to the differences of love
he disposes societies, and so heaven and heavenly things.
(October 25, 1748)

AC 2657 - Cast out this handmaid and her son. (Genesis 21:10)

AC 2657
[2] With every person who is being regenerated there are two rationals,
one before regeneration, the other after regeneration.
The first, which is before regeneration,
is procured through the experience of the senses,
by reflections upon things of civic life and of moral life,
and by means of the sciences
and the reasonings derived from them and by means of them,
also by means of the knowledges of spiritual things
from the doctrine of faith or from the Word.
But these go no further at that time
than a little above the ideas of the corporeal memory,
which comparatively are quite material . . .

[3] But the rational after regeneration
is formed by the Lord through the affections of spiritual truth and good,
which affections are implanted by the Lord in a wonderful manner
in the truths of the former rational;
and those things in it which are in agreement
and which favor are thus vivified;
but the rest are separated from it as of no use . . ..
.
[5] But as examples aid conviction,
take as an example that which is a person's own before regeneration,
and that which is his own after it.
From the first rational,
which he has procured to himself by the means described above,
the person believes that he thinks truth and does good from himself,
and thus from what is his own.
This first rational cannot apprehend otherwise,
even if it has been instructed
that all the good of love and all the truth of faith are from the Lord.
But when a person is being regenerated,
which takes place in adult age,
then from the other rational with which he is gifted by the Lord
he begins to think that the good and truth are not from himself,
or from what is his own,
but from the Lord
(but that nevertheless he does good and thinks truth as from himself . . .).
The more he is then confirmed in this,
the more is he led into the light of truth respecting these things,
till at last he believes that all good and all truth are from the Lord.
The Own that belongs to the former rational is then successively separated,
and the persoan is gifted by the Lord with a heavenly Own,
which becomes that of his new rational.

[7] But be it known that although a person is being regenerated,
still each and all things of the first rational remain with him,
and are merely separated from the second rational,
and this in a most wonderful manner by the Lord.
But the Lord wholly banished His first rational,
so that nothing of it remained;
for what is merely human cannot be together with the Divine.
So He was no longer the son of Mary,
but was Jehovah as to each essence.

SD 3636 - concerning the rainbow

SD 3636
There appeared to me very beautiful rainbows,
as on former occasions, but still more beautiful,
with a light of the purest white,
in the center of which was an obscure earthy something;
but that most lucid snow-white appearance
was beautifully varied by another lucidity,
and was thus distinguished also by little yellowish points like small stars,
besides other beautiful variations,
and, if I rightly recollect,
with flowers of different colors round about,
and entering into the most lucid part.
This was exhibited before the left eye.
On the right were exceedingly beautiful representations,
distinguished by the blue and its various related colors,
because the right eye represents affections,
and they derive colors not from a white lucidity,
but from that which is flamy. 
(October 21. 1748)

Luke 11:27, 28

But Jesus said,
Blessed are they 
that hear the Word of God,
and keep it.
(Luke 11:27,28)

(How often do we forget that these words aren't just made up by the minister,
but were actually said by the Lord Himself?)

AC 2632 - the purification of the rational

AC 2632 [2]
The Lord's first rational was born in the way it is with others,
that is to say, by means of facts and cognitions.
. . . Because it was born, as with others,
by means of facts and cognitions,
thus by the external way, which is that of the senses,
this rational inevitably included many things that were worldly in origin,
for it is from those things
that the ideas which the rational possesses are acquired.
This was even more so the case with the Lord
on account of the heredity He had from the mother.
It was those worldly things and this heredity
which the Lord gradually cast out of His rational
until it was such that it was able to receive the Divine.
At this point the Lord's Divine Rational,
represented by 'Isaac', was born,
not indeed by the external way, which is that of the senses
 - as was the case with the previous rational -
but by the internal way from the Divine itself.
As this was not accomplished all at once but gradually,
the rational was purified, and constantly so.
It is this purification that is meant by
'Abraham circumcised his son, a son eight days old'.
That the Lord gradually made His Rational Divine
and purified it constantly . . .

Jesus said, Father, glorify Your name.
A voice therefore came from heaven,
I have both glorified it,
and will glorify it again.
(John 12: 28)

'Glorifying' is making Divine, see 1603, 1999.

precept
1: a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action

2: an order issued by legally constituted authority to a subordinate official
(Wikipedia)
cognitions
things we come to know, worldly knowledges

SD 3619 - foul and filthy water

SD 3619
. . . foul and filthy water
corresponds to that state in which a person is
when he acts on account of his own glory and renown.
(October 20< 1748)

SD 3617 - the fruits of faith in the next life

SD 3617
. . . in the other life
good works or the fruits of faith pre-eminently* exist; 
that, for instance, there could be no felicity in simple repose. . ..
Such a life would be without use or end,
and therefore not an active life,
which is a life of love;
but they there pre-eminently show forth good works or the fruits of faith,
as they perceive nothing more blessed
than to gather spirits from the life of the body,
to inform and teach them,
also to revive those who are at the point of death . . .
then that they may minister to people
and control the spirits that are with them,
and prevent their going beyond proper bounds,
and also that they may inspire good into people;
lastly that they may resuscitate the dead.
In these things [good spirits] have their highest felicity from the Lord,
thus also heaven and the angels,
so that they love the neighbor better than themselves
thus they are images of the Lord.
(October 19, 1748)

*pre·em·i·nent or pre-em·i·nent (pr - m -n nt). adj.
Superior to or notable above all others; outstanding.
(FreeDictionary.com)

AC 2625 - here and there

AC 2625
There are two things which while person lives in the world
appear to be essential, because they are proper to nature,
namely, space and time.
So to live in space and time is to live in the world or in nature.
But in the other life these two things are of no consequence. 
In the world of spirits indeed they do appear to be of some consequence,
for the reason that spirits fresh from the body
still retain the idea of natural things;
yet it is not long before they perceive
that there is no space and time there,
but state instead;
and that in the other life states correspond to spaces and times in nature . . ..

From this anyone can see what kind of an idea a person may have,
while in the world or in nature,
respecting the things of the other life and many arcana of faith;
namely, that he is not willing to believe them
until he understands them by means of the things in the world,
indeed, by sensuous things;
for he must needs suppose
that if he were to put off the idea of space and time,
and still more space and time themselves,
he would become absolutely nothing;
and thus that he would have nothing left from which he could feel and think,
except something confused and incomprehensible;
when yet the case is exactly the reverse.
Angelic life is of such a nature as to be the wisest and happiest of all.

SD 3602 - objections to the knowledges of faith

SD 3602
. . . no objections (of this kind) ought to be formed,
because they are doubts and denials;
for a thousand books may be filled with objections.
Consequently confirmations out to be assumed,
which are insinuated.
Such are those in heaven,
that they love only confirming things,
and reject objections.
(October 17, 1748)

AC 2618 - we cannot know everything

AC 2618
As regards the state of unition
of the Lord's Divine spiritual in His Divine celestial,
this is the very marriage itself of good and truth,
from which comes the heavenly marriage;
and this marriage is the Lord's kingdom in the heavens and on earth.
For this reason the Lord's kingdom is so frequently in the Word
called a "marriage," and is compared to a marriage.
The reason (a secret one) is that all conjugial love
(and through this all celestial and spiritual love)
comes from the marriage of Divine good and truth,
and of Divine truth and good, in the Lord.
What further arcana are enfolded in these words:
that "Jehovah visited Sarah as He had said,"
and that "Jehovah did unto Sarah as He had spoken,"
(Genesis 21:1) cannot be declared, because they are inexpressible;
for they comprise the very state itself
of the union of the Lord's Divine with His Human.
Appearances of this are presented by the Lord
before the angels by means of heavenly lights,
and are illustrated by means of indescribable representations;
but they cannot be presented before men,
because it would have to be done by means of such things
as belong to the light of the world,
into which such arcana do not fall;
 Indeed a description that relies on such things
makes them all the more obscure.

AC 2606-2607 - the Word of the Old Testament

AC 2606-2607
The Word of the Old Testament
was formerly called the "Law and the Prophets."
By the "Law" were meant all the historical books,
which are the five books of Moses,
(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
and those of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings:
by the "Prophets" were meant all the prophetical books,
which are those of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel,
Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zephaniah, Malachi;
and also the Psalms of David.
The historical books of the Word are also called "Moses;"
so it is occasionally said, "Moses and the Prophets,"
instead of the "Law and the Prophets;"
and the prophetical books are called "Elias" . . ..

As regards the historicals they are all historically true,
except those in the first chapters of Genesis,
which are made up history . . ..
Yet although they are historically true,
they nevertheless have an internal sense;
and in that sense, like the propheticals, treat solely of the Lord.
They do indeed treat of heaven and the church,
and of what belongs to heaven and the church,
but as these are of the Lord,
through these the historicals look to the Lord,
and therefore are the Word. 

SD 3576 - ends, uses, the universe and the Lord

SD 3576
. . . no idea is to be had of use except from effects.
And as uses and ends can never exist 
but from organic substances,
and because uses and ends are the vital principles 
of organic substances,
it consequently appears that the Universe,
as to its contents, from the inmost to the outmost, is organic,
and that the Lord alone is Life,
and thus the Universe is filled by the Lord.
(October 15, 1748)

AC 2606 - the Lord

AC 2606
. . . the Lord from on high sees each and all things.

AC 2588 - order, enlightenment

AC 2588 [8]
. . . when we do that which is according to order
we are enlightened;
but when we do that which is contrary to order,
we are made blind.
All of which shows of how great concern it is
that truths should be known and believed;
for a person is enlightened by truths,
but is made blind by falsities.
By truths there is opened to the rational
an immense and almost unbounded field;
but by falsities comparatively none at all,
although this does not appear to be so.
It is because the angels are in truths
that they enjoy wisdom so great;
for truth is the very light of heaven.

SD 3530 - mutual love

That Mutual Love in Heaven
is to Love the Neighbor Better than One's Self
SD 3530
This may be seen in shadow from true conjugial love,
in that a husband loves his partner better than himself;
that he will undergo death for her;
that he will lay out upon her all his goods;
that he will give to her rather than [take for] himself.
So also from the love of parents towards their children,
as it is known to everyone,
that a mother will suffer hunger herself
rather than that her infant shall go without food.
The beasts and birds, in like manner,
are more solicitous for their offspring than for themselves.
Thus too from true friendships,
when one will die for his friend,
and will serve him in every way before himself.
So likewise from common civility,
which draws its origin from this source,
and in which mutual love is externally indicated
by giving better portions, dishes, etc., to another,
and taking the poorer to one's self.
And finally from deposits and loans,
when those that are upright will guard and preserve
what belongs to their neighbor
more carefully than they do what is their own.
The same thing appears from the nature of love,
which is such that it wishes to give itself to others,
and its joy is to serve another and not itself . . ..
But they cannot receive this who love themselves supremely,
or who are greedy of lucre, least of all the avaricious.
Thus is the Lord [in His love] shadowed forth.
[October 10, 1748]

AC 2584 - from wisdom? or from folly?

AC 2584 [3]
. . . the quality of the doctrine of faith
. . .when it is regarded from Divine truths,
that is, from the Word,
then each and all things,
of both reason and memory,
confirm it;
but this is not the case when it is regarded from human things,
that is, from reason and memory-knowledges;
for then nothing of good and nothing of truth is conceived;
for to regard it from the Word
is to regard it from the Lord,
whereas to regard it from reason and memory-knowledge
is to regard it from man.
From the former comes all intelligence and wisdom;
from the latter all insanity and folly.

SD 3525 - two angels

SD 3525
I was instructed that with every person
there are two angelic spirits at his head,
by whom the Lord protects a person,
whose office it is to moderate and control
the evil spirits who approach him,
besides various other things
pertaining to a person's truth and good.
. . . Thus, too, with the dead who are to be resuscitated,
there are always two angels.
(October 10, 1748)

AC2574 - how precious to angels

AC 2574 [3]
. . . there are angels who, while they were people,
formed ideas of the Lord's Human 
as they did of that of any other person.
In order that these angels may exist together 
with celestial angels in the next life
 - for in that life, 
ideas inspired by an affection for good join people together -
such erroneous ideas as they have had about the Lord
are dispelled by means of the internal sense,
and in this way they are perfected.
This shows how precious to angels
those things are within the internal sense of the Word,
though they may perhaps seem of small importance
 to a person whose idea of such things is so obscure
as to be scarcely any idea at all.