AC 3318 - "And he was weary." (Genesis 25:29)

AC 3318
That "weary" here signifies a state of combat . . .
 
. . . A person is nothing but an organ, or vessel,
which receives life from the Lord . . ..
The life which inflows with a person from the Lord
is from His Divine love.
This love, or the life . . . inflows and applies itself
to the vessels (truths) which are in a person's rational,
and to those which are in his natural.
In consequence of the hereditary evil
into which a person is born,
and of the actual evil which he acquires,
these vessels are in a contrary position within him
relative to the inflowing life (from the Lord),
yet so far as the life which flows in
can dispose the vessels to receive it,
it does so dispose them.
These vessels in the rational person, and in the natural,
are what are called truths . . ..
Good itself, which has life from the Lord,
or which is life,
is that which flows in and disposes. 

. . . This cannot possibly be effected
so long as the person is in that state into which he is born,
and to which he has reduced himself;
for the vessels are not obedient,
being obstinately resistant, and hardening themselves
against the heavenly order according to which the life acts;
for the good which moves them, and with which they comply,
is of the love of self and of the world
. . . and therefore before they can be rendered compliant
and fit to receive anything of the life of the Lord's love,
they must be softened.
This softening is effected by no other means than temptations;
for temptations remove all that is of the love of self
and of contempt for others in comparison with self,
consequently all that is of self-glory,
and also of hatred and revenge on this account.
When therefore the vessels have been
somewhat tempered and subdued by temptations,
they begin to become yielding to, and compliant with,
the life of the Lord's love,
which continually flows in with a person.

. . . it is then that good begins to be conjoined with truths;
first in the rational person, and afterwards in the natural . . ..
This is the reason why a person is regenerated,
that is, made new, by temptations;
or what is the same, by spiritual combats;
and that he is afterwards gifted with another nature;
being made mild, humble, simple, and contrite in heart.
From these considerations
it may now be seen what use temptations promote,
namely, that good from the Lord may not only flow in,
but may also dispose the vessels to obedience,
and thus conjoin itself with them.
. . .  the first of conjunction takes place
by means of combats,
which are those of temptations,
it is evident that by "he was weary" is signified a state of combat. 

But as regards the Lord,
who in the supreme sense is here treated of,
He by the most grievous temptation combats
reduced all things in Himself into Divine order,
insomuch that there remained nothing at all of the human
which He had derived from the mother,
so that He was not made new as are other people,
but altogether Divine.
For the person who is made new by regeneration
still retains in himself an inclination to evil,
and even evil itself;
but is withheld from evil by an influx of the life of the Lord's love,
and this with a force exceeding great;
whereas the Lord utterly cast out
all the evil that was hereditary to Him from the mother,
and made Himself Divine,
even as to the vessels, that is, as to truths.
This is that which in the Word is called "glorification."

SD 4702 m - resusitation of the dead

SD 4702m
Two or three times I was let into a place
where there is a resurrection of the dead
- really what is called place is state -
where there were celestials.
This [that celestials are present] is known from the fact,
that when the Lord and celestial angels are present,
that something aromatic is perceived from corpses.
And it was stated, that the Lord is there specially present,
wherefore also celestial angels are there;
because, without such presence of the Lord,
there would be no resuscitation of the dead.

AC 3310 - the good of life from doctrinal things

AC 3310 [3]
Those who are being regenerated,
at first do what is good from doctrinal things,
for of themselves they do not know what is good,
but learn it from the doctrinal things of love and charity;
from these they know who the Lord is;
who is the neighbor;
what love is, and what charity;
thus what good is.
. . . one who by nature inclines to adulteries, thefts, and murders,
but who learns from the commandments of the Decalogue
that such things are of hell,
and so abstains from them.
In this state he is affected by the commandments
because he is afraid of hell,
and from these and likewise from many things in the Word
he learns how he ought to direct his life;
and in this case when he does what is good,
he does it from the commandments.
But when he is in good,
he begins to be averse to the adulteries, thefts, and murders
to which before he had been inclined;
and when he is in this state,
he no longer does what is good from the commandments,
but from good, which then is in him.
In the former state he learns good from truth;
in the latter state he teaches truth from good.

SD 4668m - the Divine sphere of ends and uses

SD 4668m
I clearly perceived the Divine sphere of ends and uses,
and more things than are possible to say.
. . .  from that sphere, flow, and are ruled,
all things, and every single detail,
which were of thought and speech . . .

AC 3305 - "And he called his name Jacob" (Genesis 25:26)

AC 3305 [2]
Those who confine themselves to the sense of the letter
suppose that in the Word Jacob is used to mean
every one of those people descended from Jacob,
and for that reason they apply to those people everything
that has been stated about Jacob either as history or as prophecy.
But the Word is Divine
in that first and foremost every single thing within it
has regard not just to one particular nation or people
but to the whole human race,
namely to everyone present, past, and future.
More than that, it has reference to the Lord's kingdom in heaven;
and in the highest sense to the Lord Himself.
This is what makes it a Divine Word.
If it were concerned with merely one particular nation
it would be human only
and would have nothing more of the Divine within it
than the existence among that nation of holy worship. 

SD 4668m - the Divine sphere of ends & uses

SD 4668m
I clearly perceived the Divine sphere of ends and uses,
and more things than are possible to say.
. . .  from that sphere, flow, and are ruled,
all things, and every single detail,
which were of thought and speech . . .

AC 3299 - "twins being in her womb" (Genesis 25:24)

AC 3299

It is good which gives life, but through truth.
Both these are called soul,
but still good is principally the soul,
while truth clothes it as with a kind of tender vessel or body,
so that the good is in the truth.
This is what is signified by "twins being in her womb."

Judges end of 2-3; SD 4630m, 4652m - misfortunes

Judges 2:19-23, 3:1-2
But when the judge died, the people returned to ways
even more corrupt than those of their fathers,
following other gods and serving and worshiping them. 
They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and said,
"Because this nation has violated the covenant
that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me,
I will no longer drive out before them
any of the nations Joshua left when he died.
I will use them to test Israel and see
whether they will keep the way of the LORD
and walk in it as their forefathers did.
The LORD had allowed those nations to remain;
He did not drive them out at once
by giving them into the hands of Joshua.
These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites
who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan
(He did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of
the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience) . . .

SD 4630m
. . .  the misfortunes of the faithful, which, it is well-known,
they suffer as much as, and even more than, the unfaithful.
The reason was told why some of them are thus let into trials:
some, for the reason that they may not attribute good to themselves;
for, if they were exempted [from trials],
then would they attribute it to their own goodness, consequently,
they would unjustifiably claim to themselves merit and justice.
In case this should happen, they are let into common misfortunes,
so that they come to grief as far as life riches
and possessions are concerned, equally with others.
If, however, they were of such a character
that they would not consequently attribute good to themselves,
they would more often be exempted from ordinary misfortune.
So, there are hidden causes at work:
for it is known, that, when misfortune arrives,
any of the faithful think about good,
and in such sort that they consider they should be spared
on account of the good they have done;
and if then, they were to be spared,
they would boast it was on account of their being good,
and, so, would taunt the wicked with this;
consequently, would unjustifiably claim good to themselves.) 

SD 4652m
Consequently it may be evident,
that a person is lead of the Lord
by continuous constraints to foreseen ends;
and yet, by means of his freedom.

SD 3286 - the work of regeneration

SD 3286 [3]
The work of regeneration
is chiefly concerned in bringing about the correspondence
of the natural person to the rational person,
not only in general, but also in particular;
and the natural person is reduced to correspondence
by the Lord through the rational,
in that good is insinuated into the rational,
and in this good
as in ground
truths are implanted,
and then by means of rational truths
the natural is reduced to obedience;
and when it obeys,
then it corresponds;
and insofar as it corresponds,
so far is the person regenerate.

AC 3267 - the spiritual church

AC 3267 [2-3]
With the Lord's spiritual church the case is this:
It is scattered throughout the whole world,
and everywhere varies as to articles of belief, or the truths of faith;
and these varieties are the derivations which are signified by the "births,"
and which come forth both at one and the same time
and also one after another.
It is the very same with the Lord's spiritual kingdom in the heavens,
in which there is variety as to the things of faith,
and this to such a degree that there is not one society,
nor even one person in a society,
that in the things of the truth of faith
has an idea altogether in agreement with the ideas of others
but nevertheless the Lord's spiritual kingdom in the heavens is a one;
the reason of which is that with all there
charity is the principal thing;
for charity makes the spiritual church,
and not faith, unless you call charity faith.

He who is in charity loves his neighbor,
and when the neighbor differs from him in matters of belief,
he excuses it provided that his neighbor lives in good and truth.
He also does not condemn the well-disposed Gentiles,
although they are ignorant of the Lord,
and do not know anything of the faith.
For he who is in charity, that is, who lives in good,
receives from the Lord truths of such a quality as agree with his good,
and Gentiles receive such truths as in the other life
that may be bent into truths of faith.
But he who is not in charity, that is, who does not live in good,
can never receive any truth; he may indeed know truth,
but it is not implanted in his life;
thus he may indeed have it in his mouth, but not in his heart.
For truth cannot be conjoined with evil,
and therefore those who know the truths
 which are called the articles of belief,
and do not live in charity or in good,
although they are in the church because born in it,
are yet not of the church,
for there is nothing of the church in them,
that is nothing of good with which truth may be conjoined.

SDm 4599 - life

SDm 4599
There were some who had general affection,
and, since there was not in it anything of detail,
they took away the life of the body . . .
or induced lassitude of mind,
with lassitude of the body . . .
and a certain indigestion in the stomach;
for the reason that there is little vitality in such general affection.
Life itself consists in the intelligence and wisdom of truth;
and, if this is absent,
there is little vitality, or there is lassitude. 

SDm 4547 - Conscience, and can we know we are in charity?

SDm 4547 (Spiritual Diary Minor)
Conscience is not given without charity towards the neighbor.
A person is in so obscure a perception and idea,
that be is unable to know whether he has charity,
because he is not much sensible of affection;
nor, if he has it, does he reflect upon it;
but it is known from his zeal towards good and truth,
and towards justice and right.
He then has charity, if he is in zeal,
namely, in the zeal of punishing the evil
for the end that they may become good
and that the good may not be hurt,
and that the community or public might be freed from such;
for then he has charity,
although it does not so appear;
nor is he himself able to know this.

AC - various bits and pieces: pun?, charity, death of Abraham, our loves, our souls

AC 3245
. . . (concerning which see above) . . .
[Comment: 
How many times in the Heavenly Doctrines does the
Lord give us this direction?  Many!! 
So - for those of you who love a play on words -
is this simply a physical instruction or a spiritual one?]

AC 3249
. . . charity toward the neighbor is nothing else
than a life according to the Lord's commandments.

AC 3253
And Abraham expired and died.
(Genesis 25:8)
That this signifies the end of the representation by Abraham,
is evident from the signification of "expiring and dying,"
as being to cease or come to an end;
here, the end of the representation.
For nothing of Abraham's life which is described in the Word
has reference to Abraham, except merely in the historical sense;
but everything has reference to the Lord and His kingdom;
and therefore when it is said of Abraham
that he "expired and died,"
it cannot signify in the Word (that is, in its genuine sense)
anything else than that
the state representative of the Lord by Abraham came to an end.

AC 3255
. . . all who are in the same good
meet and are together in the other life,
and likewise all who are in the same truth.

[2]  . . . while a person lives in the body
he is always
as to his soul
in some society of spirits in the other life.;
the person who is evil is in a society of infernal spirits;
and the person who is good is in a society of angels.
Thus everyone is in a society of such spirits as he is in agreement with,
either as to good and truth,
or as to evil and falsity;
and into this same society the person comes when he dies.

AC 3236 - What is spiritual good and the spiritual truth attached to this good?

AC 3236 [2]
Spiritual good in a person
is in general what is called the good of faith,
and this is no other than charity toward the neighbor;
but in order that it may be charity,
it must come from the new will
with which the spiritual person is gifted by the Lord.
The spiritual truth adjoined to this good
is what is called the truth of faith,
and this is no other than that which regards charity first
as the end for the sake of which it exists;
and afterwards
as the beginning from which it proceeds;
but in order that it may be the truth of faith to the spiritual person,
or faith,
it must come from the new understanding
with which he is gifted by the Lord;
and the new understanding
must have its light from the new will.

SD 4533 - the universal affirmative; SD 4534 - the doubting negative

SD 4533
It is solely a universal affirmative
with which a person is imbued as to truths by the Lord,
as that the Word is the Word,
that the Lord is the Lord,
that Providence is in the most singular things.
When one is in this principle,
although he is but obscurely aware of its existence,
innumerable affirmatives are insinuated by the Lord.

SD 4534
The contrary is the case with those who are in contrary affirmatives,
or those of the false, that is,
in the principles and persuasions of the false,
or in a doubting negative,
still more those who are positively in the negative respecting truths.

AC 3214 - angelic communications

AC 3214
Representatives of things spiritual and celestial
sometimes come forth in a long series . . .
in such an order successively as is marvelous.
. . . They are very delightful,
for something new and unexpected continually follows in succession,
and this until what is represented is being fully perfected;
and when all things have been perfectly represented,
it is possible to contemplate everything in one view;
and then it is at the same time given to take note 
of what is signified by each detail.
Moreover good spirits are in this way
initiated into spiritual and celestial ideas.

SD 4471 - the Lord really is watching

SD 4471
Evil souls or evil spirits return at first into their own life,
and afterwards, in the world of spirits,
exercise their wickedness according to their various dispositions;
and when they then exceed the delight of their life they are punished,
and this frequently, until they are deterred -
which punishment may take place to the number of twenty, fifty,
an hundred, or two hundred times and more.
Still, however, it is provided by the Lord
that they shall not do evil to the good,
and those evils which they attempt to inflict
are turned by the Lord into good;
these are the temptations by which the good are fortified.

SD 4442 - an angelic idea of the Divine, the Human, and the Holy of the Lord

SD 4442
There were . . .certain angelic spirits who were in a sublime idea
because they thought, perceived, and heard
so many things concerning
the Divine, the Human, and the Holy of the Lord.
. . . a sublime idea that those three were one,
which idea cannot be described
because it is possible only in the other life,
and words will not express it.
The Divine was for the celestial,
the Human for the rest who were beneath
 - though the Divine was also applicable to the latter -
while the Holy [of the Lord] was all the sphere proceeding,
because there is nothing in the Lord but the Divine Holy.
These things were represented by an angelic idea,
and this as a One adapted to the whole heaven,
in which idea they had their blessedness. 

AC 3212 - being made new

AC 3212 [3-4]
When a person is being regenerated,
he is then becoming altogether another, and is being made new;
therefore also when he has been regenerated,
he is called "born again," and "created anew."
Then, although he has a similar face and a similar speech,
yet his mind is not similar;
his mind, when he is regenerate, is open toward heaven,
and there dwells within love to the Lord and charity toward his neighbor,
together with faith.
It is the mind that makes a person another, and a new person.
This change of state cannot be perceived in the body of a person,
but in his spirit,
the body being merely the covering of his spirit;
and when it is put off, then his spirit appears,
and this (provided he has been regenerated) in altogether another form,
for it then has the form of love and charity in beauty inexpressible . . ..

From this image it may in some measure be conceived
what the glorification of the Lord is.
He was not regenerated as a person is;
but became Divine,
and this from the very Divine Love itself,
for He was made the Divine Love itself.
What His form then was,
was made apparent to Peter, James, and John
when it was given them to see Him,
not with the eyes of the body but with the eyes of the spirit,
namely - that His countenance shone like the sun (Matt. 17:2);
and that this was His Divine Human
is evident from the voice which then came out of the cloud, saying,
"This is my beloved Son" (verse 5).

AC 3195 - "light"

AC 3195 [2-3]
In the Word frequent mention is made of "light,"
and by this in the internal sense
is signified the truth which is from good
but in the supreme internal sense
there is signified the Lord Himself,
because He is good and truth itself.
. . . there actually is light in heaven,
but infinitely brighter than the light on earth;
and in this light spirits and angels see one another,
and by means of it is displayed all the glory which is in heaven.
In regard to its lucidity,
this light does indeed appear like the light in the world;
but still it is not like it, for it is not natural,
but spiritual, having in it wisdom;
so that it is nothing else than wisdom
which so shines before the eyes of the angels;
and therefore the wiser the angels are,
the brighter is the light in which they are.
. . .  this light illumines the understanding of a person,
especially that of a regenerate person;
but it is not perceived by a person
so long as he is in the life of the body . . ..

As regards the very origin of light,
this has been from eternity from the Lord alone;
for Divine good itself and Divine truth,
from which light comes, is the Lord.
The Divine Human, which was from eternity, was this light itself.
And whereas this light could no longer affect the human race,
which had removed itself so far from good and truth,
thus from light,
and had cast itself into darkness,
therefore the Lord willed to put on by birth the human itself;
for so He could illumine not only the rational
but also the natural things of a person;
for He made both the rational and the natural in Himself Divine,
in order that He might also be a light
to those who were in such gross darkness. 

SD 4433 - the common good

SD 4433
. . . he who, in the life of the body, is for the common good,
is also for the common good in the other life;
the common good in the other life is the kingdom of the Lord;
and he is thus for the kingdom of the Lord,
consequently for the Lord himself,
who is the all in all things of His kingdom.
Consequently,
how much zeal anyone has in the world for the common good,
so much he has for the kingdom of the Lord. 

AC 3190 - night and day

AC 3190
. . . when truth is elevated out of the natural into the rational,
it is taken out of the sphere of worldly light into the sphere of heavenly light,
thus as it were from the obscurity of night into the clearness of day;
for the things which are of the light of the world,
in which are all natural things,
are relatively as in night,
but the things which are of the light of heaven,
in which are spiritual things,
are relatively as in day;
and therefore when truth is elevated 
out of the natural toward the rational,
the person is at the same time elevated 
into intelligence and into wisdom;
moreover all intelligence and wisdom with a person are from this source.
This is what is signified by
the intellectual part being elevated 
above natural memory-knowledges.

SD 4412-4413 - Paul

SD 4412-4413
Paul is among the worst of the apostles . . ..
The love of self, in which he was ensnared before he preached the gospel,
remained with him also afterwards,
and because he was then, for the most part, in a like state,
he was prompted by that love 
and by his nature to wish to be in scenes of tumult.
He did all things from the end of being greatest in heaven,
and of judging the tribes of Israel.
That he remained such afterwards appears from very much experience,
for I spoke with him more than with others;
and he is such,
that the rest of the apostles in the other life rejected him from their company,
and no longer recognize him for one of themselves.
. . . he associated himself to one of the worst devils,
who would fain rule all things,
and pledged himself to this spirit to obtain for him his end;
besides many other things, which it would be too tedious to relate.
If all the things which I know concerning Paul should be related,
they would be enough to fill sheets.
That he wrote epistles does not prove
that he was such [as that would seem to imply],
for even the impious can preach well and write epistles;
it is one thing to be,
and another to speak and to write, as was also said to him.
Moreover he has not mentioned, in his epistles,
the least word of what the Lord taught, nor cited one of his parables,
so that he received nothing from the life and discourse of the Lord,
as was also said to him,
when yet in the Evangelists is the very Gospel itself.

There was a certain one 
who was insensible to the internal sense of the Word,
because he wished to place merit in his actions (:Paul:).
He was for a long time at a distance from me,
and also among the worst class of spirits.
He now associated himself with the worst devils,
and now wished to form a heaven to himself [of spirits]
to whom he might give joys from himself,
but the joys of cupidities and pleasures;
this also he attempted, but he became worse in consequence of it,
and was cast down. I then spoke to him that this was not heaven but hell;
and it was actually turned into a black hell.
He wished especially to have hypocrites [about him]
concerning whom I spoke with him;
there were hypocrites with me for several days,
which I was able to know by the pain in my teeth:
they tacitly pressed upon me without intermission;
and it was perceived and said that this was from Paul,
who hates the internal sense,
and that the anger of that hatred
has the effect of drawing hypocrites [about him],
and that such is the connection of things,
for hypocrites believe nothing,
but still esteem the literal sense of the Word,
because they can then take many things
and apply them in persuading the vulgar,
and thus contrive to appear pious.  

SD 4405 - the language of spirits; SD 4409 - the inmost of conjugial love

SD 4405
I spoke with him in the language of spirits,
illustrated by representative ideas;
for the language of spirits is such that,
in expressing anything,
they also present it, as it were visible,
but in modes which cannot be described.
Affections, cupidities, and similar things
are presented to the life by variations of light,
and these too modified with an almost endless variety.
This speech is perceived very rapidly,
so that more can be expressed [by it] in a moment,
than by human speech in hours.

SD 4409
. . . in love truly conjugial,
the inmost is a principle of conscience.

AC 3179 - what we know

AC 3179 [2]
. . . the things that take place during a person's regeneration
are altogether unknown to him;
and if he were to know only one out of ten thousand of them
he would be astounded.
There are countless, indeed an endless number
of secret things by which a person is at that time led of the Lord,
only some of which shine forth from the internal sense of the Word. 

SD 4376 - the Lord willed to be born on this earth

SD 4376
. . . the Lord willed to be born on this earth,
because, if He had not done so,
earth would have perished;
and as the human race inhabiting our earth
corresponds for the most part to corporeal things,
they could not be otherwise united with interiors
than by the Lord's becoming man;
especially after the correspondence had begun to perish,
which continued
as long as there was anything of a celestial church,
that is, of love to the Lord.
(August 25, 1749)

AC 3170 - all peace is from good and truth

AC 3170
And they passed the night.
(Genesis 24:54)
 . . . the signification of "passing the night," as being to rest,
and in the internal sense to have peace.
The case within is this:
When spiritual things are being appropriated to the natural person,
those things recede
which belong to cupidity of evil and persuasion of falsity,
which thus induce unrest;
and those approach
which belong to the affection of good and of truth,
consequently those things which cause peace;
for all unrest is from evil and falsity,
and all peace is from good and truth. 

AC 3158 - conjunction & freedom

AC 3158
. . . the initiation and conjunction of good and truth
are spiritual betrothal and spiritual marriage.
In each there is required a free state of deliberation.
That this is necessary in betrothal and marriage,
is well known;
but that it is required
in the initiation and conjunction of good and truth,
is not so well known,
because it is not apparent to the natural person,
and because such initiation and conjunction
are among the things that are accomplished
without a person's reflecting upon them;
nevertheless during every moment
when a person is being reformed and regenerated,
it comes to pass that he is in a state of freedom
when truth is being conjoined with good.
. . . truth, which is of faith,
never becomes a person's as his
until it has been received by the will, that is,
until it has been initiated and conjoined with the good there;
and that this cannot be effected except in a free state.

SD 4352 - hypocrites; SD 4354 - ratiocinators

SD 4252
. . . hypocrites and the deceitful
are far more foolish and stupid than others
who openly utter what is right and true.
It was found, upon his being explored,
that he accounted himself most prudent and wise,
supposing that no one closely observed him;
whereas all could take note of his hypocrisy and deceit,
which in fact is granted to nearly every person . . ..
That they should think that no one could see
and know this is to be attributed to their folly,
and is a proof that they discern less than others.
All the deceitful are of this character.
(August 14, 1749)
This holds still more in the other life,
but they still retain the idea
of their being able to do everything they wish,
and that no one knows or observes them,
when yet it is altogether the reverse.

SD 4364
Those who were deceived by his hypocrisy or pride
were ratiocinators,
such as do not know what goodness and truth are,
but suffer themselves to be seduced by such characters
and to be borne away wherever they please,
and consequently drinking in delight.
Ratiocinators are the arms and hands of evil spirits;
as soon as ever such spirits perceive
their propensity in this direction
they captivate them by their own dialetic arts,
and by insinuating delight
lead them whithersoever they will,
although they deal only in what is most false and deceitful. 

AC 3142 - sweeping (to prepare); AC 3147 - washing (to purify)

AC 3142
The reason "to sweep" signifies to prepare and to be filled,
is that nothing else is required of a person than to sweep the house;
that is, to reject the cupidities of evil
and the derivative persuasions of falsity;
for he is then filled with goods,
because good is continually flowing in from the Lord -
but into "the house," that is, into the person
who is purified from such things as impede the influx . . ..
So it was common with the ancients
to speak of sweeping or cleaning the house,
and of sweeping and preparing the way;
and by sweeping the house
was meant to purify one's self from evils,
and thereby to prepare one's self for goods to enter;
but by sweeping the way
was meant to prepare one's self so that truths might be received
(for by a "house" was signified good;
and by a "way," truth.  As in Isaiah:

The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Sweep [prepare] ye the way of Jehovah;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
(Isaiah 40:3)

AC 3147
. . . washing with water, as being to purify . . ..
In the representative church it was customary to wash the feet with water,
and thereby to signify
that the unclean things of the natural person were washed away.
The unclean things of the natural person
are all those things which are of the love of self
and of the love of the world;
and when these unclean things have been washed away,
then goods and truths flow in,
for it is solely these unclean things
that hinder the influx of good and truth from the Lord.

SD 4350 - the celestial affection of conjugial love

SD 4350
. . . with those who are in true conjugial love
the interiors are opened towards heaven and the Lord
for it is an affection which derives its origin from the Lord alone,
who flows in through the inmost,
so that its quality and source cannot be adequately described;
but it is a consequence of this influx that the interiors are opened,
and that one who is the subject of it is in celestial affection,
and thus has the Lord's kingdom within himself.
From the same source also is derived the love towards infants,
and because such an one is so receptible of celestial loves,
he receives also mutual love towards the neighbor,
for this follows from genuine conjugial love
as from a kind of fountain.
(August 13, 1749)

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.